Don't Say "christmas"

[bean]

So, my VPO at the company I work for had to act the part of captain badass today.

We were doing this holiday thing where I work where we've been sending out an e-mail every week about different holidays around the world from different cultures. Yes, a few of them were Christmas related, but not all of them. The focus was on cultural differences, not religion.

Well, our VPO bitched about it, saying we can't say the word Christmas (oh yes, you read correctly), and we have to stop doing the e-mails because we are offending people. Maybe they were, maybe they weren't. I don't know, but I think it is absolute crap coming from a man who threw a shit fit and would not allow one of our account managers (who is Jewish) to take off the first day of Hanukkah. He also would not let her take the day off on the most holy day of the year for Jews. I think she was probably offended by that.

We get Christmas Eve and Christmas off of work. We don't get other religious holidays off. If we want to be so PC, we should get those days off too...Hanukkah, Kwanzaa...etc.

Let me tell you something. I was raised pagan/Buddhist. Yeah, we put a tree up and I got presents on Christmas, but we didn't celebrate the holiday as Christians would. My parents just wanted me to fit in and not feel bad because I didn't receive presents. I am not offended by "Christmas" or someone wishing me a Merry Christmas.

I like seeing Chirstmas trees and lights everywhere. I think it's pretty. I'd have lights up year round, but that would be viewed as weird.

When I was younger, I was on the whole "happy holidays, don't say Christmas" bandwagon. Now that I'm older and wiser, I think it's crap. Yes, we need to respect other people's religious beliefs, but this is getting ridiculous.

I hate that the joy and good will is being sucked out of everything and being turned into a big pile of shit.

I hate that my VPO can waste time being a tyrant instead of actually working to see what can be improved in our company to make things better for our clients.

Tomorrow, I'm putting an Christmas tree, lights, and a menorah in my cubicle. My VPO can kiss my holiday loving ass.

[creatureofthenyte]

some people take offense to things soooooo uber easily these days.

All I have to say to those people is: Life's tough; Get a fuckin helmet!!

[Fierce Critter]

I am with you 100% Bean, on action AND Philosophy.

I'm basically non-denominational Christian, with a heavy bent toward Catholicism with a giant, open-minded hunk of paganism thrown in and a massive envy of Judaic traditions & ritual.

I am sick to death of the degree of PC being pushed over CHRISTMAS.

Shut.The.Fuck.Up.And.Just.Enjoy.The.Season.

I admit - I tend toward saying "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas" when greeting people I don't know personally. But a lot of that is because I'm a FREAK and I like to be "different" and most people say "Merry Christmas" and I like to be a show-off and stand out. Nyah.

Grrr.

[Msterbeau]

I think every holiday in the US has been turned into a consumerist pile of crap.

[ttogreh]

That's just beside the point, now, isn't it, Msterbeau?

Christmas? A holiday with heavy ties to pagan tradition celebrated by observers of an offshoot of a middle eastern bronze-age religion. How cosmopolitan can a holiday really get? If you are a Jew, I hope you have a merry 25th of December. The same goes for Taoists, Buddhists, Animists, Muslims, Atheists, Agnostics...

Seriously. I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas. All of us should be so lucky.

[Scary Guy]

Screw that, I hate this holiday and anything related to it. I hate most holidays (due to the calender being so inaccurate) however THIS is the king of all holidays, which starts the day after Halloween pretty much and doesn't stop till 2 weeks after NYE (the widely observed one). I used to love the holiday, I even have white christmas lights (due to lack of another name) up in my room year round, I like the way snow looks, etc... I hate this holiday for many reasons which I will now list for you.

1. the religious aspect:

A. It takes the original pagan holiday "Yule" and turns it into something the catholic/christian church finds acceptable.

B. The holiday seems to be more about Santa Claus than about the birth of the deity of the religion that bastardized it in the first place.

C. It lies to children, I hate liars (although it does give us a great piece of ammunition when people say god exists equating him to Santa).

D. It's just another way for them to rub their religious beliefs in your face. Also any wiccans/witches/pagans here that say merry christmas what is wrong with you? Stand by your religious beliefs and say happy yule because I'd at least rather like to hear that out of you than what has been pounded into your skull.

2. the corporate aspect:

A. The holiday does nothing anymore but encourage you to shop and buy buy buy and spend every dime you have on people who won't appreciate it or remember what you got them (unless it's REALLY good). These days I ask for nothing, and when they won't comply (they seriously won't comply) I ask for money because at least then I can use it for something I really want then get something I'll hate and find fault with. They still get nothing, and maybe one day they'll stop giving and I can be happy.

B. The spirit of giving is crap, what are you a communist? You give to charity, you give because you're told to, hell you even give because you HAVE to in taxes. No one saves any money and therefore everyone goes broke. People go into debt over this holiday and THAT ruins lives, just so they seem like good friends/relatives or to keep up with the Joneses.

C. I don't need a stupid mandatory gift giving holiday to show someone I care about them. If I care I'll buy them dinner or get them something at random if and when I think of it. The people I care about already know I care about them and that's what counts most.

So to sum it all up, not everyone believes what you believe, so stop shoving it in everyones face because it's all just a bunch of humbug.

(I will say however it's pretty awesome that I get the Grinch's theme song as my ring tone on my friend's phone, that was neat).

[Steven]

I like seeing Chirstmas trees and lights everywhere. I think it's pretty. I'd have lights up year round, but that would be viewed as weird.

When I was younger, I was on the whole "happy holidays, don't say Christmas" bandwagon. Now that I'm older and wiser, I think it's crap. Yes, we need to respect other people's religious beliefs, but this is getting ridiculous.

I hate that the joy and good will is being sucked out of everything and being turned into a big pile of shit.

I hate that my VPO can waste time being a tyrant instead of actually working to see what can be improved in our company to make things better for our clients.

Tomorrow, I'm putting an Christmas tree, lights, and a menorah in my cubicle. My VPO can kiss my holiday loving ass.

oh my God, I see some real world logic here.

awesome.

the entire decision (DECISION yes) to be OFFENDED (poke me in the eye with a stick allready) by Christimas as if you have been HARMED in some way, as if your life has been CHANGED AND AFFECTED is to me, silly, self serving, and shallow. Somebody out there besides your offended ass is actually is being blessed by all of it - the lights, music, tradition, even the religion behind it. If your not into it - FINE, you have not been harmed, you still have ten fingers and ten toes, go to white castle and eat some fish burgers you wimps that are SO damaged by all the Ho Ho Ho.....I trip on you - what do you do with real fricken problems, go fetal? Im trying not to be an asshole here but people who get all huffy and offended by Xmas make me vomit in my mouth.

[Steven]

Screw that, I hate this holiday and anything related to it. I hate most holidays (due to the calender being so inaccurate) however THIS is the king of all holidays, which starts the day after Halloween pretty much and doesn't stop till 2 weeks after NYE (the widely observed one). I used to love the holiday, I even have white christmas lights (due to lack of another name) up in my room year round, I like the way snow looks, etc... I hate this holiday for many reasons which I will now list for you.

1. the religious aspect:

A. It takes the original pagan holiday "Yule" and turns it into something the catholic/christian church finds acceptable.

B. The holiday seems to be more about Santa Claus than about the birth of the deity of the religion that bastardized it in the first place.

C. It lies to children, I hate liars (although it does give us a great piece of ammunition when people say god exists equating him to Santa).

D. It's just another way for them to rub their religious beliefs in your face. Also any wiccans/witches/pagans here that say merry christmas what is wrong with you? Stand by your religious beliefs and say happy yule because I'd at least rather like to hear that out of you than what has been pounded into your skull.

2. the corporate aspect:

A. The holiday does nothing anymore but encourage you to shop and buy buy buy and spend every dime you have on people who won't appreciate it or remember what you got them (unless it's REALLY good). These days I ask for nothing, and when they won't comply (they seriously won't comply) I ask for money because at least then I can use it for something I really want then get something I'll hate and find fault with. They still get nothing, and maybe one day they'll stop giving and I can be happy.

B. The spirit of giving is crap, what are you a communist? You give to charity, you give because you're told to, hell you even give because you HAVE to in taxes. No one saves any money and therefore everyone goes broke. People go into debt over this holiday and THAT ruins lives, just so they seem like good friends/relatives or to keep up with the Joneses.

C. I don't need a stupid mandatory gift giving holiday to show someone I care about them. If I care I'll buy them dinner or get them something at random if and when I think of it. The people I care about already know I care about them and that's what counts most.

So to sum it all up, not everyone believes what you believe, so stop shoving it in everyones face because it's all just a bunch of humbug.

(I will say however it's pretty awesome that I get the Grinch's theme song as my ring tone on my friend's phone, that was neat).

this is such a waste of Scary Guy time.

and by the way stop shoving Bah Humbug in my face, it tastes like ass and its trite and powerless.

I want a new red guitar for Christmas, there I said it. And I cant WAIT to see my friends and hug them and eat ham and drink beers and tell dumb jokes and play Balderdash in my PJ's and watch their faces as they open my gifts.

Scary will be at White Castle everybody.....

[Gaf The Horse With Tears]

I thought I was reading a Bill O`Riley column for a few seconds... but no, the Culture War is just something he made up.

[nilhil_glory]

meh... i really dont hate on this holiday not for consumerism thats a big part of it..

but its a chance for me to go hang out with reletives whom are not so very distant whom my mom is bitter against....

say for instance my grandpa (moms-dad) we see him once or twice a year if that since i can remember, my mom has this huge ass problem with him not becouse of him but becouse she doesnt like his wife sherry(her stepmom) and not becouse she did anything to my mom when my mom was little ... no my moms bitter becouse her no blood related at all step brother got spoiled by them when she didnt... even tho... she was my grandmas only child... and my grandma spoiled the shit out of her......

and i really love going to my grandpas even tho he lives 2 hours away in bfe its always fun playing with his 4 dogs three cats and bird... hes got this badass pond in his back yard thats good for hockey too ^^

and you really cant complain about the food niether 0=)

bar far i like this holiday better than turkey day

[Msterbeau]

I thought I was reading a Bill O`Riley column for a few seconds... but no, the Culture War is just something he made up.

He's an asshole no matter what comes out of his mouth.

[freydis]

I actually like to make stuff for people for Yule when I can.

It's fun.

[Gaf The Horse With Tears]

A person's status as "asshole" or "not asshole" has squat to do with them being either right or wrong about a topic.

[phee]

A person's status as "asshole" or "not asshole" has squat to do with them being either right or wrong about a topic.

It's true, but it does effect how people will listen to what they have to say about the topic. If you come off as too much of an asshole whether you are right or wrong becomes moot in a lot of peoples eyes.

It effects credibility

[Steven]

It's true, but it does effect how people will listen to what they have to say about the topic. If you come off as too much of an asshole whether you are right or wrong becomes moot in a lot of peoples eyes.

It effects credibility

well then techies we need an asshole scale or a pie chart or something then, preferably with shades of grey that ultimately morphs into like red hot for like the top of the list, a red hot asshole. I would guess that a person such as myself would be in the high asshole percentile at least, sort of a burnt orange color. Everyone who plays it safe and PC and would be in the lovely gray area with the rest of the crowd.

[phee]

well then techies we need an asshole scale or a pie chart or something then, preferably with shades of grey that ultimately morphs into like red hot for like the top of the list, a red hot asshole. I would guess that a person such as myself would be in the high asshole percentile at least, sort of a burnt orange color. Everyone who plays it safe and PC and would be in the lovely gray area with the rest of the crowd.

Thank you for proving my point

[saechalyn]

What the hell is wrong with people.

I'm not christian. I don't celebrate christmas, exchange gifts, put up decorations or any of that stuff, and that's all fine and dandy with me. But I don't see what's to get all bent out of shape over. These people who get offended by the mention of a holiday they don't celebrate should go spend some time in a country where there is no choice of what to believe and see how much they can complain about things here.

[Steven]

Thank you for proving my point

no no no, I need my color on the pie chart now Phee, you can do better than that you big fat gray-scaler.

[Steven]

What the hell is wrong with people.

I'm not christian. I don't celebrate christmas, exchange gifts, put up decorations or any of that stuff, and that's all fine and dandy with me. But I don't see what's to get all bent out of shape over. These people who get offended by the mention of a holiday they don't celebrate should go spend some time in a country where there is no choice of what to believe and see how much they can complain about things here.

you dont see it, the evil empire?

dont you recognize how I am compromising, nay, ruining your life when I say "Merry Christmas" and give a gift to somebody I love that you dont even know? Dont you see how the evil machine is marching on when I put up sparkly lights onthe front of my house?? Dont you see how your a sure candidate for mental therapy because Christmas music is being heard over loudspeakers?

you dont see? you dont see?

this is all part of my evil plan of course, this christmas thing.....

[Steven]

Oh please. I'm as atheist as God ever made one and I still am not offended by the word "Christmas".

10 points for St Masey.....

[saechalyn]

Dont you see how your a sure candidate for mental therapy because Christmas music is being heard over loudspeakers?

Well I DID almost go crazy when I saw this...

But I recovered.

[phee]

Well I DID almost go crazy when I saw this...

But I recovered.

I R LAUGHING

[CandyQuackenbush]

I don't know why some people are so touchy about it.

I've never been the religious type, but I ALWAYS say "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year." But I also take the effort to say Happy Hanukkah and/or Happy Kwanzza. It never hurts my feelings if anyone says it back to me.

I don't like to say "Happy Holidays" I never liked saying it.

[Steven]

Well I DID almost go crazy when I saw this...

But I recovered.

wow.

but now that I look at it even Billy pussed out and said "Happy Holidays" and not "Merry Christmas", so he goes over in the grey scale portion of the pie chart too....

[Steven]

I don't know why some people are so touchy about it.

I've never been the religious type, but I ALWAYS say "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year." But I also take the effort to say Happy Hanukkah and/or Happy Kwanzza. It never hurts my feelings if anyone says it back to me.

I don't like to say "Happy Holidays" I never liked saying it.

me neither, I gag on it, chunky style.