Happy Holidays!

[BoSoxGal]

"Same to you," works for me.

[MajGenl.Meade]

But what do you say if someone wishes you a "Happy New Year" on Rosh Hashanah? (Or a "Blessed Ramadan" during Ramadan?)

Well, it's never ever happened but if it does, I'll let you know what I reply. Probably "Huh?" to the first and "Thanks - back at ya!" to the second. I guess after the first was explained to me, it would be the same as the Ramadan one.

What I wouldn't be is offended. Nice of people to wish me well in whatever tradition they care to share.

[Joe Guy]

Maybe rubato could explain to all of us who would be offended (and why) if I were to wish someone a Merry Christmas. He seems to know a lot about offending people.

[rubato]

Maybe rubato could explain to all of us who would be offended (and why) if I were to wish someone a Merry Christmas. He seems to know a lot about offending people.

You were the one who claimed that their only reason was a desire not to offend. As if a desire not to offend was somehow wrong. I have never said that wishing someone a merry christmas was offensive, that is a lie you just made up.


You illumine your own confusion more and more with each post. One day you might discover that "PC-ism" is an invention cooked up so that you would have some group to hate just like Rush Limbaughs' conception of "Libbruls" is a total invention. Or you might not.


yrs,
rubato

[Econoline]

Personally, I find the people who most often say "Happy Holidays" are Jews and other non-Christians who want to acknowledge that it *IS* a holiday, just not *THEIR* holiday. (For Jews, in particular, saying "Merry Christmas" is saying the name of a holiday which asserts something--the birth of the Messiah--that directly contradicts their own religious beliefs.)

I really can't understand why a Christian would find that offensive.

[Joe Guy]

You were the one who claimed that their only reason was a desire not to offend. As if a desire not to offend was somehow wrong. I have never said that wishing someone a merry christmas was offensive, that is a lie you just made up.

You are free to deliberately offend people when you wish them well, if you like. The rest of us don't because we do not simultaneously wish to both hurt and heal. We are not as confused as you are.

Oh... now I get it. You would say, 'Happy Holidays' instead of 'Merry Christmas' in order to not offend anyone because saying 'Merry Christmas' might hurt and heal simultaneously but saying 'Merry Christmas' is not offensive.

Take a couple more Vicodin and check back later...

[oldr_n_wsr]

You are free to deliberately offend people when you wish them well, if you like.

So saying Merry Christmas to non christians may offend some people so you would prefer we say Happy Holidays instead. But it seems that saying Happy Holidays to some Christians (and maybe some non-Christians) are offended but that saying.

And if we do not know ahead of time which saying will offend them, what do we do?

Yes, I am confused but i will wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy Hanukah (starting this coming Sunday and lasting all week + a day)
Oh and Happy Winter Solstice the my pagan friends.

[wesw]

I don t know, if someone gave me a big nice smile and said, "Happy Hanukuh" or "Happy Kwanza", I think I would just smile and say , "Thank you"

I think it s just the atheists that get their panties in a knot about it....

[MajGenl.Meade]

Personally, I find the people who most often say "Happy Holidays" are Jews and other non-Christians who want to acknowledge that it *IS* a holiday, just not *THEIR* holiday. (For Jews, in particular, saying "Merry Christmas" is saying the name of a holiday which asserts something--the birth of the Messiah--that directly contradicts their own religious beliefs.)

I really can't understand why a Christian would find that offensive.

Me either - who is this Christian?

[RayThom]

It works well for all Holidays, Holy Days, and all religions.

[rubato]

You were the one who claimed that their only reason was a desire not to offend. As if a desire not to offend was somehow wrong. I have never said that wishing someone a merry christmas was offensive, that is a lie you just made up.

You are free to deliberately offend people when you wish them well, if you like. The rest of us don't because we do not simultaneously wish to both hurt and heal. We are not as confused as you are.

Oh... now I get it. You would say, 'Happy Holidays' instead of 'Merry Christmas' in order to not offend anyone because saying 'Merry Christmas' might hurt and heal simultaneously but saying 'Merry Christmas' is not offensive.

Take a couple more Vicodin and check back later...

Caught in an illogical, self-contradictory and stupid position this is your reaction.

I was right to tell you what I thought of you.




yrs,
rubato

[Lord Jim]

Good Lord, you're a moron...

[Joe Guy]

Caught in an illogical, self-contradictory and stupid position this is your reaction.

I was right to tell you what I thought of you.

[Econoline]

Personally, I find the people who most often say "Happy Holidays" are Jews and other non-Christians who want to acknowledge that it *IS* a holiday, just not *THEIR* holiday. (For Jews, in particular, saying "Merry Christmas" is saying the name of a holiday which asserts something--the birth of the Messiah--that directly contradicts their own religious beliefs.)

I really can't understand why a Christian would find that offensive.

Me either - who is this Christian?

A Short History of the War on Christmas

[MajGenl.Meade]

Thanks Econo. The link seems to discuss certain people's concern about not being permitted to acknowledge Christmas and/or a corporate shying away from using the word "Christmas"

I missed the bit that said Christians find it offensive for a Jew to say "Happy Holidays" to them...? I've not heard of any desire to make Jews say "Merry Christmas" or non-believers for that matter.

[Econoline]

Corporate persons, especially big (you-big-wit'-us?) overweight corporate persons (like you and me ...er, no, that would be corpulent, not corporate ) are a special case, in that if you have a lot of customers/potential customers, many of whom may well NOT be Christians, it makes sense to use a more INCLUSIVE (as demonstrated in the OP) term, especially on those days of the ill-defined but continuously expanding "Christmas Season" which are not, actually, Christmas Day.

A couple of questions: (1) is "a desire to be inclusive" the same as "a desire not to offend"? (2) why on earth would either one of the aforementioned desires be considered A BAD Thing?????

[MajGenl.Meade]

Love the corpulent line - it's just swell! Yeah, I understand corporations/public stuff using the old "Seasons Greetings" or "Happy Holidays" tag-line. I doubt that God is bothered by that at all. At the same time, it's kind of easy to understand how some Christians (so-called) might feel a bit marginalized.

I was rather fond of a sign in Woolworth's (yes, and it's a high class store there) in South Africa - "Merry Christmas to our Christian customers" (and as appropriate, they had signs for Jewish and Islamic festive days). The latter didn't bother me at all - Happy Hanukkah all around and whatever is appropriate for Ramadan - if there is a Happy Ramadan saying).

There's nothing wrong with being inclusive per se. Nothing wrong with desiring not to cause offense per se. But it's Christmas - that's the holiday. We don't get Dec 25 off for Hanukkah; we don't get Dec 25 off for Ramadan; we don't get Dec 25 off because atheists think it's a good idea or because Mithra was allegedly something to do with something.

So... Merry Christmas. If you don't want it, leave it alone and go to work

Love
Meade

[Lord Jim]

Here's a thought...

How about we all give each other best wishes for the holidays we celebrate, and take no offense when others give us best wishes for the holidays they celebrate?

Gee, what a concept...

This has always worked fine for me...

When I wish my Jewish friends and my Muslim friends, (believe it or not I actually do have some Muslim friends...one of them gave me a lovely box of chocolates as a Ramadan gift during this past Ramadan...which I accepted thankfully, in the spirit that it was intended) or even my Atheist friends, a "Merry Christmas" they don't take it as an "offense"...

What? Should I wish them a "Lousy Christmas" ?

And when friends of mine of different Faiths offer me good wishes for their holidays, I'm happy to receive them and accept them in the positive way in which they are offered...

There is of course, one exception to this open ended ecumenicism that I am expressing...

Woe be it upon anyone who wishes me a "Happy Indigenous People's Day" on Columbus Day...

yrs,

Lord "My Middle Name Is Christopher Because I was Born On Columbus Day" Jim....

ETA:

Tati actually managed to find a "Happy Indigenous People's Day" card to give me for my birthday this year...

Of course she just did it to be sarcastic and annoying, and get a rise out of me...

(A chip off the old block, that one... )

[Econoline]

So... Merry Christmas. If you don't want it, leave it alone and go to work.

That's just what I'll be doing for, oh, about 98% of the "Christmas/Holiday Season".

ETA: I'm guessing that you'd probably start to get a little crabby about Chanukah if you had to listen to “Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah” and “Ma’Oz Tzur” and “I Have A Little Dreidel” and “Sivivon, Sov, Sov, Sov” and “Hanukkah, Hanukkah” and “The Latke Song” and “How Do You Spell Channukkahh?” and “Mi Yimalel”--and, yes, Adam Sandler's “Chanukah Song”--on a continuous loop, on every commercial radio station and in every commercial establishment you entered, every day, for *TWO*SOLID*MONTHS*!!!!

EATAYM (Edited Again to Add Yet More):

Here ya' go, everyone...in the spirit of the season, one of my favorites (which, surprisingly, you rarely hear on the radio or in the malls)...

[Lord Jim]

A timeless classic...

Hit it Tom: