Two Christmas's

[Lord Jim]

I ll dumb it down a bit

Oh please don't wes....

We're all out of Crayolas...

[Sue U]

I m tired of bad blood. what say we bury the hatchet?

I don't have bad blood. Maybe you should see a hematologist.

[wesw]

don t they diagnose problems in mopar engines?

[wesw]

sorry, I googled it and I was thinking of a hemi-tologist ....

[dgs49]

There is no reason for public school kids to be singing "Silent Night." There are plenty of Christmas songs that have nothing to do with Christ or Christianity. But the schools shouldn't be forced to call Christmas anything other than "Christmas." That's what it is.

Saw an article the other day about a billboard that basically says, "Don't bother going to church on Christmas, but be good for goodness sake."

The perfect slogan for the secular holiday.

[MajGenl.Meade]

Ha! A missing apostrophe! I win the interwebs!

[wesw]

good eye , meade. it took me a while to find....

[Econoline]

Good OP...you make some good points, Dave, but ultimately I have to disagree with your conclusion. There are, after all, many non-Christian--some secular, even--names for the holiday(s) that occur(s) at this time of year. The collective term for which is--surprise!--"Holidays". (As in "Happy Holidays".) So to insist on using the Christian name for the "other Christmas" rather than some other term (my own preferred candidate: Saturnalia, a venerable old Roman feast) seems misguided, troublesome, and ultimately small-minded.

Yes, of course there are two holidays, there's just no good reason to confuse and conflate them.

Merry Christmas to you, too.

[Jarlaxle]

It is entirely a myth that any non-Christian takes offense at being wished a "merry Christmas" -- a myth ginned up by those who want to be offended that anyone should be offended, in service of their particular agenda(e) ("overbearing political correctness," "persecuted Christians," "war on Christmas," etc.).

Offended or not, Christian or not, whatever they may call it, they're still sure willing to take that day off with pay.

And as for the "war on Christmas":



-"BB"-

I would happily work Christmas, for no extra pay.

[Jarlaxle]

Look i think we can all agree that in order to keep the idea that government might possibly be promoting religion or system of beliefs that the only song grade school kids can sing is "Baby It's Cold Outside"

I actually read an op ed in the NY Times a few years ago that denounced that song as sexist and promoting date rape. It's kind of funny, because when it fist came out in the 40s (as I recall) it was seen as groundbreaking because (at least in some versions) the woman decides to stat. I recall seeing it in a movie from that time where it was sung twice, in once with the man being the aggressor, and in another with a woman filling that role (the guy was Red Skeltin in that one as I recall).

eta: the movie was Neptune's daughter and I think it was the first time the song was introduced.

I heard a version last year that had the vocal parts switched...thought it was pretty good, actually.