Have you ever been chastised for using, or not using, a particular greeting during the Christmas season?
Asked by
rojo (
24179
)
December 14th, 2018
As asked.
I mean either in person or on line.
Is this just a made up crisis?
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47 Answers
No. It’s a made up crisis.
It is a made up issue for all the evangelical snowflakes that get their feelings hurt.
I have never been allowed to use Xmas, because to many people in my area, that’s taking Christ out of Christmas.
Never ever. I agree that it’s made up, but it’s affecting people. A couple of years ago I was at check out in Walmart. When the lady in front was finished checking out she practically screamed “Merry Christmas!!” and started glaring around defiantly, daring someone to challenge her. A few people glanced up curiously because she was yelling so loud, but that’s it.
I take it the people in your area don’t know some ancient Greek history regarding Christ, @KNOWITALL.
“The “X” comes from the Greek letter Chi, which is the first letter of the Greek word Χριστός, which in English is “Christ”.
Never. I’ve definitely seen people freak out over it, though, like with the Starbucks red-cup crisis.
It already is a secular holiday. So is Easter.
Never. Ever.
And that includes places where Christianity is not the local religion.
Pretty much sums up my experience.
Except of social media and Fox News I have never heard of this being brought up let alone a problem.
Yes, I see where some stores use a more generic/secular choice in their words of cheer but I haven’t seen any legislation requiring it or experienced any written corporate mandates that demand it.
Much ado about nothing.
I’ve never had it happen to me, but I’ve heard that there are people who actually do scold about “Merry Christmas.”
If I were ever chastised for wishing someone “Happy Holidays,” I’d likely stop the lecture by saying, “Shut up.” Rudeness begets more rudeness.
No. People I encounter usually return a friendly greeting for a friendly greeting, regardless of what it is—sometimes with a simple “Same to you,” which implicitly affirms the greeting received.
Making a big fuss about it is nuts.
@KNOWITALL (why is your name in all caps?), the abbreviation was forbidden in my upbringing too (although, unlike yours, the context didn’t have geographical boundaries). I had one of those “I’m a grownup now” moments sometime in my thirties when I actually wrote “Xmas” on the side of a box of decorations. Xtn moral terrorists are some of the most unforgiving and unyielding people in the world.
I wished chef, as I do all the staff, a merry xmas, to which he replied…
“Huh, fat chance on these wages”
I of course fired him for gross impudence, cheeky bugger.
Never. Sometimes I say or get “Merry Christmas”; sometimes “Happy Holidays.” All the same to me.
@Jeruba (It’s always been in all caps since I started here. I’m kind of an ‘in your face’ kinda gal so it works haha)
To me, especially as an adult with no children, it has zero significance other than Jesus birthday. The commercialization is rather annoying.
As far as moral terrorists, well I think I’d say perhaps people like me have different standards of acceptable behavior FOR OURSELVES, or at least we are taught to, than other people. I mean my mom is the sweetest lady ever, has had homeless folks come in and take showers, or stay with her, one even lived in her basement for a few months, but when it comes to God/ religion, she can be a moral terrorist. We’ve argued about LGBT issues, cussing, all kinds of things. To you guys, I may be designated as a “Christian” but to her (and many others here), I’m definately not a very good one…lol But I’m okay with that and the choices I make for myself.
Believe it or not, I don’t like the fact that some of us, me included sometimes, try to hold non-theists to the same standards, like with abortion rights and other things. Just because we wouldn’t do it, doesn’t mean other people can’t, but it’s convoluted.
Well, not all Christians hold the same beliefs. Some realize that abortion is none of their business. Many are pro LBGT,etc. Many would step right up to help the immigrants, while others would just as soon shoot them all dead.
@Dutchess_III Of course we don’t. There are certain contradictions, and the churches teach people differently based on denomination. I told you about the LGBTQ church wars here and posted the article previously. Some welcome LGBTQ’s and some would rather send you to straight camp and marry you off in a hetero marriage to ‘save’ you. It all depends on the person.
And people tend to seek out churches whose doctrine matches their own.
I used to go to a Pentecostal church, Bethel, all through the 80s and into the early 90s. A couple of women were members, and I’m pretty sure they were / are gay. I put out a plea for a fridge, because mine had died, and they stepped up with a fridge they had sitting in their garage.
No one ever said a word about them being gay, or not. It was never brought up. I thought that was cool.
I have only seen conversations online. No personal comments.
I have all over my Facebook for the last 6 or 7 years people talking about this totally made up ridiculousness.
In real life I’ve never seen someone upset or angry about happy holidays or merry Christmas. A couple of days ago I wished a woman Merry Christmas and her response seemed surprised and she said Thank You. I went ahead and assumed she was Christian when she told me to have a blessed day. Her surprise seemed odd to me, I’ve never had that reaction before.
The whole upset about Xmas is annoying. That was text talk before texting was invented, and now we have to worry about offending people with it. It’s annoying.
The first time I saw a friend write “keep Christ in Christmas” I gave it a like. I thought it meant let’s not be so commercial and materialistic regarding Christmas, but she just didn’t want to see the X. It took me until halfway down her Facebook thread to figure it out.
The powers at be know making Christians feel attacked is very useful.
Never. I usually hear and say “Happy Holidays” or “Have a wonderful/great/nice holiday”
We all have, all over our Facebooks, @JLeslie.
My memories thing came up. A year ago I posted:
“Shall we start a thread called, “Offensive things that are found only on Facebook and no where else?”
I’ll start: The “War on Christmas.”
@Dutchess_III I suspect you have a more contentious Facebook feed than I have. I never have had a “war on Christmas” or whatever they are calling it thread on my newsfeed.
Possibly. I’ve done a lot of trimming in the last year. Come to think of it, I haven’t heard much about it this year at all.
It’s more than just Facebook a few years ago. People in real life talked about stores not allowing employees to say Merry Christmas. I heard people say, “I like saying Merry Christmas,” meaning they aren’t going to be intimadated. On Fluther we had Q’s where we point out Happy Holidays is more inclusive, and some jellies seem annoyed at the suggestion. No one was saying don’t say Merry Christmas, or that you shouldn’t say it, just that Happy Holidays covers everyone. Some people take offense. They perceive it as a war on Christmas, which is a war on Christianity, but no one is really at war with them over it. No one is trying to take away Christmas.
I have never, ever heard one single person comment on that.
I find it odd that many of the FB posts I get about the Merry Christmas thing are from England and Australia and they usually have a bunch of likes. So I assume it is not just a US thing anymore. BTW if I get them I usually go ahead and post South Park Merry Christmas link. But, I am kinda an assh*le like that.
@rojo That’s shocking to me that countries in Europe and Australia is talking about it too. I thought for sure it was a US thing.
This year I don’t hear it as much as 2–5 years ago.
I did like the bumpersticker I saw long ago: Keep the X in Xmas!
The only people who are talking about it are on the internet. I seriously doubt anyone is having any serious discussions about it IRL.
Well, for me, it does happen IRL. I was checking out of a local craft store, and the checker wished me a “merry Christmas,” to which I responded smiling, “Happy holidays!” She whipped around, and through a hard grimace, repeated strongly, “Merry Christmas.” I was caught off-guard and stopped to repeat, “Happy holidays.” Wow, she was angry! That was my first encounter with this, several years ago, and similar responses have occurred since every year except this one, but I don’t get out so much anymore.
This “merry Christmas” fight should go away, but we are too immature to let it. If someone truly wants to honor the L-RD’s birthday, for which we don’t know the date, which was (of course) not the original purpose for the day, which was once illegal to celebrate, etc.—if they are really that interested—why not celebrate it with love and a work toward peace?
Or maybe they could celebrate what He celebrated: Chanukah.
Yeah.
Do that.
^^^ Welcome to Fluther. I’m enjoying your posts.
As I said, I think it’s a made up crisis, but it does affect people who choose to take it seriously.
@Love my doggie—Thank you so much!
There’s another side to this coin – people who don’t observe Christmas, and who bristle when greeted with “Merry Christmas.” There’s no need to get offended by warm, good wishes, or to lecture someone about how not everyone celebrates the holiday. Just accept the small kindness and reply with “Happy holidays!” or “and the same to you!” There are too many real problems in this world; why create another one unnecessarily and make a person feel badly?
That’s the point. I have never had someone, either IRL or on Facebook, “bristle” when greeted with “Merry Christmas.” Have you ever actually experience it @Love_my_doggie ? I hear people talking about it supposedly happening but I have never seen it.
@Love_my_doggie Yeah, who is bristling? Pretty much no one. Maybe you can find one, but you can find one of anything.
The people who are bristling are the Christians who got all worked up by people using Happy Holidays, they started the fake war. It’s not the majority of Christians, it’s just this one bundle of them who WANT to feel under attack.
Response moderated
@Dutchess_III and @JLeslie Yes, I have encountered people who get all difficult about being wished a Merry Christmas. They don’t like the presumption that everyone celebrates the holiday.
Well, that’s a bummer @Love_my_doggie. If I ever actually encountered that outside of Facebook, I wouldn’t give them a second thought. I’d just go on my way. People like that just look for things to be offended about.
@Love_my_doggie How does that go exactly? You say Merry Christmas, and they say what?
For myself, I don’t do Christmas, but if someone wishes me a merry Christmas, I know that 99.99% of the time, it is out of a kind and grateful heart, with love. Who am I to trounce them? Am I their judge? Am I the purveyor of all Truth and Goodness? Not the last time I checked. When I become perfect, I will be the first to let all my friends and acquaintances know! <grin!>
*
HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL *
All you paranoid people who think so many people hate Christmas will be happy to know my Muslim friend from the UK just sent me (I’m Jewish) a photo of her new granddaughter dressed in a Christmas onesie, and a little video of Santa in his sleigh hopping rooftops with a Christmas wish.
I don’t think there is anyone who hates Christmas or takes offense at the words “Merry Christmas.” If any of you have actually experienced it, though, I would be interested in the details of your encounter.
Scrooge.
Oh, that’s right. Scrooge changed his mind.
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