Mal Posted December 8, 2011 Report Share Posted December 8, 2011 Whatever happened to just "Happy Holidays"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Battra92 Posted December 8, 2011 Report Share Posted December 8, 2011 Whatever happened to just "Happy Holidays"? Happy Holidays is something that people say when they are afraid of offending someone. No one ever opens their door to a friend for a holiday gathering and says "Happy Holidays" because they are so afraid that some asshole might get offended by their celebration of Christmas. I always thought Ben Stein had the best way of putting it: Too Long to Post Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheFlyingGerbil Posted December 8, 2011 Report Share Posted December 8, 2011 (edited) Shouldn't that be whatever happened to just "happy Christmas"? Happy holidays is the non-religious, non-offensive, politically correct phrase that everyone in this country makes fun of Americans about. edit. looks like battra beat me to it - I'm too addicted to come dine with me! Edited December 8, 2011 by TheFlyingGerbil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deanb Posted December 8, 2011 Report Share Posted December 8, 2011 Where the fuck did "merry" go? Or is this an English Vs English thing? It's not "ho ho ho, happy holidays". It's "Ho ho ho, merrrry christmas". Anyway as has been stated many many times over the decades christmas is no more a chrisitan celebration as greenland is green. @Misterjack: I know one person. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheFlyingGerbil Posted December 8, 2011 Report Share Posted December 8, 2011 that didn't sound too merry! Anyway, the general phrase is "merry christmas and a happy new year" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Battra92 Posted December 8, 2011 Report Share Posted December 8, 2011 Going back to the war on religion in this country, my wife informs me that we are no longer celebrating Christmas, we're celebrating the winter solstice. We now have a solstice tree and solstice lights and are giving each other solstice presents. I'm okay with this, except unlike Christmas I have to work on the solstice. On the one hand it's a rediculous and supurfluous gesture to attract attention and eye rolls; on the other if you are both non-Christians then at least it's being somewhat honest with yourself. Still, I don't know how an atheist can ever celebrate a true holiday. They do stand for Holy Day after all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mister Jack Posted December 8, 2011 Report Share Posted December 8, 2011 I watched that Rick Perry video a few minutes ago. Jesus Christ I underestimated just how offensive it was. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheFlyingGerbil Posted December 8, 2011 Report Share Posted December 8, 2011 I celebrate people giving me presents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deanb Posted December 8, 2011 Report Share Posted December 8, 2011 Still, I don't know how an atheist can ever celebrate a true holiday. They do stand for Holy Day after all. I'm pretty sure winter festivals are untouched by the "holy day" stuff. It's winter solstice regardless of whether folks associate it with the birth of jesus or not. While I'm all pro having Christmas slapped on stuff I do find it a bit silly that Christians of all people are against the subverting of particular winter based holidays given Christmases origins. Anywho back to Rick Perry for a moment: 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post SixTwoSixFour Posted December 8, 2011 Popular Post Report Share Posted December 8, 2011 Still, I don't know how an atheist can ever celebrate a true holiday. They do stand for Holy Day after all. Religion is not the only reason to celebrate something ever, and saying so is a pretty dumb thing to say. Had to get that out of the way before the start of my rant. The whole "War on Christmas" thing that the Christian right has going on is absolutely ridiculous. If there is any kind of resentment, or resistance, of Christmas, it is because the Christian right jams it down our throats 'til we choke. People boycott stores for saying "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas." BOYCOTT them for acknowledging that there is more than one holiday, that more than one religion deserves to be represented in a land founded on the idea of religious freedom. Any "war" going on here is one that they have started. Fox News lambastes the current Rhode Island governor for advertising the tree in the Statehouse as a "Holiday Tree" rather than a "Christmas Tree," as though this were some kind of atrocity. 3,500 protesters. Over "holiday" versus "Christmas." And contrary to Fox's reports, the governor before him (who, incidentally, was a Republican, while this one is a Democrat) did the EXACT SAME THING. He called his tree a Holiday Tree too. And nobody marched on HIS house. And for anyone who suggests that it's about "remembering our history" and "the pilgrims" and "the founding fathers", go read a history book. The Founding Fathers kept the Continental Congress open for Christmas like any other day. The pilgrims actually outlawed the celebration of Christmas, and put a fine on anyone who said "Merry Christmas"! It's not about the past. It's about you shoving your religion in other people's faces. I'm a deist. There are no "deist holidays." And I'm not going to insist that some are created. And it disgusts me to see Christians taking a land founded on religious freedom, and trying to turn it into another Christian kingdom. Fighting gay rights, not on any real principle, just because "the bible says so" and because you have an icky feeling. Insisting on "one nation under god" and "in god we trust", trying to force prayer in school in a complete lack of respect for people who are of a different faith. Trying to put your religious quotes in courthouses, in buildings of government and law! And yes, making us all choke on your idea of what Christmas should be. Especially ironic since, according to your own scholars, Christmas isn't even the birth of Christ. It's just the celebration of it, moved to winter so that you can steal the spotlight from other religion's holidays, especially Winter Solstice. 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P4: Gritty Reboot Posted December 8, 2011 Report Share Posted December 8, 2011 Still, I don't know how an atheist can ever celebrate a true holiday. They do stand for Holy Day after all. Then I assume Christians shouldn't celebrate Easter since the word originates with a pagan deity? Seems silly to invalidate one's participation in certain events just because of etymology. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMightyEthan Posted December 8, 2011 Report Share Posted December 8, 2011 On the one hand it's a rediculous and supurfluous gesture to attract attention and eye rolls; on the other if you are both non-Christians then at least it's being somewhat honest with yourself. I agree it's silly, I was perfectly content to celebrate a secular Christmas in which we remember the birth of Santa, but whatever, it doesn't actually matter to me. But with her I don't think it's for attention because I don't think she plans to broadcast it, I think it's more just for the sake of intellectual honesty. Tangentially: I thought "happy Christmas" was the British saying, and "merry Christmas" was the American one. Was I wrong? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P4: Gritty Reboot Posted December 8, 2011 Report Share Posted December 8, 2011 The only time I've ever heard "Happy Christmas" is on Harry Potter, so maybe? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luftwaffles Posted December 8, 2011 Report Share Posted December 8, 2011 (edited) I watched that Rick Perry video a few minutes ago. Jesus Christ I underestimated just how offensive it was. My dad didn't believe me when I first told him about it. I sent him the video and he still didn't want to believe it. It must be political campaign mass suicide month. First Cain, now Perry, and I'm guessing Bachmann before the month is through. Regarding the greeting thing, though, in my experience the same people who get pissed off when someone tells them "Merry Christmas" as opposed to the religion-neutral "Happy Holidays" are the same people who get bent out of shape when someone says "god bless you" if they sneeze. Seems a ridiculous thing to get mad about. Edited December 8, 2011 by Sporkwaffles Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheFlyingGerbil Posted December 8, 2011 Report Share Posted December 8, 2011 (edited) @ TME: yes you are wrong and you are now on Santa's naughty list. "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" is a popular secular sixteenth-century English carol " so we've been saying it since before you lot existed. Edited December 8, 2011 by TheFlyingGerbil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P4: Gritty Reboot Posted December 8, 2011 Report Share Posted December 8, 2011 @ TME: yes you are wrong and you are now on Santa's naughty list. "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" is a popular secular sixteenth-century English carol " so we've been saying it since before you lot existed. Blasphemy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMightyEthan Posted December 8, 2011 Report Share Posted December 8, 2011 Regarding the greeting thing, though, in my experience the same people who get pissed off when someone tells them "Merry Christmas" as opposed to the religion-neutral "Happy Holidays" are the same people who get bent out of shape when someone says "god bless you" if they sneeze. Seems a ridiculous thing to get mad about. Have you ever known anyone to get pissed off when someone says "Merry Christmas"? The only anger I've ever seen wrt the greeting is when Christians flip the fuck out because someone says "Happy Holidays". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
excel_excel Posted December 8, 2011 Report Share Posted December 8, 2011 (edited) I watched that Rick Perry video a few minutes ago. Jesus Christ I underestimated just how offensive it was. My dad didn't believe me when I first told him about it. I sent him the video and he still didn't want to believe it. It must be political campaign mass suicide month. First Cain, now Perry, and I'm guessing Bachmann before the month is through. Regarding the greeting thing, though, in my experience the same people who get pissed off when someone tells them "Merry Christmas" as opposed to the religion-neutral "Happy Holidays" are the same people who get bent out of shape when someone says "god bless you" if they sneeze. Seems a ridiculous thing to get mad about. I actually couldn't believe what I was watching. It was almost a parody of how a stereotypical republican candidate acts but like just put to the extreme. Man, I just.....the two things he talks about are completely unrelated. Its like someone saying, 'I think its wrong how fur is sold but people are free to use deodorant that causes the global warming' or some dumb shit Edited December 8, 2011 by excel_excel 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMightyEthan Posted December 8, 2011 Report Share Posted December 8, 2011 Not to mention that the prayer in schools thing isn't even true. You can pray in public school as much as you want. You can pray all goddamned day if you want to (though you might get in trouble for not paying attention...) That's the free exercise clause. The only thing that is not allowed is that the (public) school cannot sponsor prayer. That's the establishment clause. FFS! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deanb Posted December 8, 2011 Report Share Posted December 8, 2011 You know you've got a problem when a random poster on some gaming forum is potentially a better presidential candidate than the actual people running for president. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luftwaffles Posted December 8, 2011 Report Share Posted December 8, 2011 Regarding the greeting thing, though, in my experience the same people who get pissed off when someone tells them "Merry Christmas" as opposed to the religion-neutral "Happy Holidays" are the same people who get bent out of shape when someone says "god bless you" if they sneeze. Seems a ridiculous thing to get mad about. Have you ever known anyone to get pissed off when someone says "Merry Christmas"? The only anger I've ever seen wrt the greeting is when Christians flip the fuck out because someone says "Happy Holidays". Only one guy, but he had his browser homepage set to r/atheism so it was that kind of deal. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMightyEthan Posted December 8, 2011 Report Share Posted December 8, 2011 Ah, yeah. I'm an atheist, but I totally agree that militant atheism is just as bad as militant religion. ("Militant" in the non-literal sense... though I guess it's true of the literal sense as well.) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deanb Posted December 8, 2011 Report Share Posted December 8, 2011 r/atheism are a bunch of cockbags and generally worse than most religious folks you'll meet on the net. I was somewhat bummed when reddit went down yesterday n it ended up popping on front page for me . (there are some funny parts mind, but not worth being subbed. At the3 very least that rick perry thing has to lead a change from the usual facebook posts it used to consist of) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SixTwoSixFour Posted December 9, 2011 Report Share Posted December 9, 2011 You know you've got a problem when a random poster on some gaming forum is potentially a better presidential candidate than the actual people running for president. I was going to say "who" but then I realized I would vote for just about any of you over Rick Perry =P 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P4: Gritty Reboot Posted December 9, 2011 Report Share Posted December 9, 2011 Aww... thanks? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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