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"Christmas Season"
If you aren't Christian (or heck, even if you are, pretend for a minute that you're not) are you offended by all of the emphasis on Christmas this time of year?
I just got myself involved in a post on TB about this because it's a sensitive subject for me. I think that, as Christians in a free country, we have a right to celebrate our holiday the way we choose. People of other religions also have that right. They can make as big (or not) a deal of their holidays as they want to. The way we Christians celebrate Christmas doesn't impede their ability to celebrate their holidays, and it bothers me when people complain that there's so much "Christmas" and not enough of the other holidays.
Well, whose responsibility is it to make a big deal about your holidays? I think asking Christians to scale back or change their holiday traditions because you don't make a big enough deal of your own for your liking is wrong. This is America, land of self-determination. You are responsible for your own holidays.
Re: "Christmas Season"
This goes along the lines of people who get offended when you say "Merry Christmas" to them in passing and they're not Christian. I celebrate Christmas therefore I will wish you a "Merry Christmas" as my default and you're more than welcome to reply with "Happy Hanukkah". Granted I won't say "Merry Christmas" when I know you celebrate another holiday. I think people just need to chill. It's not discriminatory in nature.
I know major cities, like Philadelphia, celebrate all of the winter holidays. The City has a large menorah in front of City Hall as they do a Christmas tree. There are a tree lighting and first night of Hanukkah lighting. I also know the City likes to promote the principles behind Kwanza. I don't know what more people could ask for.
I think what people sometimes forget is that this country was founded on a freedom OF religion not a freedom FROM religion.
I don't see anyone forcing anyone else to celebrate Christmas. However, the majority of people in this country do celebrate Christmas and should be allowed to. You see so much of it out there because there are so many of us who do celebrate it. You do see more retailers and people with people having holiday sales or holiday commercials these days to include the other religions who have major holidays around this time of year.
I couldn't agree with you more Tx "I think what people sometimes forget is that this country was founded on a freedom OF religion not a freedom FROM religion."
My coworker and I were actually having this discussion the other day. Her husband is Jewish but is not a practicing Jew. However yearly, he throws a fit about her decorating their house for Christmas and doesn't help at all because " I'm Jewish". And yet he has no qualms about receiving Christmas gifts. D has offered for years to do all the Jewish traditions associated with this time of year, and he refuses that too. I sometimes think people just like things to complain about when it comes to the holidays.
Also I have a tendency to think of Christmas as a time of year and not just a holiday. Its about the spirit of the season and not the gifts and decorations.
I can understand that line of thought; for me though, it's just second nature to say Merry Christmas instead of Happy Holidays. To me; to be pressured into saying Happy Holidays is akin to saying there is something wrong with my faith.
Checking in as not Christian.
I have no problems with the "Christmas Season". I'm basically atheist, and enjoy the Christmas Season in a secular way - gift giving, spending time with family, the general warm and fuzzy aspect of the holiday.
I appreciate when people wish me "Merry Christmas" or whatever else they choose to use. I take it for what it is meant - a seasonally appropriate, heartfelt greeting from a person who chooses to celebrate that holiday. It comes from a warm, happy place, and is well-intended. I couldn't be offended by that.
I get irritated with the fake war on Christmas bitching. I don't get offended at being wished a Merry Christmas, but I get offended when people emphasize it to prove how they're not PC or something like that. Having a company policy to say happy holidays to be inclusive (what a novel concept!) does not in fact mean that Christians are marginalized and persecuted.
I'm also irritated (not offended) with how long the Christmas season is.
The shittastic music everywhere actually does offend me, but that's an aesthetic offense.
YES.
Thank-you for being more articulate than me.
And, yes, we actually have a freedom from government endorsement of religion. You can feel free to celebrate all you want, as a citizen, but our government is prohibited from favoring one religion over another AND from favoring religion over non-religion. So, it's not enough to have a Christmas tree and a menorah to be considered inclusive.
It hasn't escaped my notice that only one other non-Christian answered a poll about what non-Christians feel.
This is pretty much how I feel. I was raised Christian, but no longer attend church, and really consider myself more agnostic. I am not offended by anyone wishing me a Merry Christmas. The H and I participate in gift exchanges with the family, but that is about the extent of it.
I don't get offended by anything regarding religion, as I am not sure where I stand. I have my own issues with the whole Birth of Christ/Christmas Day story, but that is another time and place. I love the "Christmas Season" for what it has come to mean in respect to goodwill, and the giving spirit.
I changed my name
Blame that on retail, not Christians.
Non christian checking in.
Am I offended? Well let's just say I dislike most holidays anyway so while I'm not offended I just don't get "it" or whatever the "holiday spirit" is supposed to be. I try to be kind year around and volunteer a lot so when I see a large sum of people being "generous" once a year so they can feel good about themselves, it makes my skin crawl. This time of year feels very fake and it's why we go on a trip instead. I'd rather spend quality time with my H and money to see the world than sit around a tree that is slowly dying with twinkle lights on it. Yup I'm a scrooge. lol
I hate that it starts in October too. For us, there are twelve days of Christmas that start the evening of Dec. 24th. Before that, it's advent, a time for quiet reflection, repentance and anticipation. In my mom's house growing up, they didn't even put up their tree until Christmas Eve, and they took it down the day after the Epiphany.
We put ours up the weekend before Christmas because we like to have a quiet evening looking at it Christmas Eve after an awesome home-cooked meal, and I can't cook a meal and decorate a tree at once.
ETA: Also, Christmas is not the most important holiday in Christianity. I don't know how it came to be such a big deal (I guess most of it is retailers) but Easter is far more important, religiously speaking.
I agree. As far as religious holidays go, Easter is most near and dear to me.
I understand what PPs have said about the marketing portion of Christmas, YES it has absolutely gotten out of hand. I refuse to decorate or purchase Christmas decorations until after Thanksgiving; same goes for Christmas music, movies, etc. etc. And as someone pointed out; you can thank retailers for that - NOT Christians. It drives me batty to see Christmas decor up before Halloween has even passed.
I was asked about the Christmas "season." It doesn't matter to me if Christians or retailers are the cause, the season is insanely long, and that's irritating. I don't think anywhere in my posts I said that Christians are irritating b/c they make a long Christmas season, so it's a strawman to point out that retailers cause it (and, no, they aren't responsible for creating drecky tunes).
Also, the OP said it was ridiculous (paraphrasing) to be asked to scale back traditions. So, that sort of implies that it's a Christian tradition (which I don't actually think it is) to have months long retail insanity. No one would be having this scaling back discussion if the holiday were limited to December 25 only. No one would say that there's too much Christmas if you just went to church at night and opened a couple presents the next morning and then went on your merry little way.
Retailers wouldn't do it if it was pointless, so I think I can blame consumers, too.