I’ve wanted to say this so many times………… http://www.illwillpress.com/xmas.html
Pretty much sums up my thoughts, and tone. Explicate language, so don’t go there if you don’t like cussing!!!
Loved it, Mike. Pretty much reflects my feelings, and I'm not religious.
I have a LOT of trouble with political correctness. Rather than dictate to people that they MUST say "Happy Holidays," or, for that matter, REQUIRE that anyone say "Merry Christmas," why don't we just allow everybody to express that particular wish in the terminology with which they are comfortable. The rest of us can just assume it means what we want it to.
Again, I'm not religious, and I firmly believe in the separation of Church and State, but "Merry Christmas" is fine with me. That's what I grew up with. However, "Happy Holidays" is fine also, or, even "Happy Hanukkah" is OK. It all means the same thing.
Hope I haven't started a political spat with this diatribe. It's just my opinion. I respect anyone's right to hold and express a differeing one.
Uh-ho…I didn’t think that this could start a political or religious debate…..Crap, that wasn’t why I posted it. I just thought it was funny. So I opologize now if any take offence.
Jack just needs to vent every now and then, don't worry.
It's that darn EP500 he just got......too much sound pressure causing standing waves in his head. I warned him about that!!
"Neo yuppie scumbags!"
That was darn funny Mike, that dude sounds like me most of the time.
It is funny how 94% of the US population recognizes or celebrates Christmas each year, yet schools have "winter break" and people think that they have to say "Happy Holidays."
So many people think that we all need to "tip toe" around certain holidays so that we don't offend anyone, yet I think that it is getting a bit crazy. Heck, schools now have "fall parties" instead of Thanksgiving events. That is really stupid if you ask me. Thanksgiving is supposed to be a celebration of the pilgrims coming to America their celebration with the Indians (I specifically didn't call them Native Americans because at the time, the Pilgrims believed that they were from India). The Pilgrims brought real Western civilization to this country, and yet people want to water it down by calling it just some "fall festival" or something.
This gets to many of my personal opinions on the subject, such as people that want to burn the US flag and such, but I won't go there. If you don't like the country, get out. We have become too affraid of offending people that we allow anything and everything to be "OK", of course unless it has any religeous of spiritual base, then it is "forbidden." Seems like the idea of "tollerance for all" specifically excludes "Christian" beliefs that this country was founded on.
(Putting away soap box...) I guess I am just a little touchy on the subject of "Merry Christmas" vs. "Happy Holidays" since the season is upon us. But like Ajax said, if you are Jewish, I wish you a very Happy Hanukkuh. If you are a believer in something else, great. If you are not a "believer" in anything, then I hope that you enjoy the vacation days that you get because of this "Christian" holiday.
Oh, and sorry if I offended anyone with my last post.
(Now was I being serious, or sarcastic? Hmmm... The world may never know). Either way, Merry Christmas from my to you. If you don't celebrate Christmas, then again, Merry "Day off of Work"
that was funny
I'm not religous at all, if anything, anti-religous. But I don't force my views on anyone. Let people believe what they will, and I'll respect that.
It's Christmas. Excuse the pun, but for Christ's sake, leave it alone!
Maybe if you picked another subject (other than Christmas) that is "funny"......you wouldn't have to feign surprise at the possibility that your post would stir something up.
I wouldn't be suprised, if in the next few years, "they" will just call Christmas: China products exchange festival.
If you knew me personally, you’d realize how that I don’t “feign” anything and you would most likely feel foolish for suggesting it. A few years ago I would have taken your bate and played with you, but I’m much more mellow nowadays and decline your offer. I mean what I say and I say what I mean. There’s nothing more to it than that.
Nick,
This issue has totally gone too far, especially in America. Christmas always has been and still is the celebration of Jesus' birthday. Whether it was that exact day or not, it's the day we celebrate. Whether a person believes in Him or not has nothing to do with the day or celebration of the day. The "holiday season" is typically the time between Thanksgiving-Christmas-New Years and everyone in the world typically benefits from it in someway or another. But Christmas day is still a specific day of celebration. Yes, we have commercialized and basically raped the event to mean something else but that doesn't change the fact of what the day represents. It is ridiculous what has happened and what we spend our time and energy on but that's the world we live in.
This is not meant to be offensive in any way but America celebrates MLK day and whether I or anyone else likes it, we don't call it anything else because that is what holiday it is. That was just 1 example, there are many others.
My 2 cents for what it's worth--I'm sure not even 2 cents to many but I am perfectly OK with that!!! :-)
charlie
Your 2 cents is worth a lot in my opinion.
So am I supposed to wish my Jewish friends a Merry Christmas? What about my friends who have no religious beliefs?
I'm not sure why it's so hard to pick and choose your words based on the situation. To most people I say Merry Christmas, but I also say Happy Holidays when appropriate. I don't understand why I should be the evil eye from anyone for saying Happy Holidays. I sick and tired of this entire "controversy". It's absurd.
I agree it's absurd. My point exactly. Feel free to say whatever you want. All I'm saying is Christmas is a specific holiday to celebrate a specific reason just like every other holiday. Interesting that we don't get all crazy about the names of other holidays....
In reply to:
Christmas always has been and still is the celebration of Jesus' birthday.
That may be true, but when people say "Merry Christmas," they don't typically mean "Have a great anniversary of Jesus' birthday." It has long been secularized, which is another reason it's so strange that people take issue with it now.
I love that places call Christmas Trees "Holiday Trees". So, you mean to tell me that you are going to buy a tree...for Hanuka? Or...Kwanza? No...CHRISTMAS. You buy the tree for Christmas, so therefore it is a Christmas TREE.
Menor--- I mean "holiday candlestick".
To me; "Happy Holidays" simply means "Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year"
A pair of coincedently closely associated holidays.
....I do take notice that many more of Santas' Elves are of Chinese origin these days. And that while in the past, when the usual 25% of all kids toys failed before the wrapping paper was even picked up, has now grown to nearly 50% today; I find I am keeping the sales reciepts handy for a quick, and well documented, return to the Northpole workshop.
Making these products "Down to a profit" ain't gonna cut it forever.
Example: The Wife bought the four Grandkids each a Disney character lighted pen. One didn't function right from the package, one failed within about four pen strokes and the third lasted approximately six minutes.
The forth outlived it's battery.....go figure.
....oh, and by the way....has anybody else noticed that the gifts given(traditionally by the wise dudes)was more akin to a baby shower, than what it's evoloved into?
Well who the heck wants frankincense, and myrrh for Christmas?
That's it exactly!!!!
See how ridiculous all this senseless gift giving has become!! Totally misses the point!
If it becomes appropriate to give someone gifts to celebrate a birthday, then shouldn't the gifts go to the celebrant?
......"Hey; Joe down the street has a birthday.....give ME some gifts"!
DOH!!
....or maybe some poor kids who need it...
F107
I'm poor.
And compared to you I'm a kid.
I also really really NEED 5 M3s and an EP500 (for the bedroom ya know).
Well, seems to me that the M3s are indeed small enough to fit into individual stockings hung by the chimney with care.
However....
That 500 would be a real stretch even for Roseanns' pantyhose....
......I may be old.....but not so old as to not understand that an EP500 in the Bedroom would fall under the catagory of an effective marital aid
.......cool!!
I tend to go a little overboard as far as the gifts. But every year when surrounded by family and food and such I feel truly blessed. I think it is the FACT of Christmas and the wonderful memories that get me jazzed about the season.
In reply to:
Well, seems to me that the M3s are indeed small enough to fit into individual stockings hung by the chimney with care.
I wouldn't want to meet the woman that had stockings big enough for the M3s to fit!
As for the salutation, I use Happy Holidays... for the same reason I don't assume a man has a wife (and not a male partner) or that the white woman with the markedly oriental-looking child is the babysitter and not the child's mother (whether through adoption or interracial marriage).
If I know what the person celebrates, I'll call it by name - usually a "Merry" Christmas for the non-religious or C&E Catholics and a "Blessed" Christmas for the religious, even though I, myself, am not a religious man. My opinion is I'd rather make the other person feel good about the celebration, even if it requires a little more input than a knee-jerk "Merry Christmas" from me.
... also I try to keep my blaspheming to a minimum around the religious types... I shoot for no more than JC's name an an exclamation.
Bren R.
In reply to:
... also I try to keep my blaspheming to a minimum around the religious types... I shoot for no more than JC's name an an exclamation.
How true!
To bring the thread back full circle, happy holidays everyone. I'm off at noon today and not back to work until the 10th of Jan. Unfortunately, I'll only have dial-up access (at my parents in rural Manitoba) so take it easy on the posts will ya?!? I don't want to get too far behind.
Everyone take care and safe travels if you are heading anywhere over the holidays.