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curious, if you don't celebrate Christmas.....
i am noticing a series of FB stuff right now with people freaking out over stores etc saying Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas.....if you don't celebrate Christmas for whatever reason, does it bother you if people wish you a Merry Christmas? i am not trying to start a religious debate. i was raised Catholic and even my handful of Jewish friends put up a Christmas tree b/c they want to.....so my exposure to people who truly do not celebrate Christmas at all is somewhat limited. (DH and I are not overly religious but do celebrate Christmas and its traditions.) I tend to just say Happy Holidays unless i know for sure the person celebrates Christmas.
just curious. i think that if someone wished me a Happy Hanukkah it wouldn't freak me out. also....does anyone here actually celebrate Kwanzaa? It is always in the catch-all of holidays but i haven't met anyone who actually celebrates it and I am curious what traditions they have (beyond just what i have read about it)
Re: curious, if you don't celebrate Christmas.....
someone on P&CE made this chart that made me laugh.
IMO people who get upset over someone (or a store) saying happy holidays instead of merry christmas are idiots. i mean, really? you can't accept the fact that not everyone celebrates christmas and you refuse to be inclusive? ugh, they need to get over themselves.
in my home town, they renamed the christmas parade the holiday parade and you would have thought that someone smacked baby jesus. people freaked out and wrote all kinds of letters to the editor of the local paper saying that they would refuse to participate in the parade or attend the parade until they changed the name back. grrrrr.
i mostly say happy holidays because it encompasses everything. if i know you/what you celebrate, then i will be specific. i wouldn't be bothered if someone wished me happy hanukkah.
neither of us is religious but DH & i celebrate christmas. though technically DH is jewish(ish). he was raised conservative - kept kosher, went to hebrew school until 9th grade, etc... he no longer practices/believes and celebrates christmas primarily because i do. i would celebrate hanukkah but it's just not important to him.
to me, happy holidays is just more considerate of everyone's celebrations. the fact that some people are up in arms about a more inclusive term is far more offensive to me.
I'm Christian and as such, Christmas is pretty important. However, I would be just as happy with someone telling me Happy Hanukkah as I would to hear Merry Christmas. To me it really is the holiday season, and happy holidays encompasses everything (including the new year, which isn't religious at all!)
Side note: I view Christmas as a birthday celebration as opposed to a specifically Christian belief event. In my opinion Easter, or other events are much more religious than Christmas. Since I view it as a birthday celebration, it's much more about spending time as a family, having fun, and yes- exchanging gifts!
I'm an atheist who celebrates Christmas (as a time for family and friend's). I say Happy Holidaya for a few reasons--a) it is inclusive; b) it is easier than saying Merry Christmas and Happy New Year; and c) hello? alliteration!
I am happy to receive whatever warm wishes are sent my way. There aren't enough moments of genuine caring--I'll take mine in whatever context.
A-frickin-men. I have a bunch of "friends" moaning about not being able to say Christmas in schools or why doesn't Macy's have pictures of baby Jesus up instead of Santa, etc. and my head hurts from rolling my eyes so hard.
ITA with all of this. I'm not offended by Happy Holidays at all.
Y'all are much more open-minded than some people I grew up with.
As a Jew, it gets pretty darn old people wishing me well for a holiday I don't celebrate, so I do appreciate the attempt to be more inclusive and say Happy Holidays. December can be a long month of explaining when people are trying to be nice and ask you about your Christmas plans, what DD is asking Santa to bring her, did you get your Christmas shopping done yet. I tend to ignore a "Merry Christmas" and not think twice because it doesn't really require engaging in a conversation about my beliefs.
I think 90% of my facebook friends are extreme liberals, so I don't see many of these comments, thankfully.
I don't know anyone who celebrates Kwanzaa, but I know some people who celebrate the winter solstice as their non-religious holiday.
I was raised Jewish and Methodist (but consider myself Jewish/atheist), and celebrate both Christmas and Hanukkah; DH is Jewish and never celebrated Christmas until we met. It doesn't offend me if people wish me a merry Christmas or send me Christmas cards (although I always stick to "happy holidays" and send holiday-neutral cards myself).
I do find it highly annoying, however, when (government) offices hold "Christmas" parties or public schools have "Christmas" concerts. I'm a big believer in the separation of church and state, and I don't think non-Christians should have Christian holidays shoved down their throat in their place of employment or study just because a lot of people assume that everyone celebrates Christmas or that Christmas isn't a religious holiday. Yes, many non-Christian celebrate Christmas (myself included), but that doesn't make it a national holiday, and it really does bother/offend some people when others assume that they celebrate a Christian holiday.
As for the people on Facebook that are bemoaning the loss of baby Jesus pictures and Christmas-specific references, suck it up. Christmas is everywhere - it looks like Santa threw up all over the shopping malls, and we're stuck hearing Christmas carols everywhere we go. No one is taking Christmas away from you by putting up a token menorah or saying "happy holidays" or asking that you be somewhat sensitive to others' beliefs.
And in case I forget to say it later this month, happy holidays to all
Baby248 - ETA 1/10/13
This is why I wish everyone a Happy Festivus.
Having said that, I went to Catholic School all my life, so I had little exposure to people who did not celebrate Christmas. But now, I have loads of friends who celebrate Hanaukah (spelling???) or nothing at all (that I would think would be the hardest situation).
I try to say, "Happy Holidays" because it is inclusive.
The Government office I work in is loaded with Christmas items and I find myself being taken aback by it. If I find it questionable I can only imagine how a non-Christian would feel.
thanks for this QS.
I'm a Christian who celebrates Christmas for what it truly is- the celebration of the birth of Jesus. I say "Merry Christmas" because basically everyone I know celebrates it. If I'm speaking with a stranger, I'll either still say "Merry Christmas" or "Have a good holiday." I am totally fine with "Happy Holidays" though.
Planning Bio
I don't celebrate it, DH's family does so we do it w/ them. I am actually a huge Grinch (Scrooge? see I don't even know the right name!) who can't stand it and the whole "oh it's the season, let's be nice to everyone" attitude. Oh yea?? why can't you be nice the other 11 months of the year?? Also, the way people spend $$ they don't have on crap no one needs really annoys me.
I hate all the holiday songs, religious decorations, etc etc.
But I don't care what ppl say to me, I prefer to hear "Happy Holidays" and depending on my mood may respond with "Happy Hanukkah" or "Happy New Year" if someone says "Merry Christmas" to me
I love New Year's, though, that's when we exchange gifts traditionally in my family. December 26th is probably my favorite day of the year LOL Great day to shop, too
I am one of those people who can't wait for the Holidays to be over and done with!
Ha ha ha! Love it.