Category: the Rant Board
Okay, this has been getting on my nerves a lot and especially this year. I understand it is Christmas, and most of the people will celebrate it regardless if they are firm Christian believers or not. The one thing I cannot stand is when people attempt to shove it down my throat, a non-Christian who doesn't celebrate Christmas. People around me that I don't celebrate it, but they continue to wish me Mary Christmas, or what will you do for Christmas, or any other Christmas related activity or phrase. I think it is a little disrespectful to me as those people know I don't celebrate it but still feel the need to shove it at my face.
I in those instances will politely say, thank you, and to you to.
I also don't understand the harm in saying happy New Year’s? I mean, happy New Year simply playing it on the safe side by respecting all the faiths that do not follow Christmas but you’re still wishing them a greeting. It is printed on official notices, on government buildings and also in newspapers. Is it that much difficult for people to adopt it, and start using it more frequently?
I could be just overreacting to the stress of huge traffic on freeways, large lines and crowds at the mall or so on, but this is just something that's been getting on my nerves and on the nerves of likeminded individuals.
It's polite and friendly to say "merry Christmas" and a happy new year". Even if you don't celebrate christmas as a religious holiday, you'll probably at least take advantage of the time off. I'm not sure how wishing you a merry Christmas is shoving it down your throat. What I do know is there was a time when it was politically incorrect to say "Christmas". I was a strong non-christian at the time, and that always bothered me even then. Be polite, wish it back and move on. It takes a lot more effort to take offense to someone than to smile and move on. Besides, Christmas is about more than the birth of Jesus Christ. It's the whole social, family and friend aspect, to say nothing of the blatent commertialization. You don't need to celebrate it by any means. But it is part of north American culture.
I personally think you're being a bit oversensitive. Christmas is now mostly a commercial holiday rather than a religious one, and so is often celebrated regardless of one's faith. So whether they should or not, people are probably assuming you celebrate it. How is that shoving it down your throat? Now mind, if someone already knows you don't celebrate it, and they keep talking to you about it, then yes, that is being rude. But if it's a stranger or someone who doesn't yet know that you don't celebrate it, they're just trying to make conversation with you.
It seems a bit hypocritical that you expect people to wish you a happy new year, but you scoff at the idea of someone saying merry Christmas to you. The two holidays are practically connected, at least in cultural significance, so how is it any different?
firstly, I got annoyed at the people who were the closest to me, IE, close friends, neighbors, etc wishing me mary christmas since they know I don't celebrate it. Afterall, what is wrong with saying happy holidays?
And no, new years and christmas other than somewhat close proximity to each other have nothing to do with each other. New years is a full week after christmas.
But you still do realize that December 25th is commonly referred to as Christmas. I mean, your obviously familiar with that deligation of terms. December 25th equals christmas. Now the word merry, and here I'm assuming you know this also, means good, happy, joyous. Thus, all they are wishing you is that you have a good, happy, and joyous time on december 25th. Its a bit specific, I'll grant you, but really, where's the harm in telling someone, "I hope you have a happy day today"?
Since you are a non-christian, to you the day is just december 25th, but if you said christmas, you'd automatically be meaning december 25th. Its a date, nothing more. So, they're wishing you a good day and wondering what you'll be doing on that day, which most people have off of work/school. Its just the easiest and most common way they know of asking you what you'll be doing on december 25th. What is there to be offended about?
I hate when people say that if you don't like it you can kiss there ass. I don't believe in the hogwash though I do participate in Christmas. You'll never see me jamming anything down someone's throat.
Well said, Lightning.
I had a similar incident with a neighbor a few days ago. I do celebrate Christmas and I do say Merry Christmas instead of Happy Holidays because when most people say Happy Holidays nowadays it's to be politically correct and appease those religions who don't celebrate Christmas, when in fact it's basically a blanket ban, especially in schools, on wishing anyone a happy holiday in each individual's own fashion. They're not even allowed to call them Christmas Trees in school anymore. THey have to call it a Holiday Tree. That wasn't what the separation of church and state was about when it was first implemented. It was meant to insure that neither church nor government would have too much influence over the other. But getting back to the topic, I celebrate Christmas but I generally don't listen to Christmas music or watch many Christmas programs or movies in the days and weeks leading up to it. So when my folks' neighbor came over to help me with their dogs (I'd been house sitting for my folks due to a bit of a family emergency), and she realized I was watching Cash Cab on TV instead of something Christmasy, she tried to make me change it to the Turner CLassics channel or someting, which for the past few weeks has been showing old old Christmas movies. Of course I put my foot down because to ask for that in one's own house is one thing, but to basically demand it in someone else's is another matter entirely. I need hardly point out that she's done the same thing on other issues, such as my interest in playing the guitar and tin whistle instead of the piano. She just couldn't comprehend that anyone would have no desire to listen to Christmas music or watch those programs.
I love Christmas and I identify as atheist. My stomach doesn't even turn over when I hear the Christian songs. Honestly, anymore I see Christmas as more an American secular tradition than something owned, operated and under copyright by Christians. Christmas is everyone's bag of marbles to do what they wish with, not just the Christians, and that includes ignoring it altogether. If I wish people merry Christmas, that's all I mean. There is no underlying political or religious message beneath it, I just wish people well during a winter festival that I personally have always known as Christmas. I would also never tell somebody to just basically shut up and go along with the majority. So nope, no asses kissed, no deaths in or out of fires, no trips to the nonexistent hell. Live and let live, you do your thing and I'll do mine, that's about it.
I dare say, I am sort of glad the rifraf is over.
Oh, I definitely agree. Once Christmas day is done, I'm not interested in hearing the music or watching the movies or whatever. Time to finish the leftovers, get ready for any new year's things and get back into the groove of life.
Unfortunately, the decorations will stay up, and the music will continue to play until people look at there calendars and realize its valentine's day.
Music's stopped on the radio out here. Decorations stay up till New Year's, once the women take down all the shiny and fluffy stuff, I take the tree out and demolish / put it in bins for the recyclers.
Yup. That's pretty much my folks as well. And since they didn't get around to their usual decorating this year that should be a fairly easy task.
I too am very glad it's over. The music on the radio went back to normal the next day. My Dad's tree will likely come down this weekend, once he has time off work to take it down. It can just all stay away till next....October. Ugh. Way too early!
Oh I agree that is early!
It is crazy! Here in Canada we celebrate Thanksgiving in October, and usually RIGHT after Thanksgiving the Christmas stuff is up. I heard a Christmas song just before halloween this year..... that's a bit early! And two radio stations started playing all Christmas music in mid-November. I wholed out in my office playing a local radio station that held out for as long as they could :)
This is why I prefer talk radio.
I don't even listen to the radio anymore and haven't for many years. But I especially avoid it nowdays since Autotune has flooded the airwaves with people who otherwise would have stayed off the air where they belonged. Because they're even autotuning Christmas music now. Shudder...
Nope, if I'm playing any Christmas stuff for me to hear, it's my own collection. I don't like the stuff the radio plays. This year I really watched more Christmas movies and cartoons than just listened to any music.
Radio? What's a radio? Oh yeah! One of those antiques. Haha.
You can still find 'em in cars LOL.
I've stopped listening to the radio too. watch, they'll start Christmas music before halloween next year ... *hides ...*
Frankly, I think getting angry at folks for wishing you a merry Christmas is just an attention getting response. Hell, they're just trying to be nice. Accept it and go on with your life.
BTW: happy holiday Mr. Scruge.
Bob Cratchet
Bob, I think there are many many more people who are afraid of offending others than there are really truly offended people. Thank you, Fox News, for manufacturing a fake war so you can get ratings, stupid jerks! I hope Santa put coal in all your stockings! LOL!
I get more angry with the Happy Holidays spiel personally. But I get even angrier about kids having to call it a holiday tree in schools now. As far as I'm concerned it's usst an extension in a different direction of the same ridiculous thought processes that mean a child can be punished for sexual harassment for hugging his friend.
Early Christmas music really can be bothersome, especially since most of it is just uninspired rehashes of classic songs, redone in order to make them sound "modern". Me? I stuck with Trans-Siberian Orchestra most of the month of December to get my Christmas spirit fix. They're a great band, with a little something for everyone.
Oh agreed. One year I want to see them in concert.
I agree. It really sets my teeth on edge whenI hear Autotune in Christmas music. Of course Autotune sets my teet on edge during all parts of the year but even more so when it's used for Christmas music.
A little off topic I suppose, but one thing I never understood about Auto-tune: Why does it have to be so blatent? It's one thing to hear a studio recording, but when you can actually hear the auto-tune, that I don't get.
Because people today love the sound of synthetic music. Synthesizers spark something in people I think. I don't really understand it.
It's bad enough that the music itself is fake but now even the vocals have to sound fake also. Not thhat I actually have anything against synthesizers (otherwise I wouldn't listen to the incredible music of Jean-Michel Jarre). But these days the music all sounds the same and is almost physically painful to listen to, at least for me. And it's even showing up in Christmas music now.
Yes, it is horrible.