Politically correct holiday greetings or the old favorites?

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Comments

  • soulsingingsoulsinging Posts: 13,202
    aNiMaL wrote:
    Then yes, if the Winter Solstice is what has meaning to you....then you should absolutely wish your Jewish and Christian friends a Happy Solstice. That would be way more sincere than wishing them a Merry Christmas or Happy Hanukkah coming from you. If that bothers the people you give the greeting to....then that is their problem.

    And no need to wink at me. I pointed out that it is a Pagan tradition that we celebrate today in my opening post. ;)

    that seems backwards to me. you ought to wish them what THEY celebrate to show that you are aware of what is important in their lives and their happiness matters to you. i tailor those things to people, not becos i want them to enjoy MY holiday, but becos i want the to enjoy whatever it is in their life that they value. so i wish my jewish friends happy hannukah, my family merry christmas, and people i dont know happy holidays.
  • aNiMaL wrote:
    That's fair and I know my position lends people to think that I feel this way for different reasons than I really do. You and I are damn near in complete agreement except for the hearing or thinking about Christ when I see or say the word Christmas. I understand that most people who side with this argument do so for religious Christian reasons....that is not me. And it is another example of how I think independently of any organized group.

    another (off the wall) example...I am a liberal who supports Pro-choice, the death penalty, and our right to bear arms. Call me crazy.....but I make up my own mind....as I suspect you do also.

    Absolutely

    I remember a time when christians were up in arms over christmas being over commercialized. Been awhile since you heard that.

    If I see someone with a cross around their neck or a Santa Claus hat on their head I'll usually say merry christmas. If I'm not sure what their stance is, I'll say Happy Holidays it's easier and covers pretty much everyone.

    the only thing sillier than this issue is the fact that it's an issue at all.
  • aNiMaLaNiMaL Posts: 7,117
    that seems backwards to me. you ought to wish them what THEY celebrate to show that you are aware of what is important in their lives and their happiness matters to you. i tailor those things to people, not becos i want them to enjoy MY holiday, but becos i want the to enjoy whatever it is in their life that they value. so i wish my jewish friends happy hannukah, my family merry christmas, and people i dont know happy holidays.
    That's the main place we differ.

    I would rather a Jewish person wish me a Happy Hanukkah, because that is what they are sincere about, rather than them switching their greeting up to try and fit what they think I want to hear.

    Besides that, I think we're all on the same page for the most part.
  • i am the latter. which is why i dont give a damn what greetings i receive or what people call it. as long as i get the day off to see my family and get some swag under the tree... they can call it happy hitler day for all i care. ok, maybe that's a bit far, but you should see my point.
    happy hitler day.....

    hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha........................
    Take me piece by piece.....
    Till there aint nothing left worth taking away from me.....
  • hippiemomhippiemom Posts: 3,326
    aNiMaL wrote:
    That's the main place we differ.

    I would rather a Jewish person wish me a Happy Hanukkah, because that is what they are sincere about, rather than them switching their greeting up to try and fit what they think I want to hear.

    Besides that, I think we're all on the same page for the most part.
    What I'm sincere about is wishing my friends a good time with whatever celebrations they may have. A Jewish person who sincerely wants me to have a happy Hannukah is delusional, because I'm not going to have a Hannukah at all. Now, that's not to say I'd get insulted if a Jew that I don't know wished me a happy Hannukah ... quite the contrary, I think it's nice, and I'd take it that way and wish them the same in return. But if one of my Jewish friends who knows good and well that I'm not Jewish wished me a happy Hannukah, I'd have to wonder if they were losing their marbles.
    "Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity." ~ MLK, 1963
  • soulsingingsoulsinging Posts: 13,202
    aNiMaL wrote:
    That's the main place we differ.

    I would rather a Jewish person wish me a Happy Hanukkah, because that is what they are sincere about, rather than them switching their greeting up to try and fit what they think I want to hear.

    Besides that, I think we're all on the same page for the most part.

    who says i am not sincere when i wish them a happy hannukah? i am totally sincere. and it makes more sense, becos they will actually be celebrating hannukah. wishing a jewish person merry christmas makes no sense... you might as well just say "have a nice day." cos they aren't celebrating it. you dont wish someone a happy birthday on YOUR birthday. it's about THEIR celebration, not yours. thus, your friends ought to wish you a merry xmas becos you celebrate xmas. your government ought to say happy holidays becos everyone in the municipiality is celebrating a diff holiday.
  • cornnifercornnifer Posts: 2,130
    "When all your friends and sedatives mean well but make it worse... better find yourself a place to level out."
  • hippiemomhippiemom Posts: 3,326
    cornnifer wrote:
    Being a big fan of analogies, i think this is a damn good one.
    I agree, nicely done!
    "Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity." ~ MLK, 1963
  • 1970RR1970RR Posts: 281
    who says i am not sincere when i wish them a happy hannukah? i am totally sincere. and it makes more sense, becos they will actually be celebrating hannukah. wishing a jewish person merry christmas makes no sense... you might as well just say "have a nice day." cos they aren't celebrating it. you dont wish someone a happy birthday on YOUR birthday. it's about THEIR celebration, not yours. thus, your friends ought to wish you a merry xmas becos you celebrate xmas. your government ought to say happy holidays becos everyone in the municipiality is celebrating a diff holiday.
    But this obligates you to know the other persons holiday preference. It would work for those you know, but not so good with the general populace.
  • soulsingingsoulsinging Posts: 13,202
    1970RR wrote:
    But this obligates you to know the other persons holiday preference. It would work for those you know, but not so good with the general populace.

    which is why we say happy holidays when we dont know what they celebrate and why it's stupid for people to get wound up when people/stores/governments/offices/whatever dont say merry christmas.
  • soulsingingsoulsinging Posts: 13,202
    cornnifer wrote:
    Being a big fan of analogies, i think this is a damn good one.

    *bows* thank you sir. i try :)
  • 1970RR1970RR Posts: 281
    which is why we say happy holidays when we dont know what they celebrate and why it's stupid for people to get wound up when people/stores/governments/offices/whatever dont say merry christmas.
    Exactly!!
  • fanch75 wrote:
    lmao

    that's awesome!

    lemme axe you this - did they call it that to be facetious, or was that a genuine attempt to be unoffensive?

    I honestly think it was a little of both.

    The company I work for is funded by the Canadian government and they threatened to cut us off if we called it a Christmas Party due to the fact that clients are also welcomed. We could not even call it a "holiday party". I mean I get the being politically correct and do agree with it to some aspects but not even using the term "holiday party". That is just silly.
    "If you should die before me, ask if you could bring a friend" - STP

    "Frugality without creativity is deprivation." - Amy Dacyczyn

    Proud Supporter of the CAROLINA HURRICANES. GO CANES GO!!!
  • aNiMaLaNiMaL Posts: 7,117
    A Heartfelt Happy Holidays to you all!!! ;)

    We will have to agree to disagree. Though the birthday analogy comes the closest to making me understand your points.
  • soulsingingsoulsinging Posts: 13,202
    aNiMaL wrote:
    A Heartfelt Happy Holidays to you all!!! ;)

    We will have to agree to disagree. Though the birthday analogy comes the closest to making me understand your points.

    im glad it did the trick. in the end, i dont care what you do. you can moan about losing christmas all you like... it isnt gonna change anything cos you're outnumbered! ;)
  • stu geestu gee Posts: 1,174
    Where I work they were scared of calling our staff Christmas party a Christmas party, so they re-named it...I shit you not....Generic Winter Holiday Staff Get-To-Gether.

    Thats unbelievable!

    Ive heard of a few places renaming their christmas lights, celebration lights. I find it all pretty ridiculous to be honest, i could never be bothered making an issue out of something like that.
    People say im paranoid. Well, they dont say it, but i know that's what they are thinking.
  • hippiemomhippiemom Posts: 3,326
    Where I work they were scared of calling our staff Christmas party a Christmas party, so they re-named it...I shit you not....Generic Winter Holiday Staff Get-To-Gether.
    Oooh, I like that! Throwing the word "generic" in there is what makes it fun. :D It has much more flair than the bland and boring "winter party" we have here. Of course, ours really is a winter party, not a holiday or Christmas party ... they moved it to January because everyone is too busy in December to go.
    "Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity." ~ MLK, 1963
  • aNiMaLaNiMaL Posts: 7,117
    im glad it did the trick. in the end, i dont care what you do. you can moan about losing christmas all you like... it isnt gonna change anything cos you're outnumbered! ;)
    That's the great thing about this country. It's okay that we don't see thing always in the same way....but none of that stops us from respecting and allowing each person to be their own individual.

    Seriously, Happy Thanksgiving to you all! I hope you all get to spend the day with your loved ones and have a great dinner!

    Much love to you all!!!

    :)
  • rebornFixerrebornFixer Posts: 4,901
    I prefer to use the traditional greetings, in part because I loathe political correctness for its own sake, and in part because they are familar to me. I have no problem if someone else prefers to use "happy holidays". What I do have a problem with is someone telling me that I shouldn't say Merry Christmas or the like because its insensitive. No, it is not. If I say it and someone does get offended, I will apologize. I'd like to think that most people can cope, though.
  • aNiMaL wrote:
    That's the great thing about this country. It's okay that we don't see thing always in the same way....but none of that stops us from respecting and allowing each person to be their own individual.

    Seriously, Happy Thanksgiving to you all! I hope you all get to spend the day with your loved ones and have a great dinner!

    Much love to you all!!!

    :)


    Don't forget football!

    It's the way the Pilgrims would have wanted it.
    "Sarcasm: intellect on the offensive"

    "What I lack in decorum, I make up for with an absence of tact."

    Camden 5-28-06
    Washington, D.C. 6-22-08
  • aNiMaLaNiMaL Posts: 7,117
    Don't forget football!

    It's the way the Pilgrims would have wanted it.
    Hehehe, totally!!!

    We do football picks every week...and for the 3 games on tomorrow we are calling it D-Day; Detroit, Dallas, and Denver will be winners. I think Detroit....for as bad as they have been this year, will step up for their traditional Thanksgiving day game.
  • aNiMaL wrote:
    http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/6242408p-5450164c.html

    Being a liberal myself, I believe in tradition. And while I may have moved further away from organized religion, I still want to celebrate the pagan tradition of Santa Clause and Christmas. In fact, I play Santa Clause for my nieces and nephews on the big day itself.

    I also believe that the majority wins. The majority of people celebrate the legal/national holiday called Christmas. I do not think ANYONE, whether they celebrate it or not, should be offended if someone wishes them a Merry Christmas. I personally would be elated if someone wished me a Happy Hanukkah or Happy Kwanzaa. And I do not think the government should try and candy coat the fact that this nation celebrates and recognizes Christmas Day as a holiday.

    I don't believe that anyone is actually offended about Christmas. It's just media hype - usually the right-wing media who like to huff about how the "minorities" are infringing on them with their strange ways. They like to make out that non-Christian groups are the ones with a problem but I'm non-Christian and I know that of the non-Christian people I know, (both Hindu and Muslim) not ONE person has ever had a problem with Christmas. I've never heard anything about it recently from them and I've never heard anything about it as I was growing up.
    "We have to change the concept of patriotism to one of “matriotism” — love of humanity that transcends war. A matriarch would never send her own children off to wars that kill other people’s children." Cindy Sheehan
    ---
    London, Brixton, 14 July 1993
    London, Wembley, 1996
    London, Wembley, 18 June 2007
    London, O2, 18 August 2009
    London, Hammersmith Apollo (Ed solo), 31 July 2012
    Milton Keynes Bowl, 11 July 2014
    London, Hammersmith Apollo (Ed solo), 06 June 2017
    London, O2, 18 June 2018
    London, O2, 17 July 2018
    Amsterdam, Afas Live (Ed solo), 09 June 2019
    Amsterdam, Afas Live (Ed solo), 10 June 2019



  • enharmonic wrote:
    My favorite card reads..

    This Thanksgiving, give a Native American Smallpox for old time's sake.

    That's sick!
    "We have to change the concept of patriotism to one of “matriotism” — love of humanity that transcends war. A matriarch would never send her own children off to wars that kill other people’s children." Cindy Sheehan
    ---
    London, Brixton, 14 July 1993
    London, Wembley, 1996
    London, Wembley, 18 June 2007
    London, O2, 18 August 2009
    London, Hammersmith Apollo (Ed solo), 31 July 2012
    Milton Keynes Bowl, 11 July 2014
    London, Hammersmith Apollo (Ed solo), 06 June 2017
    London, O2, 18 June 2018
    London, O2, 17 July 2018
    Amsterdam, Afas Live (Ed solo), 09 June 2019
    Amsterdam, Afas Live (Ed solo), 10 June 2019



  • rebornFixerrebornFixer Posts: 4,901
    That's sick!

    What's with the shock value remarks lately, enharmonic?
  • kenny olavkenny olav Posts: 3,319
    hippiemom wrote:
    I think the world would be a much nicer place if people didn't take offense when others wished them well. If you don't celebrate Christmas and someone has the nerve to wish you a merry one, can't you just go ahead and try to have a merry day on the 25th anyway? By the same token, if you do celebrate Christmas and someone wishes you a happy holiday, say thank you! They want you to be happy on your holiday, how is that offensive?!

    I blame Bill O'Reilly for creating an issue where there wasn't one. Of all the things we argue about in this country, this is surely the dumbest.


    Bam! Hippiemom hits it out of the park. Thread over, at the fourth post.
  • AhnimusAhnimus Posts: 10,560
    Happy November 23!!!!

    Hmmm, what can we celebrate?

    * R.C. Saints - Pope Clement I
    * Bahá'í Faith - Feast of Qawl (Speech) - First day of the 14th month of the Bahá'í calendar
    * Georgia - St George's Day
    * Japan - Kinro kansha no hi (Labour Thanksgiving Day)
    * Slovenia - Rudolf Maister Day
    * Isle of Man General Election every five years (next 2006)

    1869 - In Dumbarton, Scotland, the clipper Cutty Sark is launched - one of the last clippers ever to be built, and the only one still surviving to this day.

    1955 - The Cocos Islands are transferred from the control of the United Kingdom to Australia.

    1963 - The first episode of the long-running science fiction television series Doctor Who, An Unearthly Child, airs on the BBC.

    1971 - The representatives of the People's Republic of China first attended the United Nations, including the United Nations Security Council, as China's representatives

    1984 - Boston College quarterback Doug Flutie throws a game-winning 48-yard Hail Mary pass to Gerard Phelan to defeat the University of Miami Hurricanes 45-41. It is one of the most famous plays in American college football history.

    1990 - The first all woman expedition to the south pole (3 Americans, 1 Japanese and 12 Russians), sets off from Antarctica on the 1st leg of a 70 day, 1287 kilometre ski trek.

    1993 - Rachel Whiteread wins both the £20,000 Turner Prize award for best British modern artist and the £40,000 K Foundation art award for the worst artist of the year.

    1996 - The Republic of Angola officially joins the World Trade Organization.
    I necessarily have the passion for writing this, and you have the passion for condemning me; both of us are equally fools, equally the toys of destiny. Your nature is to do harm, mine is to love truth, and to make it public in spite of you. - Voltaire
  • If you move to the middle east, would you be offended if people with you a happy Ramadan??? Would you insist they change that to happy holidays? A tree has never been tradition in Islamic or Jewish religions, so to start calling it a holiday tree is ridiculous. It may not be Christian even but it has been adopted by Christianity and the Western world. I forget what Jewish people call those candles – are people now insisting they call them holiday candles? :confused: . If people get offended by what I wish them, they’ve got a serious stick up their arse and I can’t understand why some of you say you would apologise. It’s downright laughable.

    God, I’m just glad I don’t come from a country where political correctness has ever been an issue. If I say happy Christmas to someone and they say ‘oh I’m jewish, I don’t celebrate it’, I’d probably reply ‘well have a happy one anyway’. You don’t have to celebrate it for me to want you to be happy. I wouldn't be offended by Happy Holidays but I'd be a bit sad cos it’s such an American thing and it would just be a huge sign of how Americanised Ireland is becoming. If someone wished me a happy birthday should I be offended if I don’t celebrate it? December 25th IS Christmas day and that’s that. If I’m not going to see someone between now and their birthday, I will say happy birthday, same with christmas.

    As for cards, I just buy whichever is the prettiest.

    Guinness wasn’t even invented when st. Paddy was around… do you think that will stop anybody from touching a drop when it comes to March 17th? :rolleyes:
    The Astoria??? Orgazmic!
    Verona??? it's all surmountable
    Dublin 23.08.06 "The beauty of Ireland, right there!"
    Wembley? We all believe!
    Copenhagen?? your light made us stars
    Chicago 07? And love
    What a different life
    Had I not found this love with you
  • redrockredrock Posts: 18,341
    Guinness wasn’t even invented when st. Paddy was around… do you think that will stop anybody from touching a drop when it comes to March 17th? :rolleyes:

    The Irish don't need the excuse of a holiday to drink, no one does!!! :D
  • aNiMaL wrote:
    http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/6242408p-5450164c.html

    Being a liberal myself, I believe in tradition. And while I may have moved further away from organized religion, I still want to celebrate the pagan tradition of Santa Clause and Christmas. In fact, I play Santa Clause for my nieces and nephews on the big day itself.

    I also believe that the majority wins. The majority of people celebrate the legal/national holiday called Christmas. I do not think ANYONE, whether they celebrate it or not, should be offended if someone wishes them a Merry Christmas. I personally would be elated if someone wished me a Happy Hanukkah or Happy Kwanzaa. And I do not think the government should try and candy coat the fact that this nation celebrates and recognizes Christmas Day as a holiday.



    eh i don't really care one way or another. i work in retail, and i have worked in retail off and on my entire career. if a customer is clearly purchasing an obvious christmas gift or themed merch, or obviously for chanukah, i do take note. however, i normally play it safe and offer a simple: " enjoy your holiday"....or "enjoy the holiday season".....etc. just b/c the majority of people believe in a god doesn't mean i think our government should get involved......so i don't have an issue if people of various faiths don't want to be subjected to others. c'est la vie.
    Stay with me...
    Let's just breathe...


    I am myself like you somehow


  • rebornFixerrebornFixer Posts: 4,901
    If you move to the middle east, would you be offended if people with you a happy Ramadan??? Would you insist they change that to happy holidays?

    Nope, not at all. I understand that Islam is the majority faith in most of these countries. Which is why its annoying when people here (in North America) insist on PC greetings.
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