Christmas Controversies

[DragnFly]

Its that time of year, christmas is nearly upon us. Unfortunately, it seems most years, it feels like someone is always out to spoil the fun. Although I cannot say I have heard of any major stories this year, I am afraid its coming.

 

 

 

First off, you have the "merry christmas" vs "happy holidays" argument, which seems to emerge every year. Personally, I do not take offense to someone saying either to me, as both are made with good intentions usually. However, I do prefer merry christmas.

 

 

 

I usually say merry christmas myself, as its tradition and sounds better to me personally. I do not set out to be malicious about it, if I know you celebrate something else I will wish you a happy holiday.

 

 

 

What I dislike is when people act like its wrong to say merry christmas nowadays, because its not "inclusive". While I do not mind if you celebrate something else (thats your perogative), it really irks me that it seems to be getting to the point we cannot even walk outside and expect to see as many decorations as in the past, and that christmas specials on television seem fewer, or even controversial to wish someone a merry christmas out of political correctness.

 

 

 

Also, it seems that stores are getting more reluctant to say merry christmas, or even mention christmas by name, which I dislike. I understand they are trying to be inclusive, but its tradition and I do not believe it should be banished from stores to be politically correct. Is it that hard to include advertisements and signs that say both? Or allowing workers to greet customers however they prefer?

 

 

 

It is a tradition in many countries, and the overwhelming majority in those countries celebrates it. Yes, others celebrate other holidays, or in some cases none at all. However, you do not have to celebrate or enjoy it, but why spoil the fun for others?

 

 

 

Christmas is suppose to be a happy time of year, where you gather around with loved ones, and celebrate. It is a cheery time of year, and great for everyone to be able to enjoy it, especially children.

 

 

 

As an American, I believe one of the things that robs our country of any culture is going to the extremes to be "inclusive", to be everything to everyone. This wasn't that big of a problem even 20 years ago was it? Its the extremes of political correctness in modern times that have made it one.

 

 

 

We have cases of people trying to change christmas trees to "holiday trees", merry christmas to "happy holidays", christmas lights to "winter lights" or "festive lights". Hell, i've heard cases where people want to change the words in Deck the Halls from gay apparel" to "festive apparel" or "fine apparel", as the line could be considered offensive to homosexuals.

 

 

 

Democracy is about doing whats best for the majority in most cases, and while that might upset some people, its no reason not to do it. For example, we would not go over to a country in the middle east and demand that they stop celebrating their customary holidays publically because the minority there celebrates something else, so why is it acceptable here?

 

 

 

 

 

Below are various stories of recent news regarding the christmas holidays. I have tried to include alittle of everything I could find, to allow people to form their own opinions.

 

 

 

Afew notes before I start:

 

* Some of the above stories might be in wrong categories. Many are links I bookmarked over time, so I have not reverified them:

 

* Some are duplicates of other stories, providing more than one source.

 

* Also, while many are from various news sources, some are opinion pieces on various websites. Still though, plenty of them are from legitimate news sources.

 

 

 

Anyways, on with the stories.

 

 

 

Stories about Seattle Airport removing (later readding)christmas tree out of fears of being sued:

 

http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/seat ... 117979.asp

 

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/295604_trees12.html

 

http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=2715008&page=1

 

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,235772,00.html

 

http://blogs.usatoday.com/sky/2006/12/c ... trees.html

 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16150563/

 

 

 

Stories about christmas trees:

 

http://www.cbc.ca/news/yourview/2006/12 ... m_cou.html

 

http://blog.canoe.ca/tanyaenberg/2006/1 ... _christmas

 

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/artic ... E_ID=47748

 

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1925520/posts

 

http://washingtontimes.com/news/2005/no ... 703-5977r/

 

http://www.markdroberts.com/htmfiles/re ... astree.htm

 

http://volokh.com/posts/1166823609.shtml

 

 

 

Stories about words "[garden tool] [garden tool] [garden tool]":

 

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,311797,00.html

 

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=323480

 

 

 

Stories about words "gay apparel":

 

http://beingbrilliant.wordpress.com/200 ... rrectness/

 

 

 

Stories about Santas:

 

http://onthescene.blogs.foxnews.com/200 ... fat-santa/

 

http://www.strausnews.com/articles/2006 ... news/2.txt

 

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/ne ... e97500.ece

 

http://abclocal.go.com/wjrt/story?secti ... id=6465721

 

http://a.abcnews.com/Business/SiliconIn ... id=1448805

 

http://www.bostonherald.com/news/region ... id=1047979

 

 

 

Stories about nativity scene/story:

 

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1530444/posts

 

http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/art ... 47/0/theme

 

http://www.nbc4i.com/midwest/cmh/news.a ... -0005.html

 

http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=18272

 

http://static-news.com/2008/11/11/no-na ... fair-mall/

 

 

 

Stories regarding the word christmas:

 

http://offtheshelf.us/retail/merry_christmas.asp

 

http://www.sacunion.com/pages/state_cap ... ticles/917

 

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,17 ... 21,00.html

 

Various complaints about christmas lights:

 

http://the-riotact.com/?p=1738

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/low/england/london/4398680.stm

 

http://neveryetmelted.com/index.php/red ... -colorado/

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/ ... grant.html

 

http://www.satelliteguys.us/chit-chat-c ... nsive.html

 

http://www.jihadwatch.org/dhimmiwatch/a ... 019250.php

 

http://www.cnsnews.com/Public/Content/A ... srcid=6842

 

 

 

Stories about wreaths:

 

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/10 ... etail.html

 

http://www.denverpost.com/traffic/ci_4728852

 

 

 

Various stories about christmas and christmas decorations:

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3320237.stm

 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree ... ceoftinsel

 

http://www.matchdoctor.com/blog_72635/N ... _Wins.html

 

http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/ ... 22df18d76a

 

http://www.bloggernews.net/112136

 

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1903984/posts

 

http://www.thedailyconservative.net/200 ... -of-allah/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So what do you think? Personally, I think its getting rediculous, and that christmas should be left alone, so that we may celebrate it as we have all these years before all this controversy ever started.

[The Observer]

My city renamed the Santa Clause parade to the "Winter Carnival" and didn't even light up a tree this year. Instead they have banners with "Happy Kwanzaa", etc. A day after that, our paper went out and asked several people from multiple ethnic backgrounds. They said that they didn't care at all and we should be free to celebrate our traditions as it's a free country, and so it shouldn't be controlled by others traditions where only a very very small amount of people claim that they are offended which end up being people who just want attention.

[warri0r45]

Firstly, I agree with your sentiments entirely. The politically correct tend to ruin everything they touch these days, including Christmas. People should be able to say Merry Christmas and put up Christmas Trees to celebrate the holiday, and I'll certainly be doing that even though I don't observe the religious side of it. The thing is, if you ask people of different faiths, they rarely think Christmas should be abolished simply because they celebrate something different. As far as I can tell, they're quite ok with the idea of people saying Merry Christmas or putting up Christmas Trees/nativity scenes, and so am I.

 

 

 

I'm getting sick and tired of the voices of the loud minority being heard over the silent majority, which is why I think the following point you made is very true:

 

Democracy is about doing whats best for the majority in most cases, and while that might upset some people, its no reason not to do it. For example, we would not go over to a country in the middle east and demand that they stop celebrating their customary holidays publically because the minority there celebrates something else, so why is it acceptable here?

 

Well said, and well done on the extensive research as well.

 

 

 

Oh, and Merry Christmas to you and everyone else for next month. :)

[The_Who]

I always have, and always will continue to say Merry Christmas. Things are becoming too politically correct nowadays.

[llamster]

Society is becoming more and more stupid these days.

[Lenticular_J]

If you can tell me where Kwanzaa started, and what it's original name is, I'll gladly wish you a happy one.

 

 

 

If not, I'll wish you a merry Christmas and you'll be damn happy ):<

[Nadril]

Merry Christmas

 

 

 

Honestly, I'll even say it and I'm atheist. I just don't see what's wrong with tradition.

[oreocookie987]

I say Merry Christmas, always have and always will.

 

 

 

If you don't like it then bite me, I don't care.

[Kenshinjapan]

I don't like christmas, nothing to do with what it stands for in anyone's mind.

 

 

 

Also, change the line about democracy being for the overall good of the people, it just doesn't sound right.

[Riku3220]

I vote we change Happy Holidays into Happy Christmahaunakwanzakah. I should take that up with Congress... yeah..

[Wongtong]

O_O

 

I didn't even know there was a controversy to do with Xmas.

 

 

 

I personally say Merry Christmas, but christmas doesn't really affect me.

[GordanFreeman]

I can't say that I believe that tradition is always the best course of action, but in this case it's definitely acceptable, and probably is accepted in most cases. Businesses are just afraid of being sued, after all, it is a free country. It works both ways. That's why they won't allow employees to greet customers in any manner involving a certain religion (especially Christmas). I, personally, don't really care how people greet me during the holidays, I usually don't realize the specifics of what's being said anyways, I only really pay attention to the meaning behind what's being said (kind of hard to explain).

[nine naked men]

I vote we change Happy Holidays into Happy Christmahaunakwanzakah. I should take that up with Congress... yeah..

 

 

 

... isn't that off Lizzie McGuire?

 

 

 

Erm, not that I watch it or anything, my extremely... er, muscular ears (like the rest of my body) picked it up while I was busy wrestling bears and sharks in a pit of snakes.

 

 

 

What. A. Save.

 

 

 

OT - I really don't care what they wish me, or what I wish them. Happy Christmas' all round!

[Furah]

I vote we change Happy Holidays into Happy Christmahaunakwanzakah. I should take that up with Congress... yeah..

 

 

 

... isn't that off Lizzie McGuire?

 

 

 

Erm, not that I watch it or anything, my extremely... er, muscular ears (like the rest of my body) picked it up while I was busy wrestling bears and sharks in a pit of snakes.

 

 

 

What. A. Save.

 

 

 

OT - I really don't care what they wish me, or what I wish them. Happy Christmas' all round!

 

 

 

another closet watcher?

[venomai]

Great post. :thumbup: I agree with your points.

 

 

 

How The Politically Correct Stole Christmas

 

 

 

[Ginger_Warrior]

*yawn*

 

 

 

More 'PC' stories blown out of proportion? It gets dull... -.-

[Hawks]

I will say MERRY CHRISTMAS to anyone I want to and I will set up a CHRISTMAS TREE AND A NATIVITY SCENE AND NOBODY'S GONNA STOP ME!!!

 

 

 

Also this is just random, but in the UK they say Happy Christmas, don't they?

[Futurama]

At the end of the day some people just need to chill the sod out.

 

I went to a Diwali celebration this year. Did I start telling them it was wrong and change this because it's offensive? Nope, they blocked off an entire street for it and I joined in cause of the pretty lights etc.

 

That's what it comes down to really, just enjoy your traditions and leave other people to theirs.

[Will H]

 

Also this is just random, but in the UK they say Happy Christmas, don't they?

 

Happy Christmas, Merry Christmas, whatever. And we're going to continue saying it and nobody is going to stop us either. Generally we don't have this 'Holiday/Christmas' problem.

 

 

 

Christmas is a Christian festival, that's why it's Christmas. Luckily most of us in the UK haven't forgotten this.

[Ginger_Warrior]

Christmas is a Christian festival, that's why it's Christmas. Luckily most of us in the UK haven't forgotten this.

 

lol?

 

 

 

How many people attend the midnight Eucharist, or follow advent without the need for 24 bits of chocolate to help them count?

[warren211]

What the hell is Kwanzaa anyways? Wiki says it was created in the 60s to celebrate the African heritage. How is that a religion? The entire damned month of February is Black History month (In the US at least). They just HAVE to have a day to themselves during the holiday season just because others have one?

 

 

 

The happy holidays thing is arguable, but everything else is just purely ridiculous. Santa says [garden tool]-[garden tool]-[garden tool], which society has deemed to be a derogatory word for promiscuous females. Old poems and carols say "gay". History comes before political accuracy. There is no offensive intention behind santa and christmas carols, and we shouldn't alter a piece of tradition just because society makes up new words.

[jjrox32]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDkjIZRl4a0

 

 

 

I love this video XD

 

 

 

Seriously, just watch it. It fits so perfectly.

[Will H]

Christmas is a Christian festival, that's why it's Christmas. Luckily most of us in the UK haven't forgotten this.

 

lol?

 

 

 

How many people attend the midnight Eucharist, or follow advent without the need for 24 bits of chocolate to help them count?

 

You don't have to be a practising Christian to know that Christmas is a Christian religious festival. Neither do you need to be religious.

[magekillr]

Sorry, but I don't agree with the Democracy sentiments on this thread. Just because the minority is small, does not mean that their voices should be silenced by the mob-majority (the problem with Democracy).

 

 

 

At the same time, however, I think it's ridiculous to sue anyone over any of this, or fire an employee for wishing someone a "Merry Christmas".

[Lenin64]

I don't say Happy Holidays. I don't even say Merry Christmas. I just forcefully tell people to leave. Immediately.