Taking Christ out of Christmas

[MREG2]

I'm curious...

Has anyone here personally experienced an offended reaction when wishing someone else "Merry Christmas"?

It occurs to me that in all my life, I have never even come close to seeing anyone offended by being wished a Merry Christmas! I've read about the "PC Idiots." I've heard about the "deep offense" taken by being the recipient of this wish, but I have never witnessed it myself.

What about you all?

Nope. Can't say I have. Everyone that I have said Merry Christmas too smiles and says the same thing back.

 

[MREG2]

No, I never have. But I have witnessed the opposite side. Just a few days ago, I witnessed a lady tell a salesclerk who wished her "Happy Holidays" that she was a Christian that celebrated Christmas and if she could not say Merry Christmas to her then she should just keep her mouth shut. I honestly couldn't believe what I was hearing.

Wha..???? Your kidding me. I would have been embarrassed for her.... :bang:

 

[MREG2]

IMO that is just wrong. These people have been told what to say and not say. Poor sales lady!

IM I am still in my jammies too and yes its 1050 am here too...LOL

Well are you and IM the lucky ones. We were driving to my hometown an hour away to take my dad out to lunch for Christmas. <sigh>

 

[MREG2]

what?! so now people are offended by 'happy holidays' too...??? LOL.. i must have missed that part. good grief! how about 'have a nice december'... is that safe enough?

No. And don't even look at them either... :crazy:

 

[Marthatex]

I'm afraid to say anything now, after thinking about this subject too much.

I realize that usually I say Merry Christmas to friends, at parties or family - I usually don't say it to perfect strangers anyway.

The fact is that the older people get, Christmas is more a bittersweet time, or a time of reminiscing about those you have lost, even while sharing a dinner or presents with family. What if you said "Merry Christmas" to someone and it turns out they just lost their wife, or a son or daughter?

One guy I know; his wife just filed for divorce a couple of months ago. What about someone who has cancer? Are they merry?

Today I did some last minute shopping; went to Barnes & Noble and the checkout person said, "Merry Christmas" - I said, "thank you; same to you".
Tonight I ate Thai food and the cute little Vietnamese man said, "Merry Christmas". Looks like many businesses around here, especially this close to the actual day, are going with "Merry Christmas". But "Happy Holidays" would not offend me in any way.

 

[csds703]

I'm afraid to say anything now, after thinking about this subject too much.

I realize that usually I say Merry Christmas to friends, at parties or family - I usually don't say it to perfect strangers anyway.

The fact is that the older people get, Christmas is more a bittersweet time, or a time of reminiscing about those you have lost, even while sharing a dinner or presents with family. What if you said "Merry Christmas" to someone and it turns out they just lost their wife, or a son or daughter?

One guy I know; his wife just filed for divorce a couple of months ago. What about someone who has cancer? Are they merry?

Today I did some last minute shopping; went to Barnes & Noble and the checkout person said, "Merry Christmas" - I said, "thank you; same to you".
Tonight I ate Thai food and the cute little Vietnamese man said, "Merry Christmas". Looks like many businesses around here, especially this close to the actual day, are going with "Merry Christmas". But "Happy Holidays" would not offend me in any way.

This is what I think.
No, these people are probably not merry. The important thing is to think about them on that day. Maybe they can be included in your holiday plans. Maybe they just need a phonecall saying, I'm thinking about you today. To honor the spirit of Christmas is to think about others and to be grateful for what you do have.
That is the message from me (your jewish friend) LOL.

Merry Christmas to you and your family and Everybody else here who celebrates it.
Happy Holidays to the rest of us. Just trying to be PC.
Hope everybody here at WS has a wonderful New Year!

 

[Texana]

I'm afraid to say anything now, after thinking about this subject too much.

I realize that usually I say Merry Christmas to friends, at parties or family - I usually don't say it to perfect strangers anyway.

The fact is that the older people get, Christmas is more a bittersweet time, or a time of reminiscing about those you have lost, even while sharing a dinner or presents with family. What if you said "Merry Christmas" to someone and it turns out they just lost their wife, or a son or daughter?

One guy I know; his wife just filed for divorce a couple of months ago. What about someone who has cancer? Are they merry?

Today I did some last minute shopping; went to Barnes & Noble and the checkout person said, "Merry Christmas" - I said, "thank you; same to you".
Tonight I ate Thai food and the cute little Vietnamese man said, "Merry Christmas". Looks like many businesses around here, especially this close to the actual day, are going with "Merry Christmas". But "Happy Holidays" would not offend me in any way.

Martha, I am like you, either Happy Holidays or Merry Christmas, I am glad to hear it. I love to hear it from my friends who do not celebrate Christmas, when they generously offer it in gracious recognition of my beliefs.

But when it comes to someone wishing someone else Merry Christmas who may be suffering...the original message of Christmas is rejoicing not so much in the good things of health, wealth, and being with loved ones...but triumph over the darker and not so good things.

Think of it--a baby born to a mother whose betrothed husband almost left her alone in her shame. A baby born a citizen of a small country, ruled by a powerful and wealthy nation, so powerful that when the smaller country's ruler felt threatened by the birth of this child--a prophesied king--the ruler could put to death all the little babies and children under two years without hesitation.A baby whose birth gifts included myrhh, for his own death.

We have come to expect that Merry Christmas is accompanied by comfort always, forgetting the generations that said the phrase while enduring wars and suffering and hardships.

I believe we must celebrate Christmas not only as thanks for the blessings we have received, but as a celebration of the triumph over earthly suffering that Christ brings.

So, Merry Christmas, indeed.

 

[Marthatex]

This is what I think.
No, these people are probably not merry. The important thing is to think about them on that day. Maybe they can be included in your holiday plans. Maybe they just need a phonecall saying, I'm thinking about you today. To honor the spirit of Christmas is to think about others and to be grateful for what you do have.
That is the message from me (your jewish friend) LOL.

Merry Christmas to you and your family and Everybody else here who celebrates it.
Happy Holidays to the rest of us. Just trying to be PC.
Hope everybody here at WS has a wonderful New Year!

Well, sure. In fact I had not sent Christmas cards the last couple of years, but this year I DID because I just wanted to say "thanks" and Happy Holidays to all the people who really were a source of help and strength to us during my husband's cancer and treatment.

I feel very thankful this year and certainly want to share it with others. I think the way we celebrate the holidays, whether Christian, Jewish or others can be as personal as we want our family and celebration to be. Has anyone ever gone through all the motions and tried to do everything, and felt somehow deflated or disappointed? I sure have; and that's why I try to keep things as simple as possible, for my own sanity - and who wants a grouchy wife/mother who waited in line for hours to get the "right" present?

So "Merry Holiday, and Ho Ho; I mean Ha ha ha"; Peace on Earth and Goodwill to Men; that's the one I like.

 

[southcitymom]

Martha, I am like you, either Happy Holidays or Merry Christmas, I am glad to hear it. I love to hear it from my friends who do not celebrate Christmas, when they generously offer it in gracious recognition of my beliefs.

But when it comes to someone wishing someone else Merry Christmas who may be suffering...the original message of Christmas is rejoicing not so much in the good things of health, wealth, and being with loved ones...but triumph over the darker and not so good things.

Think of it--a baby born to a mother whose betrothed husband almost left her alone in her shame. A baby born a citizen of a small country, ruled by a powerful and wealthy nation, so powerful that when the smaller country's ruler felt threatened by the birth of this child--a prophesied king--the ruler could put to death all the little babies and children under two years without hesitation.A baby whose birth gifts included myrhh, for his own death.

We have come to expect that Merry Christmas is accompanied by comfort always, forgetting the generations that said the phrase while enduring wars and suffering and hardships.

I believe we must celebrate Christmas not only as thanks for the blessings we have received, but as a celebration of the triumph over earthly suffering that Christ brings.

So, Merry Christmas, indeed.

Beautiful post, Texana!

 

[csds703]

Beautiful post, Texana!

I agree. It is very touching.

 

[Marthatex]

Martha, I am like you, either Happy Holidays or Merry Christmas, I am glad to hear it. I love to hear it from my friends who do not celebrate Christmas, when they generously offer it in gracious recognition of my beliefs.

But when it comes to someone wishing someone else Merry Christmas who may be suffering...the original message of Christmas is rejoicing not so much in the good things of health, wealth, and being with loved ones...but triumph over the darker and not so good things.

Think of it--a baby born to a mother whose betrothed husband almost left her alone in her shame. A baby born a citizen of a small country, ruled by a powerful and wealthy nation, so powerful that when the smaller country's ruler felt threatened by the birth of this child--a prophesied king--the ruler could put to death all the little babies and children under two years without hesitation.A baby whose birth gifts included myrhh, for his own death.

We have come to expect that Merry Christmas is accompanied by comfort always, forgetting the generations that said the phrase while enduring wars and suffering and hardships.

I believe we must celebrate Christmas not only as thanks for the blessings we have received, but as a celebration of the triumph over earthly suffering that Christ brings.

So, Merry Christmas, indeed.

A very nice reminder there; unfortunately it seems as a society we get a little too caught up in the commercial and "feel good" aspect. Oh well, at least alot of giving goes on as well.

 

[Texana]

A very nice reminder there; unfortunately it seems as a society we get a little too caught up in the commercial and "feel good" aspect. Oh well, at least alot of giving goes on as well.

Mwahh (air kisse) to you, Martha. It is darn hard to not get caught up in the commercial aspects as it's just about beat into our brains 24/7 every year.

I had to run to my husband for an intervention this afternoon, all the gifts were finished, but I still felt the urge to get "one more" thing bought.

In the Houston area, we find ourselves complaining if the weather is not "Christmas-y" enough. Think of it--we are so blessed overall, that we complain if the weather, which is perfectly normal for this area of the country, is not wintery!

And I don't think that is such a bad thing, really--but this thread has made me realize that it perhaps weather, or any other physical circumstance, is more of a reason to celebrate Christmas, than a hindrance.

Tiny Tim would surely agree.

 

[Marthatex]

Mwahh (air kisse) to you, Martha. It is darn hard to not get caught up in the commercial aspects as it's just about beat into our brains 24/7 every year.

I had to run to my husband for an intervention this afternoon, all the gifts were finished, but I still felt the urge to get "one more" thing bought.

In the Houston area, we find ourselves complaining if the weather is not "Christmas-y" enough. Think of it--we are so blessed overall, that we complain if the weather, which is perfectly normal for this area of the country, is not wintery!

And I don't think that is such a bad thing, really--but this thread has made me realize that it perhaps weather, or any other physical circumstance, is more of a reason to celebrate Christmas, than a hindrance.

Tiny Tim would surely agree.

Well, it might be cool enough this year!!

Well, here I am on Sunday morning needing to be at the grocery store. Naturally I don't have any ingredients for the things I must cook tomorrow.

I too, will be running into town to get a gift certificate from the maternity store for my daughter. Almost all presents are wrapped tho!

We should just be thankful if we are alive and healthy!!!

(but why does all this Christmas cheer seem to be left to the women in the house?) btw I was proud of my son; his neighborhood went together and adopted a family - so he had to go out and buy alot of diapers lol (he's 27)

 

[KatK]

<snip>
I'd rather see a society where Jewish people wish me a Happy Hanukkah, or where an African wishes me a Happy Kwanzaa, or where an Atheist can just not wish me anything at all, all in addition to people wishing each other a Merry Christmas. I would be honored if any person wished me one of these things.

The athiest would wish you a Happy New Year since that is non-religious, and they also might wish you a happy Independence day in December if you happened to be in Finland. I agree with you to a certain extent. Certainly I recieve the greetings I get with Grace, because I know usually the person means well. It is if the person is defiant and "in my face" about it and it isn't even December (This happened to me just after Thanksgiving this year.) yet that I raise my eyebrows over it. (And am tempted to wish them a Happy Yule, a Happy Hannukkah, and a Happy Kwanzaa to boot, but I don't. I just wish them a Merry Christmas when it comes, and a safe New Year's.) We don't see those of Jewish faith saying "I'm Jewish, and I celebrate Chanukah, so you'd better say Happy Chanukah to me or I will take offense!" to store clerks do we? :waitasec: Why do Christians get to insist on this, when the month of December has more than one religious holiday? This nation has no officially condoned religion legally, because our Forefathers were trying to escape State Religion when they came to live here.

 

[MREG2]

Martha, I am like you, either Happy Holidays or Merry Christmas, I am glad to hear it. I love to hear it from my friends who do not celebrate Christmas, when they generously offer it in gracious recognition of my beliefs.

But when it comes to someone wishing someone else Merry Christmas who may be suffering...the original message of Christmas is rejoicing not so much in the good things of health, wealth, and being with loved ones...but triumph over the darker and not so good things.

Think of it--a baby born to a mother whose betrothed husband almost left her alone in her shame. A baby born a citizen of a small country, ruled by a powerful and wealthy nation, so powerful that when the smaller country's ruler felt threatened by the birth of this child--a prophesied king--the ruler could put to death all the little babies and children under two years without hesitation.A baby whose birth gifts included myrhh, for his own death.

We have come to expect that Merry Christmas is accompanied by comfort always, forgetting the generations that said the phrase while enduring wars and suffering and hardships.

I believe we must celebrate Christmas not only as thanks for the blessings we have received, but as a celebration of the triumph over earthly suffering that Christ brings.

So, Merry Christmas, indeed.

:clap:

Well said indeed!

 

[Dark Knight]

Martha, I am like you, either Happy Holidays or Merry Christmas, I am glad to hear it. I love to hear it from my friends who do not celebrate Christmas, when they generously offer it in gracious recognition of my beliefs.

But when it comes to someone wishing someone else Merry Christmas who may be suffering...the original message of Christmas is rejoicing not so much in the good things of health, wealth, and being with loved ones...but triumph over the darker and not so good things.

Think of it--a baby born to a mother whose betrothed husband almost left her alone in her shame. A baby born a citizen of a small country, ruled by a powerful and wealthy nation, so powerful that when the smaller country's ruler felt threatened by the birth of this child--a prophesied king--the ruler could put to death all the little babies and children under two years without hesitation.A baby whose birth gifts included myrhh, for his own death.

We have come to expect that Merry Christmas is accompanied by comfort always, forgetting the generations that said the phrase while enduring wars and suffering and hardships.

I believe we must celebrate Christmas not only as thanks for the blessings we have received, but as a celebration of the triumph over earthly suffering that Christ brings.

So, Merry Christmas, indeed.

Well said!!!! :clap: :clap: :clap:

 

[Nova]

I'm curious...

Has anyone here personally experienced an offended reaction when wishing someone else "Merry Christmas"?

It occurs to me that in all my life, I have never even come close to seeing anyone offended by being wished a Merry Christmas! I've read about the "PC Idiots." I've heard about the "deep offense" taken by being the recipient of this wish, but I have never witnessed it myself.

What about you all?

IM, I know people who prefer a different greeting because they don't appreciate the assumption that everyone wants to be merry on that day. To my knowledge, however, they are perfectly gracious even while receiving an unwanted greeting dozens of times each day.

 

[Paladin]

IM, I know people who prefer a different greeting because they don't appreciate the assumption that everyone wants to be merry on that day.

Bah humbug!

 

[Nova]

Bah humbug!

People of other religions (and no religion) put up with all sorts of condescending remarks all the time, including bon mots such as "But don't you want to go to heaven?" and "You must not have any morals, if you don't follow the Bible." In almost all cases, they are quite gracious about it (and, in fairness, there's no cure for feeling like an outsider, when one is, in fact, an outsider).

But do we want to pile on such feelings, especially at this time of year? I think not.

 

[Paladin]

People of other religions (and no religion) put up with all sorts of condescending remarks all the time, including bon mots such as "But don't you want to go to heaven?" and "You must not have any morals, if you don't follow the Bible." In almost all cases, they are quite gracious about it (and, in fairness, there's no cure for feeling like an outsider, when one is, in fact, an outsider).

But do we want to pile on such feelings, especially at this time of year? I think not.

What does any of that have to do with being merry?