Happy Holidays

ThatRobGuy

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Say whatever you like to me. I will return the favor.

Religious bias, I guess.

Are the Holiday really based on Religion anymore at this point?

I don't recall the passage in the bible referring to the fat guy in a red suit sneaking into houses to deliver toys :D
 
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I don't think you can understand the importance of a cultural symbol until you have it taken away from you. Every year, my family celebrated, and for me, it's a unique time of year that is special to us and ours. Now, we have all kinds of holidays that people have started inventing, and it's watered down the importance of the season. I understand that many people have winter celebrations, but Saturnalia is sacred to the Roman people and should be allowed to be celebrated on its own, without dilution.
 
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ThatRobGuy

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I don't think that it's a matter of people being angry about their own religion, nobody's taking that away from them, but for some reason, they think it's less special if other people are allowed to celebrate their own religion within a ten day window.

Sounds almost like they want Christmas to be the only game in town.
 
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JustMeSee

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I don't think you can understand the importance of a cultural symbol until you have it taken away from you. Every year, my family celebrated, and for me, it's a unique time of year that is special to us and ours. Now, we have all kinds of holidays that people have started inventing, and it's watered down the importance of the season. I understand that many people have winter celebrations, but Saturnalia is sacred to the Roman people and should be allowed to be celebrated on its own, without dilution.
I did not know of Saturnalia. It has very interesting rituals.

Saturnalia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 
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yasic

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People are used to living with special privledge with others considering their religion to be the most moral, their holidays to be the most special, and their rituals to be of the upmost importance.

Once people start choosing to do their own thing or demanding that Christians do not get special privileges with the government or in the eyes of society, many Christians actually see a move toward equality as persecution as they are so used to being superior. In a sense they are correct in that they are losing their status of being above others and they try to cling to their privileged position.
 
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Paradoxum

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I don't like the term happy holidays. Its Christmas. The former just makes it sound like some random holiday and nothing more. I would like to think that Christmas is a more loving and giving part of the year, and the Christian religion symbolises this because God is love. You don't have to be Christian to Christmas should be more than a holiday.

But thats just my silly opinion ;)
 
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Mling

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I don't like the term happy holidays. Its Christmas. The former just makes it sound like some random holiday and nothing more. I would like to think that Christmas is a more loving and giving part of the year, and the Christian religion symbolises this because God is love. You don't have to be Christian to Christmas should be more than a holiday.

But thats just my silly opinion ;)

But it isn't just Christmas. There are real live people who don't celebrate christmas and celebrate other things. That's the point. Why should we only greet the christmas-celebraters?
 
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Paradoxum

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But it isn't just Christmas. There are real live people who don't celebrate christmas and celebrate other things. That's the point. Why should we only greet the christmas-celebraters?

Now ignorant me asks, what else? :p
 
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JustMeSee

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I was being somewhat sarcastic sorry, haha. :p There's some evidence that Christmas was celebrated in December because of the pagan feasts that went on during that time.
I recognized your sarcasm. I just find the old Greek/Roman activities to be interesting. :thumbsup:
 
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ThatRobGuy

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I don't like the term happy holidays. Its Christmas. The former just makes it sound like some random holiday and nothing more. I would like to think that Christmas is a more loving and giving part of the year, and the Christian religion symbolises this because God is love. You don't have to be Christian to Christmas should be more than a holiday.

But thats just my silly opinion ;)

It's Christmas for you, but there are other families that also maintain a tradition of giving who might not believe in your God. Ultimately, I think the government should keep their nose out of it and the store owner should be able to put up whichever sign they please, but if they choose one that says "Happy Holidays", they shouldn't be threatened by a boycot or be made out to be "UnAmerican"
 
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Mling

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Now ignorant me asks, what else? :p

Um, really? Well, Chanukah is the most obvious--it's from Dec. 20-28th this year.

A few years ago, Ramadan was around Christmas, but I just looked it up and it was in the summer this year. Kwanza is mostly an American holiday, I think, and I'm not sure how many people actually celebrate it. Diwali meanders through the year, also, so it is sometimes around Christmas, as well. This year it was in October, though. A significant minority celebrate solstice as well.

But then there are the people who simply don't celebrate any religious holidays and don't like people assuming that they do. Some people really can't stand Christmas, and while I'm not among them, I get why--it's commercial and forced. The broader culture is yelling at you "YOU HAVE TO FEEL GOOD RIGHT NOW, OR ELSE YOU'RE A SCROOGE!! FEEL GOOD!! EVERYBODY FEELS GOOD NOW!!! BE HAPPY!!! HAAAAAPPPY!!!!!" What must that feel like to somebody who is depressed? Or who just had a really bad year and needs to just let themself feel bad for a while so they can move on? Well, the clock just ticked "jolly time," so now they're a failure at the biggest holiday around, too!

So,were did my rambling get to. Basically, not everybody celebrates Christmas, and treating everybody as if they should gets annoying. It's aggravating and upsetting to people who just don't celebrate religious holidays; it forcefully marginalizes all religious non-Christians; and it specifically marginalizes Jews who have their own holiday going on at the same time most years, and Hindus and Muslims on years when they also have their own holidays going on.

But really, "Happy Holidays," was probably not originally intended to be a recognition of Chanukah, Kwanza and others, but as a shortening of "Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year," so people turning its use into a "war on Christmas," is a little ridiculous.

What I like about "Happy Holidays," is that it leaves it open to the person receiving the message to fill in what they want. Don't like Christmas? Well, have a happy New Year, anyway!
 
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blarg the 2nd

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i guess pepole are afraid of christmass some how forcing the christn god and faiht on pepole and others are afraid of the word christmass bieng taken away

the 1st grop wants happy hlidays instead

the last one wants to be bale to use merry chrsitmnass at will

me ill just contne to enjoy it for the seculer holiday it is

even if you celerate it relgously its not like god ever ascked any one to its clearly a fan worck at most
 
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lux et lex

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I generally just parrot whatever I hear from the people I'm talking to. I've wished people a Merry/Happy pretty much everything. They are just words. The real meaning is behind them. Wishing good health and good cheer to anyone has to be a good thing. Why limit myself by just saying "merry Christmas". there are so many other things to be merry/happy about during this season.
 
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DCJazz

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Well, when you generalize everything and lump everything together, it makes the holidays feel less special, whether you celebrate them or not. I'm not threatened by the phrase, but when it's used in regards to Christmas JUST BECAUSE they don't want to say the word "Christmas", that's what I feel is incorrect.
 
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daniel777

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ratings for Bill O'Reilly.
lol, unfortunately.

Why are people threatened by the phrase "Happy Holidays"?

Every winter, I get to hear the debate, but I've never actually heard the reasoning behind it.
are holidays without traditions really as worthwhile or enjoyable?

from what i gather, the people that have an issue with "happy holidays" feel that christmas is so meaningful and so culturally ingrained that calling it anything else just because of its obvious religious connotation is superfluous and prejudicial. why doesn't anyone make such a big deal out of valentines day or other holidays not so closely associated with mainstream or active religions?

the american culture and the more cultural christians who have an issue with it probably do so because of christmas's iconic nature in american culture. for a lot of people, christmas is an almost archetypal celebration centering around "peace on earth and good will towards ALL men". it means loving your neighbor, and it's a time of great charity, thankfulness, and family. it's a time when people observe and practice the things that matter most to them....... i can understand someone being frustrated at the defamation of "christmas" just because it has a "past" (for them) religious application.


then there are the people who only go mad with the presents and the credit cards. lol, i'm not sure if they care or not. :p
 
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