This was something I heard the other day and I find it a really offensive idea.
2007-11-19 22:43:16 · 107 answers · asked by Shiv 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Holidays ➔ Christmas
Christmas should be Christmas. Other religions do not change the name of their holidays. I think political/religious correctness is going too far.....
2007-11-19 22:47:08 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 16⤊ 2⤋
No, I don't think the name should be changed at all. I do however think that the attitudes towards people celebrating Christmas should change. At some point we're going to have to take on board that we live in a global community and that mean that we should have religious acceptance accross the board. Rather than treating the Christian holidays with a sense of shame about wanting to celebrate the holiday, equal rights should be placed on other holidays.
That would mean that employers that give a day off at Christmas should also give a day off at Idul Fitri, Buddha's Birthday and Yonkipur. Instead of having random bank holidays that mean nothing except that the banks are closed (big deal, they are every Sunday!) The five main religions should have one day each for a national holiday.
Of course there will be people in lesser populated religions that feel hard done by in this but then they get nothing at the moment as it is.
If one day was given to the Christians, the Jews, the Muslims, the Buddhists and the Hidus then we'd all benefit from having fairly evenly spaced holidays and the motivation to find out a bit more about a neighbouring religion as I imagine that most folk would want to know why they have a day off. I think it would help to promote religious acceptance.
2007-11-19 23:04:45 · answer #2 · answered by Lefty 2 · 5⤊ 2⤋
i visit respond to your question through answering a various one. Why did united statessupply make Christmas a countrywide holiday? He made it a holiday to help bind the injuries left from our Civil conflict. Then Christmas grew to become right into an afternoon celebrated through the two the North and South and besides the indisputable fact that it grew to become right into a non secular one even people who weren't took area in this occasion. on the present time as a holiday led to anyone here to renounce and be happy approximately all our advantages. It helped the two the North and the South to work out that there the place nevertheless issues that each and anyone had in basic and sharing mutual issues bind human beings mutually. sure, Christmas is appropriate to the child Jesus. however the actual Spirit of Christmas is extra. it is approximately cohesion and the looking after all who're our actual brothers and sisters. Peace
2016-10-17 12:05:16 · answer #3 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is stupid. I am not christian, but there is no reason to change the name of the biggest christian holiday. I don't get offended when people wish me a merry christmas, I even tell them merry christmas back. I would be offended if Christians tried to take over winter festival too. Winter solstice is allready a holiday for some and it is better to allow different beliefs to have their beliefs.
I dont' like that everywhere you turn christmas is turned into a marketing scheme instead of celebrating the birth of christ. It is great for getting presents and stuff, but what other birthday do we give presents to other people? True christians should give presents to the church on christmas, not to each other.
2007-11-19 22:54:53 · answer #4 · answered by mocristy 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋
No. I don't think that Christmas should be called "winter festival", because that's not what it is! It is Christmas - the celebration of Christ's birth. What about offending Christians? As a Christian, calling Christmas "winter festival" would GREATLY offend ME AS A CHRISTIAN. It's time that we, as Christians stood up and took a stand for our rights! Come on people! Take a stand against these "politically correct" (however INcorrect they may be) dorks and stand up for your rights!
2007-11-20 00:09:51 · answer #5 · answered by ~*Mrs. GM2*~ 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋
no, Christmas is Christmas, Hanukkah is Hanukkah, Easter is Easter, there are other religious celebrations Ramadan, Kwanza (non-christian) and they shouldn't change theirs either so they don't offend christians. I guess in America and some other countries Christmas is a big deal because of the vast majority of Christians, even tho other people may not celebrate the holiday, they still often benefit by getting time off, plus many places will let them take off to celebrate their own special days.
Non-christians can still call it christmas - they don't have to celebrate it - or they can celebrate any way they want. winter festival doesn't work as the one poster stated - its summer during Christmas for them.
A hundred thumbs up for "Ms Always Right" what you said is very true, the christian holidays were made around the pagan holidays to try to convert them It's "funny" how so many people get so upset about pagan believes when, as you stated, so many things in christian celebrations, are taken from pagan celebrations. and who is to say, what "god" is called, we come from so many different lands and languages, and if you really look at religions, they all pretty much have the same basic teachings - "to do no harm"
yes there are differences, and it's unfortunate that it's those differences that people get so upset about instead of realizing that whatever your religion is called, it's fullfilling a need and no one can prove whether there really is a "heaven" or "hell" or whatever you want to call them. or even if there really is a god or gods or not.
another edit - see that's absurd that you can't even say Happy Holidays
everyone have a great day.
2007-11-19 23:52:13 · answer #6 · answered by sandoz 3 · 3⤊ 2⤋
The religious festival is the feast of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Christmas is the secular name for it.
Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs acknowledge that Jesus existed and I'm not aware of any being offended by the fact that Western Christians celebrate his birthday. Eastern Orthodox Christians think we're 10 days too early, but have their own celebrations later. Buddhists tend not to be offended by anything and Jews have more important things to upset them.
And pagans and atheists have been eating and drinking too much at this time of year since long before Christianity came along - so who's going to be offended.
2007-11-19 22:54:24 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
No.
Firstly, no non-christian I know ever said they were offended by Christmas. Birmingham actually did this some years ago, and everyone hated it. They haven't done it since...even when they did, everyone still called it Christmas.
Secondly, Christmas isn't even a Christian festival.
Thirdly, if that's true, then Muslims should call Eid something else to avoid offending non-Muslims; and ditto for every other religious festival.
Fourthly, Muslims and Sikhs don't celebrate Christmas and as such have no right to demand we rename it, and aethists don't care what it's called anyway.
2007-11-19 22:49:22 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
(No offense meant!)
NO!
It is the people who celebrate Christmas who are making the big deal about calling it "happy holidays" or "winter festival" Those who do not celebrate Christmas realize it is just trying to be nice when one says, "Merry Christmas" They are not offended!
Winter Festival can be a separate holiday, but I don't think it should replace Christmas. Everyone always say, "well don't say Christmas, what if they don't celebrate it?" Well I don't celebrate Winter Festival. Nor do I celebrate Happy Holidays! (although I realize that if you celebrate a real holiday besides Christmas(NOT "Winter Festival" or "Happy Holidays", a real one like Hanukkah) I know that you are trying to be polite when you say it.
Merry Christmas Everybody!
2007-11-20 00:14:18 · answer #9 · answered by cgirl294 2 · 4⤊ 1⤋
Several posters have come up with the usual nonsense about Christmas being really a pagan festival. It isn't. There was no hijack. Christmas has never been a solstice festival.
If so-called pagans want to have their own Winter festival, they can hold it on the solstice - 21st December - and LEAVE CHRISTMAS OUT OF IT.
2007-11-20 04:14:25 · answer #10 · answered by greenshootuk 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Christians should be able to call it Christmas. Non-Christians can call it Winter Festival if they like. Why should Christians be forced to not recognise the birth of Christ to avoid "offending" others. (Funny that Non-Christians don't mind enjoying the public holiday or penalty rates for those who work on the day.)
2007-11-19 22:49:06 · answer #11 · answered by Miss Sally Anne 7 · 4⤊ 1⤋