Advent Calendar ~ Day 22!

[bloodyrosemccoy]

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year?

That would be the occasional castigation for saying “Happy Holidays!” to your customers, who usually take it the way you mean it. Every once in a while, though, someone will stiffen and turn around to give you a good dressing-down.

 

They shouldn’t pick me. I brook no bullshit. “You do know the ‘War on Christmas’ is a false controversy created by Bill O’Reilly in order to cynically garner more ratings during this season, right?  People have been saying ‘Happy Holidays’ at least since the 50s—I can give you proof in the form of songs recorded in that era. Furthermore, ‘happy holidays’ is all-inclusive, which I like since Christianity certainly does not have a monopoly on midwinter holidays. The existence of other holidays does not actually cancel out yours, or threaten it in any way; in point of fact, Christmas is one of the holidays implied in the ‘Happy Holidays’ greeting.  However, if you would prefer, I will wish you a happy Christmas and a completely miserable New Year. In fact, let’s take it a step further and just wish you misery all around, since wishing you happiness obviously is not working.”

 

Yet another example of my signature move, the Blinding Infodump.  I could go on and on, but people usually give up before I can even get this far.

 

Also, I do not add that the other holidays implied in there include not only trumped-up Chanukah, the many and varied forms of Yule, Kwanzaa, and the New Year, but also Hogswatch, Giftmas, Festivus, Xmas, Titmas, and Atheist Children Get Presents Day.  Midwinter: the Do-It-Yourself Holiday.

Comments

[tay421.livejournal.com]

I want to use "Atheist Children Get Presents Day" somehow. That's pretty much all I grew up celebrating.

I haven't been saying anything unless they say it first... Even though I'm surrounded by CONSTANT CHRISTMAS, I don't really have it in my head that it's Christmas, and just keep going like it's just another day around just another time of year. Nobody'll get on my ass about it, though, because I won't be in again until well after Christmas. I guess I kinda lucked out, what with the snow storm and all.

[kittikattie.livejournal.com]

Also Giftmas!

Which caused hilariousness on Fandom Secrets this week.

[padparadscha.livejournal.com]

Dammit, knew I'd left one off the list! *adds*

So, dare I ask?

[kittikattie.livejournal.com]

http://community.livejournal.com/fandomsecrets/228813.html#cutid1 #109. Essentially, it's all "baaaaaw you're not calling it Christmas you call it Giftmas I AM OFFENDEDED STOP MAKING ME ANGRY."

[padparadscha.livejournal.com]

Ah, classic War On Christmas.

I just say "Christmas" myself--habit--but that makes me a hypocrite because I'm not actually a Christian, and I am in fact simply celebrating something closer to Giftmas. I have learned to live with this.

[shaysdays.livejournal.com]

Yeesh- how many of them are, "I like so and so. WTF, self?" every week?

[kittikattie.livejournal.com]

All of them. That and "I'd hit it" or "I ship it."

How about some creativity?

[shaysdays.livejournal.com]

"I want to tie up Roy Orbison and cover him in saran wrap. My secret? It's not just me."

[kadharonon.livejournal.com]

I grew up celebrating Christmas in a family that became openly Atheist when I was about... 10, maybe? So it's Christmas. And if I have kids, they will probably celebrate Christmas as well, even though it makes no sense for them too. (Perhaps "Rampant Consumerism Holiday Season", a great spread of gluttony and purchasing that goes from Thanksgiving through New Years.)

My dad's been listening to Free Thought Radio and reading the Freedom From Religion newspaper a lot, though, so he's started calling it "Winter Solstice Holiday" as of this year.

[sofish-sasha.livejournal.com]

Christmas in Swedish = Jul. 'Tis a good word, it means we don't have anything like "the war on Christmas" here. :P

[kattahj.livejournal.com]

Yay our pagan roots! Jul is so much cooler than Christmas anyway. :-) Though it's important to realize some people still don't celebrate. I work at a school with mostly Muslim kids, and I wished them happy vacation time, to cover my bases.

[zimwifepgk.livejournal.com]

I've never understood why it matters so much to some people that they be wished a nice celebratory day in a certain particular way. Oh look, a complete stranger bagging up your clothes for you at a department store, who has no idea what religion or lack thereof you practice or what holiday you may or may not celebrate at this time of year, has just offered you a cheerful greeting. But she didn't say exactly the right words HOLY CRAP she must be SATAN and want to OPPRESS YOU. Because of course there's a sign above each person's head that says 'celebrates Christmas,' 'celebrates Kwanzaa,' etcetera, and you should KNOW.

It's the thought that counts, you crazy wankers, and somebody just expressed hope that you'd have a good day or even set of days. GET OVER YOURSELVES.

[shadesofmauve]

I think it matters to them so much because someone (Bill O'Reilly, this time) told them it should.

I wish it was more complex than that, but seriously - this whining is incredibly recent and had one source. There are people who are willing to be lead by the nose, and they were.

[zimwifepgk.livejournal.com]

Bluuuh, that is true and sad. =/ You'd think that logic and real-world evidence and experience would be able to counteract the ravings of people like O'Reilly, but somehow, for a lot of people...it just doesn't happen.

[gwalla.livejournal.com]

You'd think that logic and real-world evidence and experience would be able to counteract the ravings of people like O'Reilly

He wouldn't have a career if they did.

[songfire3.livejournal.com]

*g* You win! Thankfully this little bit of american culture hasn't made it over here (yet). We get to cringe over Prada Papa Ratzi instead (GAAAHH!!)...sigh. That said, I wish you a merry and bright yule! :)

[cjtremlett.livejournal.com]

I have a spiritual holiday at Solstice and a cultural holiday at Christmas and enjoy both in their own ways. And Happy Holidays covers everything!

You left off Dies Natalis Solis Invicti!

[wendyzski.livejournal.com]

this.

[jesperanda]

I have a spiritual holiday at Solstice and a cultural holiday at Christmas and enjoy both in their own ways. And Happy Holidays covers everything!

That about sums it up. (Same deal with Halloween, minus the "happy holidays" part.)

[gwalla.livejournal.com]

Merry metaquotemas!

[pixel39.livejournal.com]

Oh, and Wintereenmas. And Melmtide (which, being an open-source holiday that my husband made up, is really whenever you want to have it).

[germankitty]

(in through metaquotes)

I've never understood the brouhaha over "Happy Holidays", either, for much the same reasons you cited. Over here in Germany, everybody and their aunt wishes others "Happy Holidays" (which so nicely includes New Year's); we even have cards in the stores with just that printed over the stereotypical winter landscape, Christmas tree or other seasonal picture -- and NOBODY blinks an eye.

If Germans want to emphasize the Christian aspect, they're more likely to wish each other "merry and blessed Christmas".

[tigerdreams.livejournal.com]

(in via metaquotes)

"One day, every soldier in the Empire has to bathe in the blood of your sacrificial bulls; the next, they don't even remember your birthday."
---Neil Gaiman, "American Gods"

So many of these "War on Christmas" types seem blissfully (and, perhaps, willfully) oblivious to the fact that Christmas did not originate with Christianity, and there are plenty of other midwinter holidays with just as valid a claim to the season. Why do they think that members of minority religions are less deserving of well-wishes? It saddens me.

[queenlyzard.livejournal.com]

Good for you, damnit! I need to borrow that speech.