Christ out of Christmas?

Question

Consider this a straw poll, I have no agenda & my opinion does not matter. To be up front, I am an Atheist Conservative. I have already started getting email from groups citing stores that will not be using the word Christmas in their advertising. These companies usually substitute the term "holiday season". Please answer this without bashing Christian's, Atheists or other groups that do not agree with you.
1. Does this hijack tradition?
2. Will you continue to shop at merchants that alter their advertising?
3. Do you believe that this will become a media non-story, again?
4. Does the word Christmas embrace a traditional celebration or does it only mean Jesus & God?
5. Do you believe that many of the merchants are overly sensitive to a small minority in the country?

Answer 1

This is actually an interesting question.

to let you know why I answer this way, I have to explain a bit about me. I am an Atheist, but went to a catholic grammar school and Highschool. interresting little paradox, eh?

I firmly believe companies who are now using the phrase ' happy holidays' and the like are being way too PC and overly sensitive to these apparent needs to appease the minority.

This does go against tradition, obviously. But, not everything must follow tradition. If every tradition was followed, we'd still be in the age of the ancient Greeks, or worse.

The phrase Christmas means "Christ Mass", which is a celebration of the birth of Jesus. Most people forget that, up until the 50's or so, 95% of the Western world was Christian. The Christians designated December 25th to be the day for celebrating the birth of Christ. The media has spun this day into THE day to make money, hell, the season to make money. my boyfriend and his whole family are atheist, and they celebrate christmas. they get the tree, the presents, the lights, the whole 9 yards, but without acknowledging the day wouldnt exist without Christians making it so. I think it's mostly become a commericalized holiday, no more.

As of last year, I have stopped shopping at places that don't refer to it as christmas. This means that they are denying the fact that the day that rakes them in SO much money is a Christan holiday. I don't see people storming the malls for Kwaanza or Ramadan.

To me, its like turning your nose up at your parents and denying that they're your parents, just to appease the few neighbors who may not like them. It's not historically correct or nice.

It doesn't bother me at all that people say Merry Christmas. I love it when people wish me a merry christmas, it's just nice when even random people are nice enough to be that way. I don't take it as an insult, because I don't believe it's "people trying to force it down my throat." that is such bull. It's just a phrase, and a genuinely good-hearted one too. So the people who complain that they've been offended, and the merchants that change the phrase to be more PC, can shove it.

Answer 2

1. Does this hijack tradition?
I don't believe so.
2. Will you continue to shop at merchants that alter their advertising?
I will definately shop at merchants who alter their advertising. To me, it's not about removing the Christ from Christmas, as it is about INCLUDING other religious views into their advertising. Most merchants, even those who alter the words they use to describe the holiday season, still have very little in the way of non-Christian Christmas merchandise when it comes to holiday-wares.
3. Do you believe that this will become a media non-story, again?
I sure hope not.
4. Does the word Christmas embrace a traditional celebration or does it only mean Jesus & God?
I'd say the word Christmas has become more mainline in describing general winter gift-giving holiday stuff, but you'd be silly to actually believe it wasn't ACTUALLY specifying a certain Christian event.
5. Do you believe that many of the merchants are overly sensitive to a small minority in the country?
Not at all. On the contrary, I believe that some Christians are overly sensitive. Some, meaning, a small minority. Most I discussed this with last year didn't really give a rat's patootie one way or another. In fact, most didn't even notice. In that effect, I, a non-Christian, am hardly offended by people saying Merry Christmas to me when I'm really celebrating Yule & the Winter Solstice. Means no difference to me, and I return the greeting the same way. But I do appreciate it when someone doesn't automatically assume I'm Christian, and goes out of their way, even in the face of rampant opposition, to say something more generic, like Happy Holidays.

Answer 3

1) When they put the Holiday season instead of Christmas it does hijack the tradition. They might as well call it santamas (very wrong) if they are going to discontinue calling is Christmas.
2) I will continue to shop but that's cause God called us to be a light in a darkened world where is Name is no longer reverened in places that do not upheld His name.
3) Every year in my area they always make this into a big issue.
4) Christmas I think embraces a traditional celebration. It does not only mean Jesus and God.
5) Yes I do believe that many merchants are very overly sensitive to a small minority in the country because they are not getting what they want in life so they have to fight for their rights as they call it. They either want it their way or no way.

Answer 4

That's five questions for the price of one ;)

But here goes:

1) No...
unless WalMart has officially become the keeper of American traditions! The stores and companies that are removing references to "Christmas", and instead referring to the "holiday season" are simply trying to appeal to more people who have a gift to purchase at that time of year.

2) Yes.
It never was something that bugged me.

3) Undecided.
RIght now, it looks like there are so many more "real" stories to cover, I doubt this would get many headlines.

4) Both.
Christmas in the United States connotes both the religious holiday and the secular celebrations around it. I know of Jews, Muslims, and Hindus (usually families with children) who keep Christmas day by having a tree, giving presents, and waiting for Santa.

5) No.
Having worked in corporate America, I don't belive that a store would change its advertising strategy unless it were convinced that there would be a significant impact to its bottom line.

Hope this helps :) I would be interested in the final results of your poll, btw - I always wondered what the majority thinks about this one.

Answer 5

To start with, the word "christmas" means a lot of different things to different people. But in historical terms, there are two main roots of the "holiday" that people have integrated into christmas.
The first, obviously, is the christian celebration of the birth of Jesus. This is filled with religious meaning for a lot of people, who attend Christmas or Christmas-eve services.
The other origin is the winter solstice celebration known as Yule, which predates Christianity. Many of the traditional "christmas-y" things actually originate from the Yule celebrations, such as the yule-log, the eating of ham, the hanging of boughs, holly, mistletoe, etc.

I think all this is important to know in order to place the current "Christ in Christmas" question into a historical context. Holidays are going to change as times change. I can understand where the conservative christians are coming from: they believe this holiday is a religious event, and want to preserve its meaning. What they need to understand is that most people do not take the religious aspects as seriously as they do. If you want to preserve the sanctity of the religious celebration of the birth of christ, by all means do so - in your church or home.

I am not a religious man by any stretch of the imagination. Yet I still celebrate christmas with my family at home. I do not plan on teaching my children the christian definition of christmas, except perhaps to explain what others believe. To us, christmas is simply a day to get together with family, eat way too much, have a few drinks, be merry, and give presents to children.

But, in answer to your original question...
1. No, it does not "hijack" tradition, as tradition is always changing slightly to meet current attitudes.
2. Of course.
3. I hope I do not see a single story in the media, but I know there will be someone talking about preserving the nature of the holiday.
4. Christmas is a traditional celebration, many aspects of which have nothing to do with God or Jesus.
5. Merchants are always going to be overly sensitive. It stems from the modern American atmosphere of ultra-political-correctness. To a business, it is better to be a little too sensitive than not sensitive enough.

Answer 6

1. It does not Hijack tradition, it includes others whom have a belief/religion other than the Christian.
2. Yes, Actually I will refuse to shop at merchants who make an open statement about Christmas or Merry Christmas being the only tradition honored and welcomed in their store.
3. It will be a media story so long as it causes controversy.
4. The word Christmas, although associated with some secular beliefs, is primarily associated with Christianity.
5. No, just the opposite, I believe that a majority are being completely insensitive and disrespectful by insisting that their particular religious belief be given "top billing" during that time of year. If you have no respect for other's beliefs and convictions you have no right to expect or demand anything to be "given" to your own.

Answer 7

Why did the big companies and corporations take the word "Christmas" out of their advertising in the first place?

Greed.

They don't want to offend any of the immigrants or religions gaining a foothold in the United States that disagree with Christianity because they might not spend their money there or worse yet, prevent them from building in their native countries.

I also think this is part and parcel of the end when Christians will be turned against.

Answer 8

1. As it is, our country has freedom of speech and expression. By not using the word "Christmas" these business are just exercising they're constitutional rights.
2. Personally it does not matter how the owner of the business feels or what religion he follows. I, myself, will continue to by gifts for my family regardless of what any sign says.
3. Absolutely not, if the media decide to get involved in such a trivial matter I predict many a lawsuit will arise from the situation.
4. It means different things to different people.
5. Not regarding Christmas, but perhaps the holidays of other nationalities that are sorely missed by some franchises (such as Hanukkah and Kwanzaa.)

Answer 9

Christ has been missing from Christ Mass for some time...the whole holiday has become Las Vegas decoration, with a fairytale theme...mass greed...an entire industry's profit and loss is measured on this day. There is no Christ in Xmas. I am not a Christian so for me it's just more proof of the loss of a fundamental Prophets life, and meaning. Going back to the original big 10, this
holday is a pagen ritual.The merchants only care about the bottom line...thats their job

Answer 10

If you take Christ out of Christmas, then its not Christmas. The word Christ is because the Christ child came to earth to live and die on the cross for man kinds redemption. When Jesus was born the wise men brought Him gifts, we do this after that tradition. If you want a winter holiday, I wont be celebrating it. i hope other Christians will boycott the holiday if Christ is taken out of Christmas. We can celebrate the Lords birth and life every day.j