Merry Christmas vs. Happy Holidays

[Tanja]

I am an ateist who absolutely LOVES Christmas. I love Christmas Carols, and especially the old fashioned religious carols. I also love the family and even consumerist traditions that go with Christmas. I love my Christmas lunch/ dinner, both the British and the Croatian version. I love saying Merry Christmas to people. I even love going to church on Christmas so I can sing some carols.

Also, I will happily wish someone Happy Diwali or Eid without being Hindu or Muslim, so why would I need to be Christian to wish someone a Merry Christmas?

 

[Ove]

But don't you guys actually have some herds of Reindeer in Scandanavia (not sure if Norway or one of your neighbors). What more proof do you need that the Jolly old Elf exists and should be honored.

Plenty of Reindeers both in Norway-Sweden and Finland, all 3 countries have regions around the arctic circle. We in Denmark have none except on Greenland with is part Danish. On the other hand we have SANTA who lives at Greenland Attached are pictures of his house and some of his helpers outside.


-og God Jul Ryokan

 

[CurtC]

While I support a store's right to insist their employees use a non-offensive "Happy Holidays" when greeting customers, I like "Merry Christmas" myself.

And if I hear some easily-offended Christian group decry the use of Happy Holidays, I'll point out that I agree with them because Christmas has become a totally secular holiday in America, so we should all celebrate it.

 

[Soapy Sam]

Strange. I was told not four weeks since that the trend to say "happy holiday" in the USA is a result of pressure from atheists.
I laughed, but the person saying it was serious.

Yet all the atheists I know seem to resent the idea, because they see it as pandering to "eligious (but non-Christian) political correctness. In other words, avoiding giving offence to Muslims).
Yet every year my first Christmas card comes from a Muslim family.

So if the Muslims don't want it and the Christians don't want it - who the hell DOES want it?

Must be dem evil joos.*

*But probably not Marks & Spencers.

 

[cwalner]

I look at it this way.

I am not Christian, but the majority of people in my country (USA) are (or at least identify as such) so Christmas, regardless of how secularized it has become will be the predominant celebration of the season.

While the overt christianity of my country is something I am not particularly overjoyed about, there are many things that I do quite like about my country. Since, on the balance, I tend to like more things about my country than I dislike, I have no desire to move. Therefore I will do what I can to change that which I think is really bad (ie the laws that discriminate against gays) and just deal with that which I just don't care for that much (Christmas is part of this category) while trying to maintain that which I like (rule of law, democracy, influences from almost every other culture in the world, access to affordable material goodies)

Yes this is more subtle and nuanced than 'America, Love it or leave it' It seems far more practical and much better for my peace of mind.

 

[Last of the Fraggles]

Strange. I was told not four weeks since that the trend to say "happy holiday" in the USA is a result of pressure from atheists.
I laughed, but the person saying it was serious.

Yet all the atheists I know seem to resent the idea, because they see it as pandering to "eligious (but non-Christian) political correctness. In other words, avoiding giving offence to Muslims).
Yet every year my first Christmas card comes from a Muslim family.

So if the Muslims don't want it and the Christians don't want it - who the hell DOES want it?

Must be dem evil joos.*

*But probably not Marks & Spencers.

In my experience most of the fuss comes from people in HR departments or on "diversity" teams trying to make sure that nobody on Earth could find any possible reason to be offended by anything. Therefore everything has to be designed to meet the worst case scenario.

The vast majority of people couldn't care less and don't get upset either way.

 

[Dave_46]

Seasons Greetings everyone.

Dave

 

[Achán hiNidráne]

I want to publicly apologize to RandFan for snapping at him as I did. They "Happy Holidays" vs. "Merry Christmas" thing is a rather touchy subject for me for a couple of reasons:

1. A couple of years back, when this whole "War Against Christmas" BS was starting, I went out for dinner with my raging right-wing Catholic father. Since it was HIS car we were in, he got to choose the radio station and he decided we needed to listen to Sean Hannity who was going on an anti-"Happy Holidays" tirade which my father started to echo. I politely pointed out to my father that not everyone celebrates X-mas and that Happy Holidays was inclusive. My father, angered by my questioning of right-wing Christian dogma, shouted back: "For who!? The two or three kykes and ******* who celebrate Hanuka and Kwanzaa!?!?"

The rest of the evening went downhill rapidly after that.

2. Each Holiday Season, Charles Sykes, a right-wing author and Milwakee-area radio squawk-show host plays these radio bumbs that go: "Merry Christmas, Happy Hanuka, and to all you atheists, have a nice day!" If you've ever listened to Sykes' show, you'll know that like most Republican scum he doesn't hold non-believers in any esteem, so his "Have a nice day!" quip is hardly sincere and meant to feed anti-atheist sentiments.

I stopped listening to Sykes after I completed my change from conservative Catholic to politically-pragmatic atheist. However, from time to time, I'll end up hearing Skykes' thinnly veiled insult and stew for hours afterward.

Let's be honest about what this "War On Christmas" manufactured controversy is all really about: Right-wing Christians who can't stand to loose their social clout to non-Christians, or "worse," non-theists. Just as they proclaim America to be a "Christian Nation" to the exclusion of all others, they believe that the month of December is part of their cultural monopoly. Christians, in according to their "jealous" deity, will have no competitors, not even for festive seasons.

 

[quarky]

Seasons Greetings everyone.

Dave

I'm offended.


But thanks, and same to you.

 

[ParrotPirate]

What about Festivus?

 

[quarky]

Too close to "Festus" from Gunsmoke...or fester, as in a festering wound.

 

[Aitch]

Whatever people wish me, I usually reply with something neutral, like "Have a good one!".

Same idea as writing "Have Fun!" on any birthday/leaving/whatever cards that were circulated round the office - I dreaded the day that I would unthinkingly write it on a condolences card. Fortunately, that day never came.

 

[Beerina]

I don't care, happy holidays, happy hannukah, happy new year, merry christmas, krazy kwanza, silly solstice, satisfactory saturnalia, it's all good.

Kwanza's different from religion. It's a completely made-up thing.

​

 

[ponderingturtle]

What I am wondering is why do people feel that they need to greet people in a holiday fashion on something other than the holiday? Why all of december? Why not the whole year?

So happy birthday everyone!

 

[MattusMaximus]

I'm a happy holidays guy, its easier to just remember one phrase for the whole season.

Ditto, unless I'm with family - who celebrate Christmas - I just say "Happy Holidays" to people (because I don't know what religion, if any, they practice). That is, unless they say something like "Merry Christmas" to me first, in which case I respond in kind. I'm easy that way, unless some jerk gets pissed off at me for saying "Happy Holidays" because I'm "taking the Christ out of Christmas"

I think people who get upset about this sort of thing really need to find better things to do with their time, like growing up a little bit while pulling the over-sized candy cane out of their ass.

ETA: In my classroom at school, we celebrate Newtonmass - I teach physics and what better way to celebrate the end of first semester than to recognize the man whose work we studied in so much detail? I tell the students that Newtonmass is a Festivus for the rest of us

 

[MattusMaximus]

Kwanza's different from religion. It's a completely made-up thing.

Years ago, I actually had a colleague say to me, in all seriousness: "I don't think this Kwanzaa thing is a real religion, it's just a made up holiday."

To which I replied: "Ummm, aren't all religious holidays made up?"

That got a lot of laughs from other people in the office at the time

 

[Achán hiNidráne]

Years ago, I actually had a colleague say to me, in all seriousness: "I don't think this Kwanzaa thing is a real religion, it's just a made up holiday."

To which I replied: "Ummm, aren't all religious holidays made up?"

That got a lot of laughs from other people in the office at the time

Dr. Venture: Oh, Orpheus. I wasn't expecting you to show up. Didn't think necromancers believed in Christmas.

Dr. Orpheus: Ah, the whole affair is about as real as Kwanzaa or "Wookie's Life Day", but I find it charming.

--"A Very Venture Christmas"

 

[AvalonXQ]

Years ago, I actually had a colleague say to me, in all seriousness: "I don't think this Kwanzaa thing is a real religion, it's just a made up holiday."

To which I replied: "Ummm, aren't all religious holidays made up?"

That got a lot of laughs from other people in the office at the time

Pretty much, yeah.
I'm really glad my wife doesn't read the Forums.

 

[cwalner]

ETA: In my classroom at school, we celebrate Newtonmass - I teach physics and what better way to celebrate the end of first semester than to recognize the man whose work we studied in so much detail? I tell the students that Newtonmass is a Festivus for the rest of us

I can only support this if the traditional food involves a cookie made out of a thin cake wrapped around fig paste.

 

[Lanzy]

One thing is certain:

A young man with lofty ideals was tragically put to death by the State.

I can totally get behind this, as a punk-rocker.

I'm not certain.