Christmas

Morgrym · Post by **Morgrym** » December 16, 2005, 12:03 pm

Tired of all the "Happy Holidays" bull shit? This pretty much sums it up.

NWS for language if you work around those types.

First I have seen it so piss off if it has been posted here before.

Christmas

noel · Post by **noel** » December 16, 2005, 12:39 pm

People that get offended by things that don't directly affect them piss me off.

However, contrary to popular belief, the United States of America is not the United Christian States of America. It is reasonable to be respectful and representative of all holidays and beliefs.

Shaerra · Post by **Shaerra** » December 16, 2005, 1:30 pm

Yeah, 'cause creating a new policy that omits "Christmas" from everything shouldn't be considered a "bad" thing!

Look at it this way, you're not losing your Lord and savior, or a traditional part of American culture, you're gaining a new politically correct Oprah-approved holiday, designed by a sitcom.

Happy Festivus...

Voronwë · Post by **Voronwë** » December 16, 2005, 1:39 pm

nevermind that Christmas Day is THE ONLY Federally recognized religious holiday.

The people who are all upset about all this crap are just so utterly ignorant and just are the most easily controlled by propaganda nitwits i can imagine.

they would probably want the government to make it illegal for a PRIVATE COMPANY to NOT say "Merry Christmas"

fucking idiots.

Marbus · Post by **Marbus** » December 16, 2005, 1:43 pm

Yea I know and agree in general but you know what? some people should just calm the fuck down.

If my child was going to school in a place where many people were Muslim and they wanted to have special plays or celebrations for their culture, he would participate because ME being the minority shouldn't keep everyone else from enjoying their shit. Rather than focusing on weither or not I believed EXACTLY as they did I would focus on the seeing my son have a good time with his friends and learning about other.

Case in point. My son goes to a Catholic Preschool, we aren't Catholic but the only other really good preschool is the fundie/crispie one. So when we signed him up this summer one of his best friends from day care parents also decided to send their son there. After looking at the school, they recommended it to 2 of their friends and one of their other friends kids were already attending. The only thing that struck me about this was that they are all Hindu.

So Christmas is approaching and last Monday was the Christmas play. During a previous open house someone asked if the Christmas play was going to focus on "the Christian God" to which the answer of course was "yes" since it's a Catholic school right?... their respons was "ok, that's what we thought." The night of the play it was quite funny because there was a whole section of the parish hall with us Heathens in it (Presbyterians are included since we aren't Catholic right?). All of Joseph's Hindu friends extended families came, had video cameras, cameras and a jolly good time.

Now I know since the school is private they have no say so and should expect a Catholic school to focus on God but they could have kept the kids from attending the play. They didn't HAVE to have their extended families there and video it... THE point is that they were there not celebrating something they didn't agree with or protesting it, THEY were there to celebrate their children, family and a chance to be together and with friends. They are good parents though, they teach their kids what they want them to know about their religion and aren't paranoid of everyone else...

THAT is the problem with these whiners who complain all the time. They aren't doing it for their families, they are doing it because they want attention and are greedy bastards who think more about themselves than anyone else. As you know I'm all for separation of Church and State but sometimes we take it WAAAAYYYYYY too far... relax, drink some egg nog, watch "It's a Wonderful Life", spend time with your family and STFU

Merry Christmas!
Marb

Aslanna · Post by **Aslanna** » December 16, 2005, 2:57 pm

Happy holidays!

Kargyle · Post by **Kargyle** » December 16, 2005, 3:32 pm

I don't understand why so many people are up in arms over saying Happy Holidays. There's more than one holiday going on this time of year, saying Happy Holidays just covers them all in one easy phrase. I don't want to have to say Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year, and while we are at it Happy Kwanza, Hanukka, and Happy Solstice for my Wiccan friends. It is just retarded. Happy Holidays, regardless of what made up religious day you may be celebrating. I don't care if someone says Merry Christmas, or Happy Hanukka, just don't bitch at me because I choose not to.

miir · Post by **miir** » December 16, 2005, 3:38 pm

Merry Christmahannukwanzika!

Lynks · Post by **Lynks** » December 16, 2005, 4:12 pm

Jon Stewart wrote:It is late November, early December and there are two holidays coming up: christmas and the new year. When saying goodbye to someone you won't see over the next month, you could say "have a merry christmas and a happy new year" instead of "happy holidays", but people usually have shit to do, so do i, and i am going to say "happy holidays" to save my air for things that i really need to say, like "fuck off".

in reference to the Bill O'Reilly thing

Leonaerd · Post by **Leonaerd** » December 16, 2005, 4:14 pm

We've all said it before. Jon Stewart for President.

Funkmasterr · Post by **Funkmasterr** » December 16, 2005, 6:13 pm

Well, I am not conversing with too many jewish or islamic or whatever people when I say something of the sort, as I am not a very festive person, so when I say merry christmas, I say it because im saying it to someone that celebrates christmas. I am not religious in any way shape or form, and I don't celebrate christmas for religious reasons, I celebrate it because its a tradition. I couldnt give a motherfuck about any of the other religions holidays and dont want to hear about them, or be expected to tell anyone to have a happy fucking kwanza.

Merry Christmas bitches, and a happy New Year.

Moonwynd · Post by **Moonwynd** » December 16, 2005, 6:53 pm

I will always say, "Merry Christmas". I buy Christmas cards...Christmas trees...Christmas presents are put under my Christmas tree.

I know that Christmas was placed in late December in order to turn the Roman celebration of Saturnia into a "Christian" celebration. I also know that the Christmas tree started off as a pagan symbol. I know that Santa Claus has absolutely nothing to do with the birth of Christ.

I am a Christian...I go to a Quaker church...and every Wednesday evening I attend a Zen Buddhist zazen/kinhin meditation group....oh yeah, I was raised in a fairly Orthodox Jewish family. If you research the Quakers you will find they are very accepting of other religions and are non judgmental people.

With that said, I do feel there is a rather progressive secular movement that would like to see all references to Christianity removed from the public mindset. I am not sure if the reasoning comes from a true disdain for Christianity or if there is a political agenda. Regardless of the reasons, I find being so politically correct that we cannot say Merry Christmas for fear of offending non Christians to be a sad state of affairs.

When I was younger and celebrating Chanukah, I was never offended by someone wishing me Merry Christmas. None of my Jewish family or friends were offended by a friendly, "Merry Christmas".

When we become a country of people where Christians are in the vast minority maybe we can revist the entire Merry Christmas thing.

Post by **Sylvus** » December 16, 2005, 7:07 pm

I don't really understand what is offensive to people about hearing "Happy Holidays". I hear people crying about other people saying "Happy Holidays", but I haven't heard anyone forcing someone to use that phrase rather than Merry Christmas. Sure, a couple big companies have embraced the whole Happy Holidays thing, as it seems they might want to let (encourage) all people to shop at their stores during this time of year, but I don't understand how that hurts the baby jesus?

I'm also not sure that uttering the words "Merry Christmas" gets you in better with Ol' JC, nor are those words a requirement of the faith. If you're one of the people who is offended, please try to remember the next time you see or hear "Happy Holidays" that Christmas is included in there. It's a holiday!

Drinsic Darkwood · Post by **Drinsic Darkwood** » December 16, 2005, 8:36 pm

I have no problem whatsoever with people saying "Happy Holidays", but I despise people that get "offended" by "Merry Christmas". To me, they're every bit as fucking retarded as the ones who fervently oppose "Happy Holidays".

Drasta · Post by **Drasta** » December 16, 2005, 9:44 pm

believe in the power of santa!

Boogahz · Post by **Boogahz** » December 16, 2005, 9:45 pm

The company I work for has no preference what we say in regards to the holidays when speaking with our customers. Many CSR's will say "Happy Holidays" just because they have customers gripe when they are told "Merry Christmas"......then our company gets attacked for this by FOX news! We R Special!

Anuin · Post by **Anuin** » December 17, 2005, 12:17 pm

Why not talk about how lame whoever wrote that was. It was like reading a retarded internet rant except someone was reading it to you in the most annoying voice humanly possible. Novel thought in that "rant"? Zero. All they did was take what essentially everyone has pondered or talked about at some point in their life, and added a bunch of fucks and dropped yuppie a couple times, and called it awsome.

Noysyrump · Post by **Noysyrump** » December 17, 2005, 1:19 pm

FOAMY DA SQUIRREL!

woot.

Nilaman · Post by **Nilaman** » December 17, 2005, 3:07 pm

Moonwynd wrote:If you research the Quakers you will find they are very accepting of other religions and are non judgmental people.

But what did they think of your mullet?!

Moonwynd · Post by **Moonwynd** » December 17, 2005, 3:32 pm

Sorry Nila...I shaved the mullet all off...

But they did say my head was a beacon of hope in an otherwise dark and troublesome time.

miir · Post by **miir** » December 17, 2005, 3:39 pm

It's a beacon alright.

Drasta · Post by **Drasta** » December 18, 2005, 2:40 am

omg shave that thing off!

Moonwynd · Post by **Moonwynd** » December 18, 2005, 3:32 am

Drasta wrote:omg shave that thing off!

I was going to go with the standard, "I would but your girlfriend likes the way it tickles her thighs" reply. But I am above any such Tom Foolery.

Chidoro · Post by **Chidoro** » December 18, 2005, 10:32 am

That's actually funny, especially considering Drasta is gay.

I have no problem whatsoever with people saying "Happy Holidays", but I despise people that get "offended" by "Merry Christmas". To me, they're every bit as fucking retarded as the ones who fervently oppose "Happy Holidays".

Pretty much dead on to the way I feel. It's not as if someone saying "Merry Christmas" to me is trying to convert me with some evil agenda; to the contrary, they are being nice to me. Considering how rare that is over the course of my normal day, "Merry Christmas to you as well" is always my response.

FEATS OF STRENGTH!

Drasta · Post by **Drasta** » December 18, 2005, 1:45 pm

you came over to the dark side moon?

Moonwynd · Post by **Moonwynd** » December 18, 2005, 2:12 pm

Very dark....

Chmee · Post by **Chmee** » December 19, 2005, 6:57 pm

Jesse Walker over at Reason magazine had an interesting column on this.

http://www.reason.com/links/links121905.shtml

Money quote:

This remained the standard American Christian view until 2004, when the religious right suddenly discovered the so-called War on Christmas, represented by the shocking fact that clerks sometimes wish their customers "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas" as they sell them toys. In 2005, the war against the War on Christmas is bigger, noisier, and better organized than it was last year; it has become the position most readily identified with America's conservative Christians. It fulfills many functions: It lets Bill O'Reilly fill airtime, it lets John Gibson sell books, and it lets Fox-watchers everywhere see the strange spectacle of people actually offended by the friendly greeting "Merry Christmas" facing off against people actually offended by the friendly greeting "Happy Holidays," a debate with all the resonance of a Def Comedy Jam standoff between Dick Smothers and Margaret Dumont. But most of all, it's a declaration of surrender. The alleged War on Christmas consists not of materialism invading a spiritual holiday, but of materialism's agents sometimes failing to pay lip service to the holiday they have conquered. Drawing the line there is like building fortifications against Germany along the border of Vichy France.

Zaelath · Post by **Zaelath** » December 19, 2005, 8:53 pm

The alleged War on Christmas consists not of materialism invading a spiritual holiday, but of materialism's agents sometimes failing to pay lip service to the holiday they have conquered. Drawing the line there is like building fortifications against Germany along the border of Vichy France.

awesome analogy.