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I think we should go back to the old pagan days and have a mass orgy for the last five days of the year.
The holiday you speak of is Yule,
Quote:
Yule or Yuletide ("Yule-time") is a winter festival that was initially celebrated by the historical Germanic people as a pagan religious festival, though it was later absorbed into, and equated with, the Christian festival of Christmas. The festival was originally celebrated from late December to early January on a date determined by the lunar Germanic calendar. The festival was placed on December 25 when the Christian calendar (Julian calendar) was adopted. Scholars have connected the celebration to the Wild Hunt.
Actually, what I do is, Use vacation time for the High Holy Days, and if I am scheduled to be off on christmas, I offer to work that day for anyone who wants me to, so they can spend the day with their family.
I use vacation hours too, and always offered to work Christmas/Easter when I had jobs where that was an option... but considering how rude, ignorant and ungrateful some of these so-called Christians are, I wonder why I bothered. Would they do the same for us, or extend ANY wishes on our holy days? Haven't seen much evidence of that to date, so I imagine very few would.
I don't know what it is, but it seems that nearly every television or radio commercial, as well as most print advertisements now omit the word Christmas, in favor of "Holiday". It's downright absurd.
Why are they doing this?
Why do they feel the need to say "Holiday Shopping" instead of "Christmas Shopping"?
Why do they feel the need to say "Holiday presents" instead of "Christmas presents"?
Why do they feel the need to say "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas"?
Why do they feel the need to say "Holiday lights" instead of "Christmas lights"?
What has happened to this society, that it would act in such a peculiar manner? I'm sure that we're all old enough to remember that everything was Christmas and not "holiday". It was only about ten to fifteen years ago. It would have been considered odd to use "holiday" in the context it is now being used?
Is the word "Christmas" considered bad? That's the way advertisers are acting. It makes them seem very weak-minded and pathetic, frankly, that they'd omit the word Christmas, something very wholesome and embedded within our culture, and act as though it is not proper to use. After all, over ninety percent of the population celebrates Christmas.
By the way, please vote in the poll about how you feel.
Since the atheist hate anything that has to do with religion
If you want to work on Christmas and always have off on the Jewish High Holy Days, I suggest you move to Israel.
P.S. Chava is a traditional Hebrew name meaning "life," and is fairly common in Israel... I actually thought you were Jewish at first, LOL. And furthermore, if the US has no official religion, why is Christmas a federal holiday?
No, the period in September-October on the civil calendar, from Rosh ha Shannah through Simchat Torah, that includes Yom Kippur, Sukkot and Shemini Atzeret, is the most wonderful time of the year.
It comes from a Christmas song, Walter, and was meant to be sarcastic. :P
I feel bad that Christians only get Christmas and Easter. They're both boring, sanitized holidays even in their most religious forms. Give me Sukkot any time. I'm lucky to work at a Jewish affiliated university so we have absolutely fantastic celebrations during the holiday season (and isn't fall such a great time for a holiday season? better than the dead of winter) open the the whole community. When I attended as an undergrad, even my non-Jewish friends really got into it.
Though I would argue that Purim really is the most wonderful time of the year. It's certainly my favorite holiday!
"Holidays" is a bit more all-inclusive, not just in terms of religion. It also includes Thanksgiving, New Year's, and Kwanzaa, which are not religious holidays (for most people). That said, I'm not the kind of person that goes mental if someone wishes me a Merry Christmas. I think what's most important is the intention behind the words. If someone is just trying to be kind, there's no need to make a political statement out of it. Personally, for me, I find that the kindest thing to do is include all religions in my well wishes so I prefer the phrase "Happy Holidays". If anyone is offended by it, well, I was just trying to be nice. I also don't think there's anything distinctly anti-Christian about "Happy Holidays", since "holidays" includes Christmas.
It started when large retailers started pushing the Christmas buying season back into October. As a Christian I do find "Happy Holidays" to be annoying. However, I know the blame can be laid at the feet of the idol of commerce, and not on some imaginary liberal pc "war on Christmas."
I don't know what it is, but it seems that nearly every television or radio commercial, as well as most print advertisements now omit the word Christmas, in favor of "Holiday". It's downright absurd.
Why are they doing this?
Why do they feel the need to say "Holiday Shopping" instead of "Christmas Shopping"?
Why do they feel the need to say "Holiday presents" instead of "Christmas presents"?
Why do they feel the need to say "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas"?
Why do they feel the need to say "Holiday lights" instead of "Christmas lights"?
What has happened to this society, that it would act in such a peculiar manner? I'm sure that we're all old enough to remember that everything was Christmas and not "holiday". It was only about ten to fifteen years ago. It would have been considered odd to use "holiday" in the context it is now being used?
Is the word "Christmas" considered bad? That's the way advertisers are acting. It makes them seem very weak-minded and pathetic, frankly, that they'd omit the word Christmas, something very wholesome and embedded within our culture, and act as though it is not proper to use. After all, over ninety percent of the population celebrates Christmas.
By the way, please vote in the poll about how you feel.
Actually, my "holiday season" begins with Thanksgiving and ends with the arrival of the New Year. Christmas happens to be a part of it. So, when I'm wishing someone "Happy Holidays", I'm doing so for EVERY festivity that is covered in the season, including Hannukkah. Of course, if I were wishing someone on Christmas, I won't say "Happy Holiday", but Merry Christmas. Likewise, I won't be wishing someone "Merry Christmas" on Thanksgiving or Hannukkah or Kwanzaa or New Year.
So, if you only care about Christmas, don't start your celebrations yet. Wait for the day and get it done with as soon as it is gone. And you will not have to worry about others.
"Holidays" is a bit more all-inclusive, not just in terms of religion. It also includes Thanksgiving, New Year's, and Kwanzaa, which are not religious holidays (for most people). That said, I'm not the kind of person that goes mental if someone wishes me a Merry Christmas. I think what's most important is the intention behind the words. If someone is just trying to be kind, there's no need to make a political statement out of it. Personally, for me, I find that the kindest thing to do is include all religions in my well wishes so I prefer the phrase "Happy Holidays". If anyone is offended by it, well, I was just trying to be nice. I also don't think there's anything distinctly anti-Christian about "Happy Holidays", since "holidays" includes Christmas.
And I suppose we could get REALLY picky on the word "holiday", which is really "holy day" and if you don't hold that anything is "holy", why then THAT is a bad word, too!
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It's certainly my favorite holiday!
