"Holiday" Rant

[helblonde]

Get an f*ing grip, people. Just get an f*ing grip. It's Christmas. It's a national holiday and people can cope.

Our boss is going out of town tomorrow for a combination of work and leisure. He won't be around until January so he wished us all a Happy Holiday, since he can't say the "C" word at work. I think that's bullshit. It's a G-D national holiday and nobody should have to worry about being exclusionary by wishing people a Merry Christmas. No one get all het up about Thanksgiving do they? Who do folks think we're thanking, anyway? If you want a national holiday to get riled up about, how about ol' T-day? 

But nooooo, it has to be Christmas. For years now all I've been hearing is the hyped-up ongoing debate between the agressive Christians "Put the 'Christ' back into Christmas" on the one side and the super-PC, hardcore atheists "you can't foist your religion off on me" or, more insidious, "You can't say that and exclude all those people who aren't Christian" on the other side. 

Well, I live in the middle. I didn't grow up going to church. My mother was a hippy new-agist who wanted nothing to do with organized Christianity. My dad puts on whatever religion his current wife holds. With mom, he was a hippy; with wife2, he went the Santaria route; with wife3, he's a Christian.

But I'll tell you, I grew up with the whole Christmas shebang: trees and lights and cookies and Santa and caroling; the works. It had nothing to do with the birth of a very nice jewish boy 2000 years ago. It was about getting together with family, sharing a good meal, feeling the magic of wonder and anticipation, and, yes, exchanging a few gifts. It was burnishing memories with every ornament pulled from the boxes. It was bringing light back into the world with every candle lit. It was savoring the anticipation of others' joy whilst making the perfect gift. It was playing card games and talking long into the night. It was a very American holiday: no God, but goodness. 

Christmas, as most folks I've run across celebrate it, is a distinctly American day. It has all of the hallmarks of our tendency to collect pieces from all over, shake it up, and vomit it over the fronts of our houses. It is not a celebration closed to people. Plenty of jews, atheists, santarians, pagans, and whatever celebrate, because it doesn't have to have anything to do with the Christ child. It is simply a day to bring joy and magic back into the world, whether you do that by dressing up an evergreen, wishing Jesus a happy birthday, or just having a fun dinner with people you love.

So you can stuff your "Happy Holidays". Merry Christmas to all.

Comments

So, you up for a Hogswatch dinner in the gap there?

[learnteach.livejournal.com]

Or is hibernation the next plan?

Re: So, you up for a Hogswatch dinner in the gap there?

[helblonde.livejournal.com]

I'd love a Hogswatch dinner! It's my second favorite December holiday.

[shutt3rg33k.livejournal.com]

Technically, it wasn't about Christ when it started...

Rant on, sistah!

[goldenstag.livejournal.com]

People go a bit overboard in trying to be PC and not upset anyone. I'm okay with "Happy Holidays", but "Merry Christmas" does not upset me, either. It's just not that big a deal to me. The school is trying to cover different winter religions by having decorations for various holidays so "no one feels left out" ... sheesh. Oh well.

[razor-dancer.livejournal.com]

See, what I find funny about that is that they basically take whatever holidays are closest toChristmas and push them, regardless of how much significance they actually have. If it was actually about understanding or appreciating other religions, they would talk about/celebrate Rosh Hashana instead of Chaunakah.

*SIGH* this way everyone kinda gets shafted.

[helblonde.livejournal.com]

Exactly. The bat rastards.

[finickynarcane.livejournal.com]

Personally, I celebrate capitalism in December. However, "Happy Capitalism in December" is just too much of a mouthful so I settle on "Happy Holidays".

[helblonde.livejournal.com]

Merry Capitalismas does have a ring to it.

*hugs*

[semy-of-pearls.livejournal.com]

I like the phrase silverkun came up with some time back for his rather eclectic bunch of friends:

Happy Decemberween.

But hey! There's always 12th Night!

[helblonde.livejournal.com]

Have you read "Mr. God, This is Anna"? The main character, Anna, calls Jesus "Mr. God's boy" throughout. It's a neat little book.

[catagon3.livejournal.com]

Snicker!

"Christmas, as most folks I've run across celebrate it, is a distinctly American day. It has all of the hallmarks of our tendency to collect pieces from all over, shake it up, and vomit it over the fronts of our houses."

[helblonde.livejournal.com]

:)

Oh yeah!

[dame-cordelia.livejournal.com]

I grew up somewhat like you. The holidays weren't primarily religious but more about getting together with family and feeling good about our lives. We went to church fairly regularly, but we weren't fanatic about it.

The current PC thing annoys me. Let's pretend we are all exactly alike, rather than using this time to learn about and appreciate our differences. Feh!

I think it would be really neat to learn more about how other cultures celebrate their beliefs, but I know I'm in a minority on this one. (Probably not among my friends, but certainly among the people in this nation, generally speaking.)

Re: Oh yeah!

[helblonde.livejournal.com]

I feel the same way about PC-dom.

I love learning about how other folks do stuff. But I really resent attempts to make be feel guilty about celebrating Christmas because it's mainstream or a majority holiday (or however we can best put it).

Re: Oh yeah!

[dame-cordelia.livejournal.com]

No kidding! This country was settled (okay, invaded) by white Christian Europeans, mostly protestant.

Why those of us who happen to be white Christians (even if only culturally so) need to feel guilty about what we are escapes me.

I had a dradle that I didn't know how to use, and gave it to a co-worker who has a daughter aged 2 1/2. Neither he nor I have a problem with the undeniable fact that we are of different faiths and celebrate differently.