Seriously, Christmas has been around for CENTURIES...
It is even mentioned in the Aurthurian legends!
Long before any of us here were even thought of, people were celebrating Christmas.
Wars have stopped, cease fires have been called, in accordance with the angels' call for "Peace on earth, good will toward men"....
Now, all of a sudden, we have to change it to some generic greeting, to appease...who, exactly?
I do realize that there are other holidays celebrated during the winter season, so? Nobody is asking them to NOT to celebrate their holidays...
Honestly, some of you guys need to be visited by those three spirits....
Oh, and
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
May the love of Christ bless you richly this season, and all through the coming New Year!!
2006-11-20 15:38:30 · 19 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Will the REAL Christmas please stand up?
You're AWESOME, bah humbug to Target Stores and all of the other stores I've visited where commerce is KING and not the Christ of Christmas. The whole idea is GIVING, LOVE, SACRIFICE, KINDNESS and PEACE - what's so bad about that? So many stores will not even sell cards that say Merry Christmas on them! It's absolutely pathetic. Christmas hasn't died - they can take the labels off of our purchases - but the real Christmas was never about the stores or the stuff you can buy anyway now was it? It's nonsense - most everyone participates in Christmas - even if they are not Christians - even if in the traditions alone because in and of themselves the importance of being with family, friends and sharing memories - in and of itself is HUGE to everybody. Taking the phrase Merry Christmas away from our media and annual money making blitz may actually be doing the real Christmas a favor. The real Christmas is Christ and the real trimmings come from the heart of who a person is! You're right about people needing a visit from those 3 spirits - there are so many people out there who hate Christmas because they have no love in their hearts for anybody - and all because of their own choices - not others like they would like to believe.
2006-11-20 15:50:40 · answer #1 · answered by ? 6 · 1⤊ 2⤋
"Now, all of a sudden, we have to change it to some generic greeting..."
A question...is your holiday actually a holiday, or is it only a greeting?
Seriously, who do you celebrate it with? The people that matter and share your beliefs and call it what it is? So...what has changed? Not a thing.
I have no problem with the word Christmas, my family celebrates it in a non religious form, we call it that name. But I don't concern myself with what they call it outside our home, it's not worth the concern and it is only words. It's not changing anyone's beliefs.
The only thing that this issue is over is what it is called in the public...like at STORES and things. So why does that even matter there? It is at places we all go...it is only right that they use a general term for all of the holidays then. Your Christmas isn't supposed to be about all the shopping anyhow, so if you celebrate it how it's supposed to be, then you won't even be at many of those stores and won't hear the "wrong" words.
I mean, all the fighting over a GREETING is not worth it. Religious or not that is not what ANYONE'S holidays are about!
2006-11-20 15:51:30 · answer #2 · answered by Indigo 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
"Nobody is asking them to NOT to celebrate their holidays...
Honestly, some of you guys need to be visited by those three spirits...."
Back in the "good old days" a lot of people were afraid to even let it be known they were not Christian for fear of loosing jobs, and social ostrasizement. Now that people have the legal right of their religious beliefs what they/we are asking for is equal footing.
Here is a listing of the Holidays for December:
December 1 Lailat al Qadr (sundown)
December 3 Advent
This day begins the season of Advent and lasts through December 24.
December 5 Waraiko (Laughing Your Way to Heaven) This ritual dates back 800 years.
December 5 Sinterklaas Eve and December 6 Sinterklaas Day
December 5 Eid-ul-Fitr (Festival of Fast-Breaking) (sundown)
December 6 Saint Nicholas
St. Nicholas lived from 271 to December 6 342 AD.
December 7 Maunajiyaras
Jain day of fasting, silence, and meditation on the five holy beings – monks, teachers, religious, leaders, Arihants, and Siddhas.
December 8 Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary
December 8 Bodhi Day
December 12 Our Lady of Guadeloupe
Mary appeared on this day in 1531 to Juan Diego on Tepeyac Hill outside of Mexico City.
December 13 St. Lucy’s (Santa Lucia) Day
Lucina is the Roman Goddess of Light and Eyesight.
December 14 John of the Cross
December 16-23 Las Posadas (The Inn)
This traditional Mexican festival re-enacts Joseph's search for room at the inn in Bethlehem.
December 17 Saturnalia
Saturnalia is a Roman holiday and began as the feast day for Saturn (the God of agriculture) and Ops (Goddess of plenty).
December 20 The Mother Night
The Mother Night is a Germanic/Scandinavian midwinter festival
December 21 World Peace Day
December 21 Winter Solstice/Yule
December 22 Yule
This is the first day of winter. The Goddess has given birth to the Sun God who brings hope and promise.
December 24 Christmas Eve
December 25 Christmas
In 354 AD, Pope Julius I adopted December 25 as Christ’s birthday, which was known as the Feast of the Nativity.
December 25 Mochi-tsuki
December 26 Kwanzaa
December 28 Festival of Peace and Spiritual Renewal
December 28 The Holy Innocents
December 31 Celebration of Vesta
December 31 New Year’s Eve
Nearly everyone awaits the stroke of midnight – the ringing in of the New Year.
Rather than name them all off I think Happy Holidays covers it quite well, thank you very much.
2006-11-20 16:12:10 · answer #3 · answered by Black Dragon 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Thanks! I read in here that Walmart will be calling Christmas Christmas this year, no generic Happy Holidays. And we all know, when a retail giant does something, all the others fall into line, and do it too. Discount prescriptions, for example. Walmart started it, now K-mart is trying it, too. No word if they and others will allow the Salvation Army back.
I think we all need to mind our own business at Christmas, and the rest of the year. If someone wants to celebrate Christmas, let them. If they want to tell you Merry Christmas, let them. In the kinder, gentler times of days gone past, when people still had manners, and used them, if someone received a Merry Christmas greeting, and did not believe, they would have said Thank you, or said the same to you, and gone on with their business. There would have been no lecture, or fight, no need to. Good manners would have prevented it.
I had a Jewish co-worker at the last job. She told everyone Happy Hanukkah. We all said and to you, too. Manners.She thought it was rude not to share her joy in the season with us, we thought it was rude not to respond.
So, let everyone enjoy their holiday, and everyone enjoy yours, too. Merry Christmas! and there will be peace on Earth, if we practice good will toward men.
2006-11-20 15:57:00 · answer #4 · answered by riversconfluence 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
I love the Christmas season and the spirit of Christmas . . . if someone tells me they are celebrating something different, I will great them with their holiday expression and with the one I believe. To withhold a Merry Christmas for fear of offending someone offends me the most. If I am sincere and I believe in a Merry Christmas, I think someone would want my heartfelt sincere greeting instead of my enslaved robotic response to the politically correct movement.
Don't rain on my parade by asking me to be someone I am not! If you don't like who I am, than don't get in my parade and I will sidestep yours.
2006-11-20 16:21:33 · answer #5 · answered by whozethere 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes it is a big deal. Christmas is a lie. It is not the birthday of Jesus. Most of the people in this forum already know that Christmas is a pagan holiday, but they will celebrate it anyway. Those who worship God with "spirit and truth" shun Christmas, Easter and all other pagan observances.
2006-11-20 15:39:38 · answer #6 · answered by LineDancer 7 · 6⤊ 0⤋
This is a made up contraversy. Holiday Means "Holy Days." which is what X-mas is. YOur falling for a right-wing conservative attack on the holiday season. X-mas is a Holiday/Holy day.
Plus Christmas is Pagan in origin like the X-mas Tree and Santa (woden an Old English God).
2006-11-20 15:45:14 · answer #7 · answered by from_alamut 2 · 4⤊ 0⤋
I don't care if you have a creche on your front yard. I don't care if you have bible verses hanging in your front windows. I don't care if you have a 6-foot tall "Jesus as shepherd" painted on your garage door (as one neighbor of mine has, across the street).
I don't care if you celebrate Christmas or if you don't.
I don't care if you want to assume that EVERYONE on this planet share your religious views so you greet everyone with a "Merry Christmas". Just don't be surprised if I don't reply with a "Merry Christmas to you too", because I won't.
Don't be surprised if I stare at you as if you've lost 50 I.Q. points in a second, and then reply with a "May the Lord and Lady bring you a blessed Yule!"
I DO care about spending tax money on anything religious, no matter whose religion. I care about public displays of religion in publicly-supported places.
And, BTW, have a Blessed Yule, and may the Lady shine the light of love into your heart, with the strength of the Lord!
2006-11-20 15:57:11 · answer #8 · answered by Praise Singer 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
I think its silly myself because we'd never be allowed to tell Muslims not to celebrate Ramadan or Jews not the celebrate Hanukah, or Africans not to celebrate Kwaanza... if you dont want to celebrate Christmas you certainly dont have to but dont take away my right to celebrate as I wish even if it involves a Nativity scene on my lawn.
2006-11-20 15:45:02 · answer #9 · answered by impossble_dream 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
But BEFORE Christianity we celebrated the shortest day of the year, meaning the days start getting LONGER again. Now that's something to celebrate!
even the end of a calendar year, however contrived, is a cause for celebrating!
So yes, they are stuffing sh*t down our throats when they say Xmas is the exclusive domain of religious nuts. I prefer Santa to Jesus any Day!
http://flushaholybook.com
2006-11-20 15:43:12 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋