Despite the "Christmas" flak

[hyphenate]

Does the word "Christmas" bother you, the individual? I'm curious to see who is affected by the more secular "Happy Holidays" as opposed to the traditional "Merry Christmas" this time of year. Does it matter to you at all? Or has the RRR really gone overboard this time, making mountains out of molehills in their attempt to be as obnoxious as ever?

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. Why Christmas doesn't bother me

It is a Christian holiday, and that is its name. But I think "Happy Holidays" is a more inclusive term to use this time of year, because there is more than one holiday celebrated, even for Christians. I think they've forgotten about New Year. "Happy Holidays" is faster and easier to say than "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year". This whole "war on Christmas" is totally bogus.

[awoke_in_2003]

11. The only thing that bothers me

is the psuedo war the media whips up. I doubt very few people are upset about Happy Holidays. Hell, a lot are probably like me, in that, if I were in a predominately Jewish neighborhood, and someone wished me Happy Hannakuh, I would take it in the spirit it was meant. When people say that, or Merry Christmas, or Happy Kwanzaa, of Happy Flying Spaghetti Monster Day, the aren't trying to be divisive- they are trying to be nice (something more people should try to do).

That being said, Happy Kwanzhannamas.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

12. Happy Kwanzhannamas to you too!

I agree totally with your sentiments. The high school I attended had a sizable number of Jewish students, and I recall learning about High Holy Days and Roshashana and how they were the most important holidays for Jews and wishing them Happy New Year at that time of year. They would joke about getting Hannukah bushes in December, and I would wish them Happy Hannukah. I also wished the Catholic kids a blessed Ash Wednesday when they would appear at school with ashes on their foreheads. If Kwanza had been around, I would have gotten into the Kwanza spirit as well. As you said, it's just trying to be NICE.

And it was NICE of you to invent the new holiday word! :)

[Armstead]

2. I voted that it does't -- but it is starting to bug me. And I resent that.

The most sickening thing about this whole "War on Christmas" crap is that it has politicized one of those things that most people can either enjoy or take-it-or-leave-it.

I hate the idea that Merry Christmas has been made a political catch phrase and a test of whether you are a "Christian" or not.

Those jackasses on the right -- the scheming opportunists and their sheeplike, self-righteous followers -- are doing to Christmas what they are doing to Christianity. Taking something that shouold be inclusive and trying to turn it into a political litmus test.

It makes me sick.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. Take your pick.

[foreigncorrespondent]

3. It doesn't bother me at all!

I have never looked at Christmas as being a religious thing anyway. I have always looked at as more a time of giving and spending quality time with those we love.

Last year I was working (security) in a retail department store here in Australia. Of course I had to greet the people and it was expected of me to say Merry Christmas. What I did as to not offend anyone else was simply say as they entered "seasons greetings", and as they left "enjoy your holidays."

[StClone]

4. Q: Have your personally seen or heard a

a) a person say they hate Christmas because of its religious tones?

OR

b) or they hate Christmas and its rush of commercialism, materialism and lack of goodwill towards men?

War on Christmas? They are selling this just like any other push of Christmas advertisements.

[hyphenate]

10. In my own experiences

I mostly find harried individuals who hate the commercialism of the season. And yet, they will go out and continue to buy presents, spending money as fast as it enters their hands, and then end up still bitching about it later.

In my own experience, what we "call" the last week and a half of December, or whatever days other holidays like Hannukah fall on, is irrelevant. It's a "season" where families get together and spend time as a group, eating together and watching parades and sports events. Whatever "it" is called doesn't matter--regardless of its name: "a rose by any other name would smell as sweet."

I despise what the RRR is doing, and it is just so nasty in terms of waging war on something to which there is no real animosity, only in the eyes of those bastards on the right.

I find that "season's greetings" has been around for nearly as long as "merry christmas" and there has never been as much a backlash on that as there has been for "happy holidays." And to me, "merry christmas" is a fairly secular greeting in and of itself, because any religious connotations are lost in the overall commercialized framing of the season, anyhow.

If the RRR really wanted to take "back" the holiday, they would have to be willing to reject every single element of the holiday as well--including giving it ALL up. Since the alleged birth of JC happened likely in the late summer, there really isn't anything this time of the year for them to celebrate, so they should reject it all, and let the rest of us enjoy the end of year spirit and celebrate in whatever manner we wish.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

13. Of course it is B

I have found that, in my own family at least, ingenuity always outranked expense in figuring out a gift. It had to be something someone really needed or wanted, not just another "Christmas present" to be put away and forgotten. I used to write murder mysteries for my mother, and I gave most of the family the family tree once I had it mostly done (mostly done because there is ALWAYS something to add to a family tree, it seems). This year I'm donating money to a nonprofit foundation in honor of my mother, and she heartily approves. I don't celebrate Christmas, but if my boss asks me what I want, I will again try and talk him into donating to Refugees International in my honor. To me that takes the commercialism out of the holiday and also goes towards helping someone who really needs helping.

[rosesaylavee]

5. So they tried to take our flag away and now they

are trying to take over Christmas. What is it with these people?

They can't have my Christmas just as they can't take my flag away. Period.

[applegrove]

6. I'm agnostic. So I readily admit I don't have all the answers and

anyone else's type of religion (not the terrorist or hateful kind) is fine by me.

I resent turning Christmas into a huge hate wedge so Fox news can bond with viewers and at the same time commercialize the idea of Xmas. Sorry - but gift giving is a tradition and a family thing. And isolating a portion of your shoppers is just plain rude.

This is crass politics.

Last year they tried to scare Christians too. Looks like it will be the new "neocon/GOP" tradition. Wedging over the holidays.

I know say "Peace on Earth, and goodwill towards all men".

[MadisonProgressive]

7. It is a completely fabricated 'controversy'. BULLSHIT!

[Walt Starr]

8. Ya know, I usually say fuck Christmas

but that's only because of the screwy commercial crap. Hell, twenty years ago it seemed to me the fundies were with me on that, bellowing about corporations bastardizing it to make a buck.

Now, the fundies have done a 180.

I have no problem with Christmas itself, I just think it's sad what Madison Avenue and their new allies, the fundamentalist whackjobs, have done to it.

[applegrove]

9. Called "loansharking". Where the GOP/Fox/religious extreme political

right takes something away - and then gives it back. Sometimes sociopaths give you something only to make you pay "big time" later. In this case, they take away the security of Christmas and frame it as under attack - and then return it to the devout christians. And it seems like a present at that point.

The point is their security was dicked with. A crisis created. And Fox News or nefarious christian types, ride in and save Christmas.

DISGUSTING!

[Chautauqua]

14. I'm Jewish, and yes, "Christmas" bothers me.

But there isn't a way to vote that way in this poll.

[kliljedahl]

15. I've only got one thing to say

Keith’s Barbeque Central

[MODemocrat]

16. It makes no difference to me whatsoever

I just go on having my faith in my own way, and it doesn't matter to me what anyone else does.
Happy Holiday means have a holy day no matter what your faith is, so I think the so call war on Christmas is just a distraction from REAL issues.