The War on Christmas Thread

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

Or because it is fun.

The "War on Christmas" thing (I hate that term) doesn't offend me from a religious angle at all. I just find that politicizing it and dulling down the symbolism to not offend some groups of people just takes the fun out of it.

It is like celebrating the Chinese New Year without zodiac symbols because they might offend someone who doesn't like the shamanism and animism roots.

You are officially the first person I know who thinks Christmas shopping is fun (other than the females in my life who are slaves to consumerism).

I think less is more (generally speaking, and for Christmas), but then again I actually celebrate the birth of Jesus (I know, who does that anymore?). I don't really have a horse in the "war on christmas" race. It doesn't bug me one iota what people celebrate or don't. And like I said earlier, if someone wished me a Happy Hanukkah or Happy Holiday I accept their greeting without reservation. I do find it comical though that folks actually get offended if someone wishes them a Merry Christmas.


So to all of CP, from December 1st to January 1st, feel free to wish me any holiday greeting you like And if you are actually curious which specific days I celebrate, they are:

1. Christmas Eve (usually old traditions from my European roots)
2. Christmas Day (lots of Skyping with family scattered)
3. St Stephen (aka Boxing Day) the first Christian Martyr, and my grandfather's namesake whom I never met so it's kinda a connection for me.
4. New Years Eve, a type of thanksgiving for the year that was.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

You are officially the first person I know who thinks Christmas shopping is fun (other than the females in my life who are slaves to consumerism).

I think less is more (generally speaking, and for Christmas), but then again I actually celebrate the birth of Jesus (I know, who does that anymore?). I don't really have a horse in the "war on christmas" race. It doesn't bug me one iota what people celebrate or don't. And like I said earlier, if someone wished me a Happy Hanukkah or Happy Holiday I accept their greeting without reservation. I do find it comical though that folks actually get offended if someone wishes them a Merry Christmas.


So to all of CP, from December 1st to January 1st, feel free to wish me any holiday greeting you like And if you are actually curious which specific days I celebrate, they are:

1. Christmas Eve (usually old traditions from my European roots)
2. Christmas Day (lots of Skyping with family scattered)
3. St Stephen (aka Boxing Day) the first Christian Martyr, and my grandfather's namesake whom I never met so it's kinda a connection for me.
4. New Years Eve, a type of thanksgiving for the year that was.

Seasons Greetings!

Also, I enjoy Christmas shopping. Not the actual physical shopping which is irritating, but the gift giving in general because I really do like watching someone get something they really want. I guess I actually enjoy the giving aspect.

[heep223]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

You are officially the first person I know who thinks Christmas shopping is fun (other than the females in my life who are slaves to consumerism).

I think less is more (generally speaking, and for Christmas), but then again I actually celebrate the birth of Jesus (I know, who does that anymore?). I don't really have a horse in the "war on christmas" race. It doesn't bug me one iota what people celebrate or don't. And like I said earlier, if someone wished me a Happy Hanukkah or Happy Holiday I accept their greeting without reservation. I do find it comical though that folks actually get offended if someone wishes them a Merry Christmas.


So to all of CP, from December 1st to January 1st, feel free to wish me any holiday greeting you like And if you are actually curious which specific days I celebrate, they are:

1. Christmas Eve (usually old traditions from my European roots)
2. Christmas Day (lots of Skyping with family scattered)
3. St Stephen (aka Boxing Day) the first Christian Martyr, and my grandfather's namesake whom I never met so it's kinda a connection for me.
4. New Years Eve, a type of thanksgiving for the year that was.

Happy Festivus!

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

You are officially the first person I know who thinks Christmas shopping is fun (other than the females in my life who are slaves to consumerism).

I think less is more (generally speaking, and for Christmas), but then again I actually celebrate the birth of Jesus (I know, who does that anymore?). I don't really have a horse in the "war on christmas" race. It doesn't bug me one iota what people celebrate or don't. And like I said earlier, if someone wished me a Happy Hanukkah or Happy Holiday I accept their greeting without reservation. I do find it comical though that folks actually get offended if someone wishes them a Merry Christmas.


So to all of CP, from December 1st to January 1st, feel free to wish me any holiday greeting you like And if you are actually curious which specific days I celebrate, they are:

1. Christmas Eve (usually old traditions from my European roots)
2. Christmas Day (lots of Skyping with family scattered)
3. St Stephen (aka Boxing Day) the first Christian Martyr, and my grandfather's namesake whom I never met so it's kinda a connection for me.
4. New Years Eve, a type of thanksgiving for the year that was.

When I was younger, in my early 20's, I use to like Christmas. We use to have a tradition, that when all of us buddies were home, we would hit the ballet and drink large volumes of alcohol. Usually, it would be around Dec 22 or Dec 23.

Wait, as I write this I realize it was really the ballet I liked.

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by heep223

Happy Festivus!

Edit: Tried to be funny. Wasn't.

[northcrunk]

If your going to get you panties in a knot because of a coffee cup you really don't know what real problems look like.

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

When I was younger, in my early 20's, I use to like Christmas. We use to have a tradition, that when all of us buddies were home, we would hit the ballet and drink large volumes of alcohol. Usually, it would be around Dec 22 or Dec 23.

Wait, as I write this I realize it was really the ballet I liked.

For me I hit the sauce from December 25th basically straight on to December Dec 26th and well into the morning of the 27th. Since I moved away though I don't have the same people to do it with sadly.

[Thor]

Yeah as with Europe most of us celebrate 24th eve and drinking is "frowned" upon, yet pretty safe to say it happens quite a bit. No waking up early Dec 25th here!

[Fuzz]

My favorite part of the 24th is when everyone leaves to go to midnight mass and my wife and I can cuddle by the fire with a glass of wine, undisturbed.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by Slava

Seasons Greetings!

Also, I enjoy Christmas shopping. Not the actual physical shopping which is irritating, but the gift giving in general because I really do like watching someone get something they really want. I guess I actually enjoy the giving aspect.

I agree. Plus, I just do all my shopping online these days. I have a small family and we pretty much only buy gifts for our spouses and children.

I like corny Christmas films and music. I like the glow of lights. I like tapping the glass ornaments and holding them up to my face to see the distorted reflection. I like having time off work and drinking liquor in coffee in the morning. And I am not religious by any means, but I love decorations whether they are Christian or pagan in nature doesn't matter. Nativity scenes are alright with me.

I get that it's not for everyone, but I don't see why some people have to complain to have those things removed from the public.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

but you have to question why they took the decorations off the cups.

either have the decorations or just have normal cups. just a red cup seems weird.

Minimalism. Product design seems to go through cycles where packaging gets increasingly complicated. Then, things go the other way for a while and everyone goes to simpler designs.

Look at Coke. Over the years, their cans kept getting increasingly complex, with multiple colours, gradients, and fake bubbles all over them...



Then, a couple of years ago, they went to the other extreme and returned to a simple red can with white text.

[peter12]

To repeat what many other people have said - commerce and big business have done much more to damage valuable cultural traditions than your average motley group of atheist rabble-rousers. It is even more sad that we have become dependent on these corporate outfits to create and bear the symbols for this most precious of holidays.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by Swarly

What exactly is the "ceremony of Christmas"? giving gifts? eating a feast with family? decorating a tree? all the stuff people did anyway hundreds of years before Christianity was a religion? makes it sound that by doing these thing people have fallen in the trap and are taking part in religious ceremony.

Why do I celebrate Christmas? because I usually have off from the 24th to the 1st to eat good food and spend time with the people I love. Call it Satanmas for all I care. People who get upset over this stuff need to put another bottle of rum in the eggnog and chill.

I've never really understood how people say something is not "Christian" because they were doing it before it was called Christianity. Christianity as it is today was the result of a group of roman subjects adopting a break-off sect of Judaism. So Christianity by definition involves the tree decorating, feast, etc...It's still a religious ceremony. What you're talking about are your motivations for participating in the religious ceremony.

There are plenty of agnostic Jews who still have cedars with their families. There are agnostic Sikhs who still grow beards. Agnostic Muslims who still wear robes. Etc...That doesn't mean these customs don't have religious roots or aren't part of a religion.

Your argument is really based on an artificial division between culture, tradition, and religion. In reality, the lines are blurred, they're arguably the same thing. There's no fine line when you believe in a higher diety or not that now defines you as a religious person. Even ultra-religious people have varying beliefs within themselves.

Also, I wouldn't describe it as a "trap". You are participating in a cultural ceremony with your family, and there is nothing wrong with that. In fact, it's a great thing.

[Kavvy]

Minor Starbucks design change =

-their logo plastered all over the internet and on TV
-people buying Starbucks to support a company which does its own thing
-people buying Starbucks so they can go up an wish the teller "Merry Christmas" to prove a point to Starbucks, and then posting it on twitter....


I wish I had invested in this organization long ago.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by GGG

If it's a set of beliefs and a ceremony then we are back to Canada Day being a religious ceremony. My point is that no should water down the cultural celebration with happy holidays because if that offends people or you are concerned about offending people you should also treat Halloween and Canada Day in the same manner.

No. Canada day is a set of beliefs and ceremony based around nationalism. It's a nationalist holiday.

Halloween I'll admit is more of a blurred line.

Once again, I don't think I've ever mentioned that you have to say Happy Holidays. However, if you expect every person to say Merry Christmas to you back, I think you've crossed a line. If your getting offended by someone acting awkwardly when you greet them with a greeting about Christ's Mass, the problem is with you. Similarly, if some people choose to say Happy Holidays, that's their choice too.

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by Kavvy

-people buying Starbucks so they can go up an wish the teller "Merry Christmas" to prove a point to Starbucks, and then posting it on twitter....

Haha, is this actually happening? What a bunch of dorks.

"Yeah, I totally showed that 16 year-old barista, who has zero say in the policy and likely won't be working here in a year. I'm such a bad ass."

And if I had to guess, this is probably pretty exclusively white people doing this stuff.

[calf]

[ernie]

You show them Christian consumers! Order that $5 latte under the name "Merry Christmas". That'll learn them to wage war on christmas.

I find this war on christmas stuff hilarious. Typically those complaining about it are the worst kind of "christian" you can imagine.

They will also be the same person to complain about the christmas decorations coming out right after Halloween (or even earlier).....

People may think I'm kidding but there are at least two people I work with that did exactly that.

[MoneyGuy]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

My favorite part of the 24th is when everyone leaves to go to midnight mass and my wife and I can cuddle by the fire with a glass of wine, undisturbed.

Is "cuddle" a euphemism for something else?

[MoneyGuy]

Originally Posted by ernie

You show them Christian consumers! Order that $5 latte under teh name "Merry Christmas". That'll learn them to waging war on christmas.

I find this war on christmas stuff hilarious. Typically those complaining are about the worst kind of "christian" you can imagine.

They will also be the same person to complain about the christmas decorations coming out right after Halloween (or even earlier).....

People may think I'm kidding but there are at least two people I work with that did exactly that.

If she's a Starbucks customer I feel sorry for the woman I read about whose name really is Mary Christmas. I can imagine the looks of derision she would get from Starbucks employees.