The Newest Warrior for the Blitzkrieg on Christmas: Me.

[TimCallahan]

I wait tables and bartend to pay for school. Around this time of year I usually bid my patrons 'Happy Holidays'. But apparently by doing so, I offend the pious Jesus followers so much that they feel compelled to call me an *******: http://i453.photobucket.com/albums/qq253/xixxvmcm85/work001-1.jpg .

This is going up on my refrigerator!

One of the "joys' of my Christmas with the relatives was that I brought the wierd respone you got up for saying "Happy Holidays," up with one of them. It set her off on a tear about saying "Hppy Holidays" was evidence of the purvasive, pernicious influence of globalism. She was sure you had been required to say that instead of "Merry Christmas." This irritated me and led to one ofthe confrontations that ruined Christmas for me this year.

So I've got this idea: Smile and say, "Bah! Humbug!" We;ll, no, I guess that probably wouldn't work either.

 

[Phase Inverter]

That's coming up "not found" for me.

Me too.

Broken link
http://i453.photobucket.com/albums/qq253/xixxvmcm85/work001-1.jpg

 

[Soapy Sam]

I'm an atheist myself, but I prefer "Merry Christmas" simply because I'm tired of the whole PC notion that we must say "Happy Holidays" to avoid offending someone. Of course, I could change my mind if I had to deal with someone like your customers who insist on harping on their magical Sky Daddy and his zombie son.

I agree . It's most annoying when my annoyance at political correctspeak forces me to ally with the annoying god-botherers, but the older and more annoyed I get, the more this sort of annoyance occurs.

 

[GreyArea]

I live in a pretty liberal area, and nobody has yet got bent out of shape if I say "Merry Christmas" or "Happy holidays".

I've never encountered anyone offended by hearing Merry Christmas. Never.

I've never met one, either.

GreyArea raises his hand, sheepishly.

Um, here's one.

Why can't people just take an expression of goodwill at face value and be content?

Because the embedded assumption reinforces the idea that everyone is a Christian. But not everyone is, and the continuing assumption harms the interests of people who are not Christians.

I don't think anyone should wish "Merry Christmas" to anyone else unless they know that the recipient of the message is actually going to attend one. It's like telling random strangers "Enjoy the play!" when they aren't going to any play.

What about the many cultures whose word for Christmas doesn't even have the word "Christ" in it?
In Germany, the word for Christmas ("Weinachten") basically means "holiday".

I like this idea. It has no assumptions about the recipient's religious identification. (But I still can't use it without assuming the recipient is German, which around here is unlikely.)

Shouldn't we say "Happy Holidays" all year 'round? Happy Rizal Day!

 

[Filippo Lippi]

"Merry Christmas."
"I hope you enjoy the play."
"Huh?"



It might just work...