Do you say Merry Christmas to people?

timroth

This artice got me thinking.

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/pressass/20071210/tuk-put-christ-back-into-christmas-6323e80_1.html

I say Merry Christmas without thinking twice about it. I find it hard to believe that people could take offence by it.

I think its wrong that this is now the "holiday" season instead of the Christmas season.

I find it wrong kids cant celebrate Christmas in public schools.

I find it wrong that if a few people complain we change our traditions.

Sorry for my rant.

intodeep

I say happy holidays.

Mostly because i know a lot of jewish folks who don't give two shits for christmas.

It does not bother me when people say merry christmas to me.

What does bother me though is this damn warm weather. I can't get in the holiday spirit with it going up to nearly 80 freaking degrees today :(

chiquimonkey

i usually say happy holidays and sign off on emails at work right before the holiday break as such too. keeps everybody covered that way i don't care if anybody says merry xmas to me though

lalalalaaaaaaaa

http://youtube.com/watch?v=44WiwF8DxNo

hehe

Jeremy1012

Aye, I say Merry Christmas but only to people who won't be offended, not strangers that I don't know about. If a stranger said it to me, and I'm an atheist so loves christmas, I'd be fine with it. It's family holiday time for me so I don't care if I have bastardised the meaning of it.

Brain of J.Lo

timroth wrote:

This artice got me thinking.

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/pressass/20071210/tuk-put-christ-back-into-christmas-6323e80_1.html

I say Merry Christmas without thinking twice about it. I find it hard to believe that people could take offence by it.

I think its wrong that this is now the "holiday" season instead of the Christmas season.

I find it wrong kids cant celebrate Christmas in public schools.

I find it wrong that if a few people complain we change our traditions.

Sorry for my rant.

I say "happy holidays" because it's all-inclusive. There's no war on Christmas. Get over it.

Why keep something just for the sake of tradition if it's not working?

gregkitefan

I say Merry Christmas and if somebody doesn't like I then say F-off.

_Crazy_Mary_

I don't understand how a person can actually be offended by "Merry Christmas." I'm not upset if someone says Happy Hannukah.
If I can't say Merry Christmas, I'd rather not say anything.

timroth

Brain of J.Lo wrote:

I say "happy holidays" because it's all-inclusive. There's no war on Christmas. Get over it.

Why keep something just for the sake of tradition if it's not working?

What isnt working with Christmas???

GreenTeaDisease

I usually say merry christmas. first of because I don't see christmas as having to do anything with religion and I know a slew of non-christian people who celebrate it. Secondly because wishing someone a merry day can't be "offensive." Even if you don't celebrate the actual christmas day, how can you be offended if someone wishes you well? If I know someone who is celebrating hanukkah, and it is on or before hanukkah, i will say happy hanukkah to them. it's pretty simple in my book. I don't work in a store or anything so I'm not wishing lots of strangers happy holidays on a regular basis.

Brain of J.Lo

timroth wrote:

What isnt working with Christmas???

There are people that are non-christians that don't celebrate Christmas. Why not say Happy Holidays and include them, too? Also, to me, Happy Holidays encompasses "Happy New Year", too. Most people celebrate that.

How would you feel if you sent your Christmas-observing kids to a school where only Jewish or Muslim holidays were observed and celebrated? Only a few people (your family) would complain. Should they change the tradition to include everyone? Or should your kids just suck it up and accept it?

Brain of J.Lo

GreenTeaDisease wrote:

I don't work in a store or anything so I'm not wishing lots of strangers happy holidays on a regular basis.

I do, or I probably wouldn't ever say anything to anyone.

I was just telling my husband the other night that I never say things like that to people. It just doesn't occur to me. I also don't say "bless you" when someone sneezes...lol. But, when I'm working in a store that is cramming the idea of holiday presents down everyone's throats...I say it.

even flow?

intodeep wrote:

I say happy holidays.

Mostly because i know a lot of jewish folks who don't give two shits for christmas.

It does not bother me when people say merry christmas to me.

What does bother me though is this damn warm weather. I can't get in the holiday spirit with it going up to nearly 80 freaking degrees today :(

If I have to listen to people tell me about lighting the candles, they can sure put up with Merry Christmas.

GreenTeaDisease

Brain of J.Lo wrote:

There are people that are non-christians that don't celebrate Christmas. Why not say Happy Holidays and include them, too? Also, to me, Happy Holidays encompasses "Happy New Year", too. Most people celebrate that.

How would you feel if you sent your Christmas-observing kids to a school where only Jewish or Muslim holidays were observed and celebrated? Only a few people (your family) would complain. Should they change the tradition to include everyone? Or should your kids just suck it up and accept it?

I think there just needs to be a decision made once and for all: is "Christmas" a religious christian holiday or is it a secular winter celebration/saturnalia type thing? If it's decided that it's a christian holiday, then the millions of agnostic, atheist, muslim, budhist, etc. people who celebrate have to stop doing it (including myself). If we decide it's a secular holiday, great. We can either change the name or just except that "Christmas" doesn't really mean "Christ." Discussion over either way. The problem is all just in the name because some Roman guy put "Christ" in it. Why doesn't anyone just see it as it is? It is a solstice celebration, and many christians also use it as a chance to celebrate the birth of christ. that's it. I don't get the big deal.

timroth

Brain of J.Lo wrote:

There are people that are non-christians that don't celebrate Christmas. Why not say Happy Holidays and include them, too? Also, to me, Happy Holidays encompasses "Happy New Year", too. Most people celebrate that.

How would you feel if you sent your Christmas-observing kids to a school where only Jewish or Muslim holidays were observed and celebrated? Only a few people (your family) would complain. Should they change the tradition to include everyone? Or should your kids just suck it up and accept it?

I truly feel that schools should celebrate christian, jewish, muslim etc holidays to teach kids and so that kids and their kids can be more accepting.

It just bugs me that people who dont celebrate Christmas, complain or get offended when someone says Merry Christmas. They should just smile and nod and go about their business.

xscorcho

i dont say anything.

mammasan

I usually say Happy Holidays not because I don't believe in Christmas or anything but because there are a lot Jewish people where I work I figured by saying Happy Holidays I avoid that awkward moment where they tell me they're Jewish and I feel all stupid. This way everything is kosher.

Cosmo

timroth wrote:

This artice got me thinking.

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/pressass/20071210/tuk-put-christ-back-into-christmas-6323e80_1.html

I say Merry Christmas without thinking twice about it. I find it hard to believe that people could take offence by it.

I think its wrong that this is now the "holiday" season instead of the Christmas season.

I find it wrong kids cant celebrate Christmas in public schools.

I find it wrong that if a few people complain we change our traditions.

Sorry for my rant.

...
Who do you actually KNOW of that gets offended by a 'Merry Christmas' greeting?
Yeah... NO ONE.
...
There is NO WAR ON CHRISTMAS. The retailers started using 'Happy Holidays' to attach to their sales period.
Why?
Dollars. Jewish dollars and Muslim dollars and Hindu dollars.
The Right Wing Conservatives (such as Falwell and Robertson) took this as an insult. THEY ARE THE ONES WHO ARE OFFENDED. Not by 'Merry Christmas', but by 'Happy Holidays'. Their mouthpieces (FOX News) spread the rumour and Americans ate it up.
...
And here's a simple answer... have your kids celebrate Christmas at your Church... and let the Jewish kids celebrate Channukah at their Temples and the Muslims at thie Mosques. School is supposed to be about education and relationships with other kids, not for imposed religious belief or traditions.
...
The spirit of Christmas (traditions taken from ancient Pagen rituals) is for everyone.

Brain of J.Lo

timroth wrote:

I truly feel that schools should celebrate christian, jewish, muslim etc holidays to teach kids and so that kids and their kids can be more accepting.

It just bugs me that people who dont celebrate Christmas, complain or get offended when someone says Merry Christmas. They should just smile and nod and go about their business.

Well, they do this by having "holiday" parties. That way, it includes everyone and they have the added bonus of not having to make it about religion...which has no place in schools anyway.

And I'm with Cosmo. No one really gets offended by "merry christmas". The whole war on christmas thing is a figment of Bill O'Reilly's imagination.

ajedigecko

merry christmas.

josevolution

feliz navidad ...

prytocorduroy

I too think it's ridiculous that some people get offended when wished a Merry Christmas. Those same people I'm willing to bet still take off work on that "offensive" day and probably the whole week.

America is supposed to embrace varying cultures right? Well Christmas is as cultural as July 4th.

Brain of J.Lo

danny72688 wrote:

I too think it's ridiculous that some people get offended when wished a Merry Christmas. Those same people I'm willing to bet still take off work on that "offensive" day and probably the whole week.

America is supposed to embrace varying cultures right? Well Christmas is as cultural as July 4th.

Who gets a whole week off at Christmas? I mean, unless you're a teacher...most people are working that week.

And, just so ya know...those people that are taking off on Christmas day (because their workplace is not open) are probably having to go to work on their own religious holidays.

Cosmo

danny72688 wrote:

I too think it's ridiculous that some people get offended when wished a Merry Christmas. Those same people I'm willing to bet still take off work on that "offensive" day and probably the whole week.

America is supposed to embrace varying cultures right? Well Christmas is as cultural as July 4th.

..
Again... WHO? Who did you wish a 'Merry Christmas' to that got offended?

harmless_little_f***

I will closer to the time, yes.

SPEEDY MCCREADY

i say "merry christmas"

and i dont give a flying fuck who i offend.......

Hawkshore

Absolutely!

In fact I did so right here!!!


http://forums.pearljam.com/showthread.php?t=265004&page=2

Cosmo

SPEEDY MCCREADY wrote:

i say "merry christmas"

and i dont give a flying fuck who i offend.......

...
Again... because NO ONE WILL GET OFFENDED.

GreenTeaDisease

how about this: on christmas eve and christmas day, you can say "merry christmas" to whomever the hell you want if you so choose. During the rest of the "holiday season" say "happy holidays."

there. everyone happy?

Brain of J.Lo

Cosmo wrote:

...
Again... because NO ONE WILL GET OFFENDED.

lol

People like to think they're rebels.

Brain of J.Lo

GreenTeaDisease wrote:

how about this: on christmas eve and christmas day, you can say "merry christmas" to whomever the hell you want if you so choose. During the rest of the "holiday season" say "happy holidays."

there. everyone happy?

I think we should limit our wishing of "happy anything" to only those wearing holiday-themed sweaters. Because really...those are the ones who need it most.