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Yes, extremists on either side can take the joy out of this time of year.
I don't think it is a coinky-dink that so many people want to light up the night during the time of the winter solstice.
Compromise can go a long way. And with the economy the way it is, every little bit of cheer helps.
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At this point, I will gladly welcome anyone's words that wish me well. I will appreciate whatever good they have to say and don't care how they word it.
I'm an atheist but I also do a lot of the typical Christmas celebratory stuff every year. I exchange gifts with friends and family, I have a Christmas tree, and if I know a person who also celebrates Christmas I don't have a problem saying "Merry Christmas" to them.
That being said, and as secular a holiday as it has become, I do not think the federal government or any institution thereof should display "Merry Christmas" signs in those buildings for the simple fact that it does seem to cater to one specific group of religious orientation. Simply put, I think a "Happy Holidays" goes much better in or around a government building especially since the taxpayers who pay for both the building and the signs can come from a wide variety of religious backgrounds and orientations.
I don't have a problem if stores even do it as stores can cater to customers in any way they like such as carrying certain items for certain races, sexes, religious beliefs, etc... If they want to post signs that say "Merry Christmas" I don't have a problem with that and I won't refuse to shop there simply because of that but perhaps some will - that's a free market.
Ultimately, I become less and less impressed with Christmas every year as it doesn't seem like the fun thing it was when I was a kid. It's turned into a time of stress where I have to figure out what I'm going to get people, fight long lines of idiots at the stores and hopefully not go broke in the process. It just becomes a bigger pain every year but I put up with it because my family and friends do the same for me.
That being said, and as secular a holiday as it has become, I do not think the federal government or any institution thereof should display "Merry Christmas" signs in those buildings for the simple fact that it does seem to cater to one specific group of religious orientation.
I can see your point but I wonder... what about the individuals who work in those buildings. I wonder if they are allowed to show their individual feelings by posting Merry Christmas, a manger, etc. at their own desk/cube.
Well there's the other side of the coin...take Christmas out of everything...fine. But what holiday, exactly, is the one that fuels the economy this time of the year? Not Chanukah and not Kwanza or Ramadan or anything else....
Maybe "happy Amex-debt day" is more appropriate?
Biotch about all the 'Merry Christmas" assumers, decorations in the stores, songs on the radio..fine. Lose the decorations, change the innocent fun-loving time of year for the vocal minority. Lose the shoppers too. Lose jobs. Who cares as long as those crazy Christians don't get to celebrate their holiday as they always have b/c it's so darn evil and unacceptable and secular and pagan and whatever. And GOD/G-D/Goddess forbid you need to look at a tree with lights on it while in a mall or a school.
How open-minded ARE you? Oh, I know. As long as it ain't CHRISTIAN-based, it's A-OK.
Spoken like a person completely ignorant of pagans or pagan tradition.
Spoken like a person completely ignorant of pagans or pagan tradition.
Perhaps I misunderstand you but.... I keep seeing references on here to the celebration of Christmas as being a pagan tradition. Where is this coming from? In all the research I have found it says there were pagan celebrations on Dec. 24, 25, etc. however, in order to "stamp out" these celebrations the church declared Dec. 25th as the day for celebrating the birth of Christ.
People need more to do if they have the energy to sue over someone saying Merry Christmas. If we worked as hard as our ancestors, we'd be too tired to complain about such things. Political correctness is getting insane.
Couldn't have said it better and Merry Christmas to you
[quote=vec101;6444487]Perhaps I misunderstand you but.... I keep seeing references on here to the celebration of Christmas as being a pagan tradition. Where is this coming from? In all the research I have found it says there were pagan celebrations on Dec. 24, 25, etc. however, in order to "stamp out" these celebrations the church declared Dec. 25th as the day for celebrating the birth of Christ.[/QUOT
I am so wore out on this... google it please ..... Christians just tear at my patience .....
Perhaps I misunderstand you but.... I keep seeing references on here to the celebration of Christmas as being a pagan tradition. Where is this coming from? In all the research I have found it says there were pagan celebrations on Dec. 24, 25, etc. however, in order to "stamp out" these celebrations the church declared Dec. 25th as the day for celebrating the birth of Christ.
It's a matter of perspective.
Some might say that the church fathers were not as interested in "stamping out" the celebrations so much as they were hoping to latch on to them.
There were several different pagan religions which had special feast days around the winter solstice--it was convenient for everyone that the rebirth of the sun coincides with the Birth of the Son.
Snippet from Dar Williams' The Christians and the Pagans So the Christians and the Pagans sat together at the table
Finding faith and common ground the best that they were able
And where does magic come from, I think magic's in the learning
Cause now when Christians sit with Pagans only pumpkin pies are burning
But this all goes to what I was trying to suggest which is that Christmas is no longer just a religious celebration but a secular one, more akin to Thanksgiving or the 4th of July. Yes, maybe Native Americans would hate being reminded of Thanksgiving, or the British would hate being greeted a Happy 4th (I know certain parts of Texas are careful not to celebrate Columbus Day), but that's really grinding a very old, dull axe.
Trust me, the British have no problems with the 4th of July. Am I the only person who delights in wishing people "Merry Christmas" when I know they will be offended?
In the UK Happy Holidays has yet to catch on to any great extent - here is to hoping that it never does.
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