I know it's cliche to complain about this, BUT

[ifihadahifi]

Have christians ever considered that possibly Jesus is the one behind the removal of his namesake from the holiday that was originally pagan... if not roman.

Could it be the christians are getting in the way of his will?

[Irock]

Yeah, I jsut threw Kwanzaa and Festivus in there to make the list seem longer.

But I think if people are really offended (and I don't think most are), they should address the offense with the offenders instead of holding it up as "proof" that Christians are under attack. If most Christians were offended by something, and didn't buy it, it would make a pretty big statement - they do still have the most consumer buying power in this country.

[Sybil]

I just walked past a television tuned to Fox News and saw this bold graphic plastered at the bottom of the screen:

XMAS UNDER FIRE!

I have always contended that watching Fox News will lower one's I.Q. Now I'm sure of it. They have no idea of the meaning of the word "irony"?

And don't even let me get started about this whole Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Krispy Kwanzaa, whatever argument! People should get a life. There are people in this world starving, suffering unspeakable horrors, being tortured, raped, murdered, dying from illnesses we haven't seen in the U.S. in generations. But what are the holier than thou so-called Christans in this country doing? Arguing semantics! Talk about irony.

Well, Merry fucking Christmas!

Sy "thinking of becoming Wiccan" bil

[monet2u]

I feel like time is speeding up. I mean there are only 7 days left to thanksgiving...I just finished halloween. ugh I'll bat my eyes and it will be christmas before I know it. I swear it all used to take longer to get here.

[squeezle]

i just can't wait for the 6-8 black men to come to town !!

[James]

in fact, i think it's more offensive to christians when you use 'holiday' in lieu of christmas than it is to say "christmas."

Why?

Because they acknowledge that others may not celebrate their holiday?

Because they don't presume that everyone else is Christian?

- Mere "it happens to be MY holiday too, but I don't believe I am slighting the Christ child one bit by wishing my friends -- or especially strangers -- a happy holiday season" 1975

no, it's not that. when you're talking about December 25th, you're talking about Christmas. Not Hanukkah, not Kwanza. it's not that your tradition is being left out. imagine if there were commercials with a menorah or a dreidel or other customs of Hanukkah, and instead of saying "hanukkah" it says "holiday." would you be upset if advertising agencies and companies took EVERY TRADITION of your holiday customs, exploited it, and then refused to say the word "hanukkah"? that's how it's offensive to Christians. because so much of this is about taking all of the customs of one day, and denying the very *essense* of that holiday.

See my earlier post: IT'S ALL ABOUT MONEY! Not necessarily in a bad way, but in business the "holiday season" is when a lot of businesses make a real large portion of their profits for the year. And businesses are generally the ones advertising, so yeah, that's what you get bombarded with.

As for whatever holiday is going on, at some point, you're just going to have to accept that it is indeed "the holiday season". It may be Christmas to you, but businesses do also try to sell to Jews and Muslims and, uh, whatever you are to do Kwanza, and um, the point is IT'S ALL ABOUT THE MONEY!

[squeezle]

just to get my $.02 in....

technically holiday is a form of the phrase "holy day" and christmas is a christian "holy day" soooooo by wishing someone "Happy Holidays" you are indeed acknowledging their spiritual/religious tradition - i don't get the hubbub.

squeez "just do us a favor and get laid for the holidays " le

[Dalya]

I got a good five minutes of laughter out of it. People who try to protect the meaning of Christmas from commercialism should just give up. That battle was lost a long time ago.

ITS ALREADY COMBINED WITH A PAGAN HOLIDAY.

idiots.

[ifihadahifi]

technically holiday is a form of the phrase "holy day" and christmas is a christian "holy day" soooooo by wishing someone "Happy Holidays" you are indeed acknowledging their spiritual/religious tradition

THANK YOU! I raised this point to my parents last year. They are the type to get all worked up about this kind of stuff.

[Phyllis]

i thought people said "happy holidays" because a lot of holidays like xmas, kwanzaa, hannukah and even thanksgiving happen all kind of close to each other. and new years too. am i wrong? i thought that is where the whole happy holidays thing came from. i think it's embarrassing to say merry xmas to someone and then they're like "hey dumbfuck i don't celebrate xmas"

i never have celebrated the religious aspect of xmas. i always think "oooh presents" and not "oooh jesus"

whatever. it's all stupid.

[Rebecca]

i thought people said "happy holidays" because a lot of holidays like xmas, kwanzaa, hannukah and even thanksgiving happen all kind of close to each other. and new years too.

Genius! Last time I checked, there was more than one holiday/holy day (even if you are Christian, you still celebrate Christmas and New Years), sooo "Happy Holidays" would be the correct greeting. Plus it's a little more brief than, "Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!

That being said, I DO think the "holiday tree" is a bit ridiculous. There's no such thing as a holiday menorah. When you put a bunch of red and green decorations on a pine tree in December in America, it's a fucking Christmas tree.

Wouldn't it be nice if all the Christians who are spending their time "defending Christmas" actually did something worthwhile and Christian-like? Helping the needy? Feeding the poor? What would Jesus do?

[squeezle]

on a completely different, but related note - do you ever wonder why all of the 'holiday' greeting start with 'happy' (halloween, thanksgiving, new years, valentines day, mother's day, forth of july, etc.) but christmas starts with 'merry'. people rarely say 'happy christmas'. but 'merry' and 'happy' have the same general meaning so why not use them interchangeably? i have not idea why this is, i just thought it was an interesting observation with all the holiday talk. maybe it is just the anthropologist in me.


squeez "what does that mean?" le

p.s. if you call me 'bones' i'll kick you in the crotch, i promise

[monet2u]

happy christmas or crimbo is said in the UK still tho.

[Steveums]

happy christmas or crimbo is said in the UK still tho.

over here, christmas is christmas. doesn't really matter if you're christian or not.
a "holiday" means a vacation. so that doesn't work. and we don't really have a high jewish population.

[mr_j]

Wouldn't it be nice if all the Christians who are spending their time "defending Christmas" actually did something worthwhile and Christian-like? Helping the needy? Feeding the poor? What would Jesus do?

Considering that almost all charities around the world (not including the US Government, mind you) are Christian-based or were founded on a Christian mission, I'd suggest you change your tune, because you are seriously misguided in this belief. And second of all, why do you assume that Christians cannot be concerned about something they see happening in modern culture AND be helpful to their fellow man?

As a Christian, this particular attitude pisses me off, because it highlights the ignorance and the apathy of a particular mindset and it stereotypes my faith. Now, my faith is strong enough where one's ignorance isn't going to shake my faith at all, but that doesn't mean I have to be silent about insults to it. I won't say that reading such a comment doesn't hurt me, though, because, well, that would be a lie.

I will not comment further on this; this subject is not up for debate.