Respectful, serious question for everyone?

Question

Agnostic here, not wanting to convert anyone.

Respectful serious question for everyone. Christmas. How do you feel about the "Happy Holidays" that became politically correct last year. I hated it.

I think private business had the right to call it happy holidays, i think the local governments have the right to put up religious displays that reflect the community,

Remember when we were kids and it was Merry Christmas and Christmas sales.

Or, is this what we all wanted, was to take Jesus out of marketing?

Answer 1

I am an Atheist and I hated it. It is Christmas. I really have a hard time understanding how anyone could be that offended over it. I think the nativity scenes and Christmas carol are beautiful. I don't have to believe in god to appreciate the beauty in something. I think a lot of people protested just to make a point.

Answer 2

I think it is simply trying not to dismiss other important holiday celebrations that take place at the same time. It's just an easier way of saying, "Happy Whatever Holiday You Celebrate" since there are so many at the same time. It's a nice gesture. I work at a University and it would be completely rude to send out cards saying "Merry Christmas" as there are many people from many different backgrounds and religions here. It's just a catch-all.

All for a Holiday Tree, as far as I know, the tree is only used in the celebration of the Christian and secular Christmas, so I don't see the need to call it a holiday tree when Christmas covers it all. I guess maybe other celebrations are beginning to incorporate it?

I do, however, like taking Jesus out of anything sponsored by the government. They have an obligation to cater to everyone and no one. The White House should have a "Holiday Tree". After all, it is all about politics.

Answer 3

The holiday of Christmas is celebrated around the world. It is the celebration of Jesus's birth. Before that was celebrated there was a celebration of the winter solstice. Dec. 25th is probably not his real birthday. But- it is when we celebrate it. Saying Merry Christmas means something if you are christian, if not it does't. Other groups of people get to pick out how they want to be called or treated, it is only christians who are discriminated against at the time of their celebration. I say Merry Christmas at Christmas time, Happy Hannahka on that day. and by the way Happy Halloween on Oct. 31. Happy Easter on that holiday. What is so wrong with wishing people happiness even if they are not of your personal religion? Why don't we 'include" everyone in school at that time of year and really feel the spirit of the season instead of , you are this and I am that. I absolutely love having a Christmas tree and decorating it. I don't care if it isn't in the Bible, it also doesn't say I can't have one in there either. I wish we had the spirit of Christmas all year long. This year I hope stores or other establishments think twice about 'happy holidays' and bring back the old fashioned "Merry Christmas". And to all a good night.

Answer 4

I don't get why everyone has such a problem with "Happy Holidays." I mean, there's other holidays in December besides Christmas. Many of the other religions obviously have their big day in December, and then there's also New Year's Eve, etc. How do we know that the stores were trying to be politically correct? What if they were just saying, "Hey, happy holidays, no matter what holiday you're celebrating, because jeez, there's like ten of them this month"?

I think people really made too big a deal of that, though. Have you ever actually gotten mad, or seen someone get mad, when they said either Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays? The thought is still there; they want you to have a happy holiday(s) and take care of yourself, no matter what your faith is or which holiday you're going to be celebrating. I don't understand why we all have to get so caught up in HOW they say it, though.

Answer 5

I just say what comes natural. As a pagan I say Happy Yule or Happy Holidays. Sometimes I say Merry Christmas because it's traditional even though I know that Christmas was originally a pagan holy day adopted by Christians. And the last two years I have even said Happy Festivus as a joke to see if people would respond and I discovered that they just said "you too" or "same to you" without having any clue at all what I had just said. My co workers got a huge kick out of it.

Answer 6

I see "Happy Holidays" as a way of including everyone who celebrates a holiday during that time of year. It is not meant to be a mass-blanketing term to obliterate the meaning of Christmas.

There are four separate holidays, that I know of, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Chanukah, and Yule.

I am not Christian, nor am I anti-Christian. I celebrate Christmas, because my family is Christian and I spent the first 20 years of my life as a Christian. I love the time of year, because no matter what you celebrate, they whole time of year seem to be pervaded with good feelings.

When I see people out and about, I wish them a Merry Christmas and I do not get offended if they wish me a Happy Chanukah, Joyous Kwanzaa, or Blessed Yule.

I support the ACLU, but I do believe they take a serious wrong turn on occasion...*sigh*

Answer 7

Jim,

I hate to bust your bubble, but it gets worse. It turns out, that Christmas, has absolutely NOTHING to do with Jesus. When the Catholic church took over the movement started by Jesus, they wanted everyone in the Roman Empire, to feel comfortable with the new "Official" religion of Rome. In order to do that, they had to accommodate the Sun worshipers, who constituted the largest part of the pagan population. The big holy day for Sun worshipers, is the Winter Solstice. That is when they celebrated the return of the Sun god, after His retreat from the earth. Guess what day that is??? Give up? December 25th. The church leaders, just conveniently decided to make that the day of Jesus' birthday. Ever wonder why they have that Big Huge Obelisk in the middle of the Vatican courtyard? Now you know. Same thing with Easter. That was the day, when all pagans celebrated the goddess of Fertility, Ishtar. Ever wonder where the eggs and bunnies came from, and what they had to do with Jesus? Absolutely nothing. They used Jesus' name, to give legitimacy to the holy days of pagans, thus making them feel right at home in the "Universal Church". Nobody really knows when Jesus was born, but most scholars think it was between May and August. Check out something called the Council of Nicea, in 325 A.D., and you will get a hatful of surprises about Christianity.

Answer 8

Hate it.

I will not buy a "Holiday Tree" and I always say "Merry Christmas". I don't do it to offend anyone, simply in an attempt to spread the joy of the holiday season.

As for Jesus and marketing... everyone knows that sex sells and Jesus isn't too big on the sex thing.. thus Jesus doesn't sell a whole lot.

Answer 9

The "Christmas" tree was originally a pagan symbol as is the Yule log. I celebrate the Yuletide on the eave of the winter soltice not the christian holiday so I will say Happy Holidays because not everybody celebrates x-mas and I'm not going to rattle off a list of cultural holidays a mile long.


OH, and for those who think that x-mas is taking the christ out of christmas.....it's not....The X was a symbol used in later Greek times as a symbol for christ (hence th crosses you all love to wear) so it is perfectly acceptable to write x-mas.

Answer 10

If you aren't aware of the true his-story of Christ-mas, this holiday season used to be called Candal-mas by Pagans and was a holiday to celebrate the triumph of light over dark, meaning that the long dark nights began to shorten and the days to lengthen. Then the Christians trying to convert the pagans changed Candal-mas to Christ-mas. Supposedly Jesus was not born during this holiday but more likely in some month like August. So, I am more like a Christian Mystic type of person who also believes in the possibility of reincarnation. But, that Christ-mas is a lie that everyone celebrates, bothers me. I don't care what the season is called as much as that a world of ignorance celebrates a lie (Jesus was born)