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My family has always celebrated our national traditional holidays paid time off or not: New Years, Valentines Day, Presidents Day (formerly Lincoln and Washington birthdays), MLK Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, Memorial Day, Fourth Of July, Labor Day, Halloween, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas.
Lately, people have been celebrating Chinese New Year and Cinco de Mayo. I have no problem with other people partaking in these celebrations but we really don’t have any interest. Hanukkah is special to the Jewish people and Ramadan to Muslims. I am not interested in those either as I am neither of those faiths.
First, I want to be clear that although I am now an agnostic (former Methodist), I have always LOVED Easter, the 4th of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
However, lately, these holidays seem to be the cause of disharmony between Americans rather than occasions for both friends and strangers to just share a good time together. Every one of the holidays I listed now have some controversy attached to them, with some people saying that the 4th of July celebrates our white heritage too much, that celebrating Halloween is pagan and unChristian, that Thanksgiving is a travesty because of what the Pilgrims and others did to the natives, and that such things as community Easter Egg hunts or "Breakfast with Santa" are exclusionary (or worse) to people of other religions.
Now, I personally would not like to see those holidays entirely omitted from public notice, but reading some of the comments on some of the current and recent threads (both pro and con about any certain holiday), it makes me think that the public celebration of these holidays are causing more ill will lately than good will.
What do you think?
Easter and Christmas are Pagan holidays, too.
White heritage should be celebrated, because other cultures do not approve of democracy or republicanism.
The 4th of July was a momentous event in human history. It represents colonies standing up to Imperial powers, to monarchies and other non-democratic forms of government, and it postulates that people are responsible for forming their own governments and choosing their representatives.
Note that in the papal bull Humanus Genus, Pope Leo condemned all Americans to Hell for choosing their leaders instead of consulting with the papacy and accepting the will of the papacy to impose leadership on Americans.
It's interesting that the first official act of the so-called Pilgrims was to enter into a mutual military aid treaty with Wampanoag Tribe at the specific request of the Wampanoag Tribe. The treaty called for the Pilgrims aiding the Wampanoag if they were attacked by the Narragansett and other Tribes, and for the Wampanoag to help the Pilgrims if they were attacked by the Narragansett and other Tribes.
The idea that "Native Americans" who committed genocide, exterminating other tribal groups from the face of the Earth, were constantly at war, and who practiced slavery were "peace-loving" is just Left-wing propaganda and disinformation intended to down-play the fact that Native Americans committed genocide, constantly engaged in war and practiced slavery.
Actually, I would like to see Thanksgiving renamed as Homecoming and turned into a five-day holiday -- Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday, so families can get together.
I see Halloween as silly, and don't participate, and more and more people are not participating for any number of reasons, including economic reasons, and not wanting to be bothered all night, and will eventually die out on its own.
If Easter and Christmas are exclusionary, it's because it's a self-imposed exclusion. Those people can participate anytime they want, or not, just like they can participate in Hanukah or Ramadan if they want.
If it would be up to me, I'd get rid of Easter, Christmas and New Years, and have a week-long celebration at the time of the Spring Equinox instead, like it was done for several thousand years.
As we age I think Christmas becomes more of a "season" than a day. For many if not most people there are parties from the middle of December through New Years Day. Right now I have plans, with different groups of friends and acquaintances, on the 15th, 18th, 25th, and 29th. I am sure there will be more added.
I am sure many of the people attending don't celebrate Christmas but they enjoy the food and friends and would be more offended if they were left out of the parties.
I used to celebrate Christmas, but I do not anymore. Im not really an active christian,so imo, the 'holiday' doesnt apply to me. I see many people saying its more about the time to be with family, friends, etc. but thats not what Christmas is...its the celebration of Jesus being born into our world....if you are not Christian, its not applicable to you.
My sisters kids made a really funny comment recently when we were out shopping, she made a remark about all these stores being so religious, since they get REALLY into the 'Christmas spirit' LOL
If I were a devout Christian, I would be truly offended at how the season is 'celebrated' in the secular, retail world, the big stores are just celebrating it because it involves gifting, that is their only concern, if Christmas did not involve gifts, I doubt any store would even recognize it.
If I were a devout Christian, I would be truly offended at how the season is 'celebrated' in the secular, retail world, the big stores are just celebrating it because it involves gifting, that is their only concern, if Christmas did not involve gifts, I doubt any store would even recognize it.
Not once have I heard them complain or protest, so if anyone is "pandering" to them it's not at THEIR request.
Upon further reflection and soul-searching, I think you might be right about this part. I agree that no one, regardless of where they are from, should be made to feel excluded or their culture disrespected. However, I do not agree that our own culture should be shoved aside just in case it "offends" someone, no matter who advocates for it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by gizmo980
Also, most of them speak better English than many native-born Americans I meet.
I do not agree. I know of many people who have lived here for decades who refuse to learn to speak English. These are not just Hindus or Muslims, but also folks from Latin America, Russia, etc. There is no good reason that preserving one's own culture should stand in the way of learning the language of the country you have chosen to live in.
Quote:
Originally Posted by gizmo980
So don't mince words - tell us who you hate, and where they touched you.
I don't hate anyone (with the exception of a horrible woman I used to work with, but that's another story), but I am offended by people who consciously choose to live here, legally or illegally, and thumb their noses at our laws and our language.
My sisters kids made a really funny comment recently when we were out shopping, she made a remark about all these stores being so religious, since they get REALLY into the 'Christmas spirit' LOL
If I were a devout Christian, I would be truly offended at how the season is 'celebrated' in the secular, retail world, the big stores are just celebrating it because it involves gifting, that is their only concern, if Christmas did not involve gifts, I doubt any store would even recognize it.
You know, I started to disagree with you and say that some of them would, whose ownership consider themselves to be devout Christians (look at Hobby Lobby and Chik-Fil-A to name two), but then I thought, 'No, if Christmas truly became much more of a truly religious holiday, any store who made a "thing" of Christmas in displays, wishing customers "Merry Christmas", or having carols played would probably be the target of extreme liberals and the stores would be boycotted and/or sued.'
Again, as I have said MANY times, I am both a moderate and an agnostic, but I am just amazed at how liberals are now the ones who seem to want to suppress freedom of speech and expression more than conservatives. When I was young, it was the exact opposite. (And, yes, I am aware that conservatives do this, too, but just not to the degree that extreme liberals do, in my opinion.)
Last edited by katharsis; 12-14-2018 at 10:07 AM..
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