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Last night we were in Trader Joes and after an exhaustive search I noticed something conspicuously absent from the store. With classic rock glaring over the p.a. system (because nothing screams Christmas like Grand Funk Railroad), I sauntered over to the managers booth and two of the three looked at me waiting for my question, so I obliged, "Quick question", I stated more than queried, "Yes?", one of them replied, "Can I find the word Christmas anywhere in your store", and all three looked at me as if I had just flashed them (actually, from the looks on their faces, they may have preferred that), "Um, excuse me?" one of them managed to stammer, "I don't see the word Christmas anywhere in the store, is it on anything?" I asked, "Um...... probably not", one of the managers said, and I said, "Why not, that's absurd, it's Christmas, and I would have no idea walking into your store" and the guy said, "I totally agree with you", which was immediately followed up from manager #2, a Jeanine Garofolo type who snidely retorted "Well, we don't want to offend Jews" to which I responded, "Why do you assume Jews are offended by Christmas? Are you offended by Hanukkah? There's no such holiday called "holiday", it's a federal holiday called Christmas" and she looked at me as if i was the spawn of Satan (which I thought was a bit ironic, considering I doubt that she believed in any deity, good or evil) and I proceeded to walk away with the guy who agreed with me and asked him where the organic lollipops were, and he said to me again in very hushed tones (as if he were a traitor, and would be summarily executed if his superiors found out) that he totally agreed with me regarding the fact that TJ's goes out of their way to ignore Christmas.
Folks, there is a very concerted effort to eradicated the word Christmas from our public lexicon. Now keep in mind, I have no issue with the term, "Happy Holidays", as the holiday season encompasses Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas and New Years; my issue is with the more and more common habit of corporations replacing the word Christmas with the word "holiday"; holiday lights, holiday ornaments, holiday trees, for crying out loud, I saw a flier declaring "Holiday 2010", which one, there are over 30 public and federal holidays in the United States. They say that only 10% of people take a stand on a certain issue. For me, this issue is worth taking a stand for. Merry Christmas
So, because Christmas is the holiday YOU celebrate, all businesses MUST have signs and flyers and whatnot screaming that it's Christmas? Why? Would you somehow not know it's Christmas without that?
Most of us know that, no big news. And it's besides the point: regardless of what Pagans were celebrating in December Christians are celebrating the birth of Christ.
Really??
And pray tell, what does a rotund person wearing a red outfit have to do with the celebration of the birth of a person was wasn't born in december?
Lets play a game, Ask 100 10 year old christians what christmas is, and 100 jewish 10 year olds what Chanukkah is, and see what each group says.
And then tell me, why is it important for a store to have christmas decorations up for you to shop there, and how does it celebrate the birth of someone?
The times for Christian celebrations were in a lot of cases picked to coincide with well-established pagan ceremonies in the hopes that there would be converts who were confused by the coincidence.
There is nothing anywhere to indicate that Jesus was born in December.
Don't you understand the concept of observation? We are observing that date for Him, whether or not he was actually born on that day or not. Just like with Easter, which varies year to year...we know that was not the actual date of His resurrection.
What other Christian holidays coincide with pagan ceremonies? Pray tell.
Don't you understand the concept of observation? We are observing that date for Him, whether or not he was actually born on that day or not. Just like with Easter, which varies year to year...we know that was not the actual date of His resurrection.
What other Christian holidays coincide with pagan ceremonies? Pray tell.
Easter comes to mind. The celebration was changed to coincide with a pagan fertility festival held in the spring. It may have been a Druid celebration.
The festival had to do with the rebirth of the earth after a long winter, and it was custom made to piggyback a Christian Easter celebration onto it.
Like it or not,
USA is a Christian Country.
USA celebrates Christmas.
if you dont agree, you are free to leave or not participate.
rediculing others is not necessary, if you chose to not participate, simply sit in your hole and pout.
If any losers chose to interfer with my daughter having a pleasant Christmas, I will ruin their life.
Take that to the bank
USA is NOT a "Christian country". USA is a country of many different beliefs. And the 1st amendment to the constitution guarantees us that it will NEVER be a one religion country.
You claim others are ridiculing you and/or your beliefs? What about the ridiculing you are doing here? Or do you only see it as ridiculing when someone is doing it to you?
As for USA celebrating Christmas, yes, many people in this country do celebrate Christmas, for various reasons. But there are also millions who don't. And some of those millions celebrate different holidays altogether.
I think the gripe is another manufactured "argument" just to start crap, but let's be her huckelberry and go down the December "holiday" road once again here in C-D.
Saint Nicholas Day (Christian) -- December 6
Fiesta of Our Lady of Guadalupe (Mexican) -- December 12 (Yes, a day of holy obligation for Catholics)
St. Lucia Day (Swedish) -- December 13
Hanukkah (Jewish) -- Begins at sundown on December 1 (ends December 9)
Christmas Day(Christian) -- December 25
Boxing Day (Australian, Canadian, English, Irish) -- December 26
Kwanzaa (African American) -- December 26 to January 1
Omisoka (Japanese) -- December 31
Epiphany (Christian) -- January 6
So as you can see if TJ's is really trying to be inclusive as a CORPORATION, then they are truly wishing EVERYONE a Happy Holidays.
And if there were ever an assault on the Original concept of Christmas I'm sure the early Christian church is wondering what the hell happened to their calendar and co-joining dates of Dies Natalis Solis Invicti.
But let's not get caught up in details and semantics, it's just so much better to make crap up and go with it!
Happy Winter Solstice....sheesh.
but,... but.... Don't you know that the Winter Solstice is evil?
Again; Walmart, Target, Kohls (a Jewish owned company) all have Christmas music and Christmas decorations through out the store. Are they "pandering?" Why do you want to change American culture; are you that intolerant?
This is the third time you have posted these very similar words. What's your point? What's the big deal with Kohl's being a "Jewish owned company"? Why do you like to call people names, e.g. "intolerant"? Why do you want to make this holiday season so contentious? Why did your husband approach these people in TJ's anyway?
And to you too; I don't thin anyone has an issue with that phrase. What many of us, myself included, have an issue with is the word 'holiday" replacing the word Christmas; i.e "holiday tree", "holiday lights', " holiday ornaments", etc. I have three quick questions for all of the neo progs out there: 1. Why is the word Christmas offensive? 2. When did it become offensive. 3. Why did it not use to be offensive? Thanks
Likewise,... I have a question for you.
Why is being respectful of others that don't observe Christian holidays a difficult concept for you to grasp?
btw - I would like to remind you that the whole holiday celebration (i.e, tree with lights and ornaments) that you're describing in your post has its roots in Pagan celebration...
so, I guess holiday is the correct adjective...
even for us christians....
Last edited by World Citizen; 12-18-2010 at 09:56 AM..
Oh give it a rest.
Since Christmas, and many others, are religious holidays, all who practice the various religions should be glad to patronize a business that doesn't exploit that holiday simply to make a buck.
Do you really think that sucking up to various faiths just to sell them stuff is honoring your Holy Day? Please. People should be advocating for businesses NOT to commercialize these things. Religion or lack thereof is a personal relationship, shared with family or your belief community. Why would you want a business to play on or exploit those beliefs for profit?
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