I'm not going to wish people "happy holidays" anymore

[bling bling]

I'm not going to wish people happy anything around X-mas next year.

When the happy holidays vs. merry x-mas issue started I figured the problem was minimal. But then a friend of mine told me yesterday that it happened to her mom. Her mom works in customer service and greeted the customer with "happy holidays" and he said "I'm so sick of this 'happy holidays' stuff, it's CHRISTMAS!"

How rude.

That's close enough to home for me. So from now on, I'll save my good wishes for friends and family only. I'm not going to say it to my customers or anyone else unless they say it first.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

1. This country is getting

more and more fukt by the minute, it seems...

[0007]

13. By the minute? 'Tis been fucked for some time now.

[Neoma]

2. Actually the word X-mas is sorta like happy holidays

its not 'Christ' with the 'mas' on it.
and not so offensive

A cool and short way to say Christmas without any reference to the "Christ" religious part. Good term to forget any deep meaning of Christmas and enjoy the presents.

[MNBiker]

12. X represents Ch in Greek and Represents the word Christ...

when used in the word Xmas...


"Actually the word X-mas is sorta like happy holidays" Posted by Neoma.......Wrong...This is not some new age PC word...and this X is no relation to Malcolm X....

[xultar]

3. I agree, I said happy holidays to a guy in the elevator and he gave me

a look like I farted or something. The wingnuts have even ruined the holiday season. effin effer effer mofo

[Paul Hood]

4. That's what comes from using Christmas as a wedge issue.

Best to avoid it altogether(thanks snorkelman).
There seems to be nothing sacred to the right wing media. I expect they'll try to use Easter the same way.

[shraby]

5. You mentioned Easter...I have a question

about Easter.
How did a bunny rabbit delivering eggs and candy ever become a symbol for Easter? It doesn't make sense.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

6. Despite its association with Jesus/Catholicism, I believe the real origin

of Easter is also with spring festivals that were essentially pagan. I think the bunny is just a fertility symbol that goes along with the spring festival deal.

http://www.web-holidays.com/easter/

[amazona]

24. Rabbits are THE fertility symbol

Hence the phrase "effing like bunnies." Those guys majorly reproduce! Yeah, it is a pagan holiday. Before we had Jesus as the resurrection and the life, we had Osiris. Osiris is actually painted green in some images. But anyone can see that green vegetation is reborn each spring from dead sticks and roots. Whereas you have to be pretty imaginative to see a human reborn from a dead body.

[neweurope]

7. As far I know there are two things about easter: The rabbit and

the egg.

Easter is really the feast of the new beginning/new life and of fruitfulness/hopes for a good year.

The rabbit is a symbol of plenty because he has numerous offspring. The egg is a symbol for the beginning of life/the world. Somehow both were rolled into one in the course of time so the rabbit ended up bringing the easter eggs. All that candy etc. is very new; it used to be only eggs, mostly painted red (red being a holy color).

edit: Christianity took over two of the most important pagan feasts: Winter solstice and spring festivities. They couldn't outlaw them because the tradition was just too strong so they gave them a Christian cover so to speak - just like they built their churches on the place of old pagan holy places wherever they could. So if Christians get angry at others "taking over" Christmas" we have every argument in the world to tell them off.

[Goathead]

25. The Hawaiian creation myth

involves Pele(the volcano godess) bearing an egg across the ocean to the newly formed Hawaiian islands from the So. Pacific.

[neweurope]

30. I'm very interested in ancient myths. May I ask for more

concerning Pele? I'd very much appreciate it!
:hi:

[Goathead]

31. Here is something.

But not Pele specifically.

http://www.pbs.org/holomaipele/myth1.html

[neweurope]

33. Thank you! That is very interesting!

:hi:

[Danmel]

11. The Egg is a symbol on the Passover Seder plate too.

It represents Spring and fertility but also is roasted (after a horrific egg explosion in my oven one year, which smelled just ghastly and took hours to clean, I started just boiling an egg with a tea bag to make it look brown), The roasted egg symbolized the pascal lamb- the sacrifice made my the Israelites to get the blood for their door posts. After the destruction of the Temples in Jerusalem, the practice of animal sacrifices was abolished, so an egg replaced the pascal lamb as the sacrifice.

[Freebird12004]

15. it's a *pagan* thing

and many Christan celebrations share pagan symbols.

[China_cat]

20. All symbols of fertility.

Even the candy. (Want some candy, little girl?)

[China_cat]

21. You may use my usual oestara sig.

Easter's been cancelled. They found the body.

[Retired AF Dem]

8. This is what happens when you let the thought police

have a say, it makes everything to complicated.

[Pepperbelly]

9. Imagine how touchy these assholes would be if "heresy" were illegal.

Can you imagine the unbridled JOY these rat bastards would have if they could actually get someone in hot water if you were to say something heretical?

[Branjor]

10. I would have pointed out....

that it is NOT only CHRISTMAS, it is CHANUKAH, it is KWANZAA, it is the pagan celebration of WINTER SOLSTICE.

But then again I may have lost my job in customer service too...

[sbj405]

14. In the last two days before Christmas, I went to half a dozen stores

Not a mention of a holiday anywhere. Usually the cashiers around here barely say hello let alone a holiday greeting or have a good day.

[Misskittycat]

26. The same thing happened to me.

I went to four stores yesterday, and none of the cashiers said anything but "have a nice day." It was really sad.

I'm Jewish, but I always enjoyed people being especially nice to each other around these holidays, and I sometimes say "Merry Christmas" and sometimes say "Happy Holidays."

Thanks to the fundies for taking the joy and the true Christmas spirit out of Christmas.

[LiberalCat]

16. Why do you care what a person you never met says?

I wouldn't let that rude person determine my actions.

[Tony_Illinois]

17. Merry Christmas Everybody . . .

I'm feeling a little retro and inappropriate this morning!

[Kindigger]

18. Happy holidays, have a nice day, paper or plastic?

If these statements sound as if they're in an employee manual, screw um.
In fact, when I'm having a George Carlin kind of day, I'll call them on "have a nice day". They don't care what kind of day I have. I don't care what kind of day THEY have. I've asked them what their definition of "nice" is. I love to hear them stutter, and look at me like I'm going to pull out aray gun, and vaporize them.
And, how 'bout "how are you today?" Just one time, tell them how you really feel, and watch them back away.

What about those purple peeps? We know how THEY are. ;) When will they be banned?

[hellbound-liberal]

19. As a cashier in a high volume book store, I said

"Have a nice holiday!" to all of my customers unless they said Merry Christmas first. I have no idea what "holy day" my customers are celebrating and I think it is inappropriate to wish someone a Merry Christmas if they don't celebrate it. I think people should keep their religious views to themselves. I am not impressed by public expressions of so-called faith.

[Sara Beverley]

22. Well, the RW Christians have not only taken Christ out of Christmas they

have taken civility and joy out of the holidays as well. Forever, the Christmas holidays will never be the same.

[FM Arouet666]

23. Same thing here..... Rude and Arrogant.

I went to work today and talked to a number of colleagues, Jews, Muslims, Hindus and Christians. Every single non-christian wished me Happy Holidays, to which I offered the same. However, the few christians I talked with made a point to wish me a Merry christmas. I realize that today is Dec 25, but how can you assume that I celebrate? I wonder if these same christians offered up a Merry christmas to people who are clearly not of their faith? Both gave me negative looks at wishing them Happy Holidays. One repeated the Merry christmas line after my response, to which I said, "Oh, yes, "MC" to you too." Probably thinks I am Satan now. :evilgrin:

One woman asked me point blank "Oh, you have to work today, are you a christian." To which I responded, "No, I'm a heathen." She frowned and said "Oh, I thought perhaps you were Jewish." I still have no idea how to take her reaction.

Anyway, Happy Holidays.:party:

[OldLeftieLawyer]

27. Just tell anyone stupid enough to ask

what your religious affiliation is that you're a Druid.

Believe me, they have no follow-up question to that.

[FM Arouet666]

28. Good idea

I think I will go pray at a tree. Oops, I almost said Bush, damn evil shrubbery.

[jayctravis]

29. I didn't do it on the phone at work either.

If they wished me any random holiday greeting, my response was, "And the same to you and your family!"

[LeftCoast]

32. So you're stopping because "they" don't like it?

Personally, that'd just make me say Happy Holidays a whole lot more. But then, I'm kinda contrary. :)

[Piperay]

34. People have been saying "Happy Holidays" as

long as I can remember and I am 50 years old so WHY THE FUCK IS IT SUCH AN ISSUE NOW?!?! Rhetorical question, I know is because chimp is in and these people are emboldened along with still wanting to play the victim even when they have everything their way. :argh: :mad: :grr: