Happy Holidays!

[MajGenl.Meade]

ETA: I'm guessing that you'd probably start to get a little crabby about Chanukah if you had to listen to ...... a continuous loop, on every commercial radio station and in every commercial establishment you entered, every day, for *TWO*SOLID*MONTHS*!!!!

Oh yeah! And I feel the same way about "Christmas" music - makes me want to go berserk and I can't imagine what it does to the minds of the staff who have to LIVE and WORK in it.

[Scooter]

[Bicycle Bill]

Not to start anything, Scooter, but a quick re-read of the appropriate parts of the Gospels of Matthew or Luke don't mention a word about Santa Claus, snowmen, toy soldiers, sleighs, reindeer, candy canes, etc...... and I don't see anything that looks like angels or a manger scene anywhere in that aggregation of lights, blow-ups, and what-have-you.  This is absolutely a non-religious display in honor of the holiday that has become the Great American Winter Celebration of Conspicuous Consumerism.

-"BB"-

[BoSoxGal]

I celebrate Solstice and secular Christmas, although I just purged 98% of my Christmas decorations as part of my giant leap forward into minimalism.

I haven't actually dressed the house in years, hence the purge (plus I need $); but beyond that, I think the simplicity of celebrating the season by dressing the house in balsam fir and candlelight is all I want this Solstice and ever after.

[kmccune]

Big Sky Gal,may I inquire, as to whether you are a native of Montana?
Nor,mention of the "Little Drummer Boy",one Christmas tradition(non Bibliical of course)I like is the "Nutcracker Suite"

[MajGenl.Meade]

Scooter has me on ignore BB so he might come back at you regardless of this yere post but.... I do believe that the lower right of the photo shows a "stable" with an adoring figure the left and two "cute" children clutching gifts for Jesus to the right (as we look at it). Presumably one of the tiny lights in the stable is meant to be the baby

[Guinevere]

Not to start anything, Scooter, but a quick re-read of the appropriate parts of the Gospels of Matthew or Luke don't mention a word about Santa Claus, snowmen, toy soldiers, sleighs, reindeer, candy canes, etc...... and I don't see anything that looks like angels or a manger scene anywhere in that aggregation of lights, blow-ups, and what-have-you.  This is absolutely a non-religious display in honor of the holiday that has become the Great American Winter Celebration of Conspicuous Consumerism.

-"BB"-

Looks like a small crèche right up front, and a life-sized one near the house, right side of the photo.

And regardless, it's not like any of those symbols are related to Halloween or New Years. If that house isn't celebrating Christmas, what is it celebrating?

[wesw]

electricity?

[Econoline]

[wesw]

[Sue U]

electricity?

Now that was funny.

[RayThom]

Isn't that the Blessed Virgin Mary and Joseph on the porch, sipping eggnog next to Frosty T. Snowman?

I'm curious, is the War On Xmas anything like the War On Drugs? If so, there's nothing to worry about. The generations long war on drugs has been proven to be a complete waste of time and resources. Dope rules supreme! Trust me, there are too many Black Friday loving, Christmas addicts out there for those nasty non-christians to declare victory in this conflict.

BAH! Humbug!

[Scooter]

Snopes says:

MOSTLY FALSE

In short, the Pledge of Allegiance is not now and never was banned by Principal Kim at PS 169, and the DoE confirmed the Pledge will be recited over the loudspeaker going forward. Guidelines issued by the DoE clarified that Santa Claus was permissible as a "symbol with secular dimensions," and at no point was Thanksgiving (or discussion of it) banned in PS 169 or any school.

Thank you wes, for providing us with that stellar example of how the alleged "War on Christmas" is an invention of Fox News with no basis whatsoever in fact.

[Bicycle Bill]

Not to start anything, Scooter, but a quick re-read of the appropriate parts of the Gospels of Matthew or Luke don't mention a word about Santa Claus, snowmen, toy soldiers, sleighs, reindeer, candy canes, etc...... and I don't see anything that looks like angels or a manger scene anywhere in that aggregation of lights, blow-ups, and what-have-you.  This is absolutely a non-religious display in honor of the holiday that has become the Great American Winter Celebration of Conspicuous Consumerism.

-"BB"-

Looks like a small crèche right up front, and a life-sized one near the house, right side of the photo.

I do believe that the lower right of the photo shows a "stable" with an adoring figure the left and two "cute" children clutching gifts for Jesus to the right (as we look at it). Presumably one of the tiny lights in the stable is meant to be the baby.

Guin and Meade, you are correct. I found another picture of this elsewhere where the focus/resolution was sharper and was able to make out the figures a little more clearly.

And regardless, it's not like any of those symbols are related to Halloween or New Years. If that house isn't celebrating Christmas, what is it celebrating?

It was in my post — The Great American Winter Celebration of Conspicuous Consumerism.  I even put it in larger-than-normal font!

-"BB"-

[rubato]

Not to start anything, Scooter, but a quick re-read of the appropriate parts of the Gospels of Matthew or Luke don't mention a word about Santa Claus, snowmen, toy soldiers, sleighs, reindeer, candy canes, etc...... and I don't see anything that looks like angels or a manger scene anywhere in that aggregation of lights, blow-ups, and what-have-you.  This is absolutely a non-religious display in honor of the holiday that has become the Great American Winter Celebration of Conspicuous Consumerism.

-"BB"-

Get a grip BB. Appealing to the Bible is just nutty. If anyone cared about what was in the bible they would worship on Saturday, pork would still be Haram, and all debts would be forgiven every 7 years. Modern Christianity is a blending of pagan practices, commercial convenience, with a leavening of religion; like raisins in the fruitcake.


yrs,
rubato

[MajGenl.Meade]

I'm so glad that rubato, an anti-Christian bigot, is such an expert on defining for Christians what Christianity is and isn't. Arguing with prejudice is unproductive at best, so ... Merry Christmas, rubato.

[wesw]

here s 10 more sources snopes doggy dog

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q= ... 1844,d.dmo

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q= ... 1844,d.dmo

http://www.google.com/url?http://www.go ... 1844,d.dmo



http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q= ... 1844,d.dmo

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q= ... 1844,d.dmo

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q= ... 1844,d.dmo


http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q= ... 1844,d.dmo



http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q= ... 1844,d.dmo

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q= ... 1844,d.dmo

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q= ... 1844,d.dmo

[wesw]

sorry, that s one more source. I don t know how to do anything right

but if you google Brooklyn principle bans santa, you have it from yahoo nbc fox AOL..., just about every news outlet in new York and many many others

the fox interview above explains it well tho, and the president of the PTA is interviewed too

...but if snopes says nopes...

[wesw]

and gosh, saint peter settled that one long ago rube, about pork? 'member?

[MajGenl.Meade]

Don't teach a pig to sing, wesw. You know what happens.