What is going on with all this thing about MERRY CHRISTMAS OR HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!! Are we about to loss the happiest time of the year.
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND LOTS OF LOVE!!! 
At my house and with my family..We have a CHRISTMAS tree and celebrate CHRISTMAS because were are Christian. I send CHRISTMAS cards. I wish everyone a MERRY CHRISTMAS.
For any friends who are not Christain, I send them less specific 'Holiday' cards. However, I don't personally know anyone who would be offended if I wished them a merry Christmas, even if they are Muslim or Jewish, etc..because they understand the implied sentiment.
All this "holiday tree' crap is just politicians and left-wingers who have too much idle time. It's been Christmas for how long?? Like 2000 years? DUH! Why can't they leave it alone.
They can call it holiday break, or winter break, or whatever they want to. We all know what December 24th and 25th are. It will never be taken away. Just like Hannukah or Eid, etc. These are things that outlast time itself!!
FOR GOODNESS SAKE!!!
Firstly....
Silent Night
The First Noel
Away In A Manger
with a little bit of:
Jingle Bells
Santa Claus Is Coming To Town and
Santa Baby thrown in just for a little fun!!
AMEN to the above posts!!!
I was at Old Time Pottery yesterday (a craft/home wares store)...I noticed that I did not hear one song (over their loudspeaker system) that was about the birth of Christ. They were all very generic "holiday" songs or about Santa, etc. And I was looking for a nativity scene...didn't find one....an employee told me that they didn't have any this year?????? 
I mentioned something about it to the cashier about how sad I thought it was that the whole reason for Christmas was just being "deleted" all over the world. She told me that they're not allowed to play anything that mentions Christ or the word Christmas!!! 
According to her, their home office sent them cd's with the songs that were allowed to be played. Unreal!!! I had already paid for my items, but that did it for me. I thanked the cashier and then proceeded to the customer service counter and asked for a refund. They asked the obligatory "why are you returning these?" ... and I told them I didn't want to spend my money with a company that has omitted Christ from Christmas. They got a manager & I expained my reasons again...she was floored. Speechless for a minute, even. She eventually said, "Ma'am...I understand. I'm sorry the store's policies & practices have offended you." Then she OFFERED me the number/address and NAMES of top executives @ their home office to contact about this issue. She, in fact, urged me to do so....I think because she agreed with me, but was unable to state it. She gave me a nod & a look that said..."I agree...it's wrong!". While all of this was going on there were a few bystanders who heard/observed what was going on. When it was all done & my refund was in hand....They applauded me?!!? 
I was not rude in the least to the manager or other employees....just very disappointed and saddened. I guess others obviously feel the same way.
Sorry so long...but this has been a major issue to me this Christmas. Just thought I would share my thoughts & experience concerning it...thanks for reading!! 
JennT, Its people like you that this world needs more of. Thank You.
AMEN!! JennT, I am glad you did what you did. My husband and I were just talking about this whole happy holidays thing and trying to figure out how we could make a difference. I applaud you for finding a polite way to stand up for CHRIST this CHRISTmas season!!! I don't understand why CHRISTians are allowing this to go as far as it has already. I have been paying attention this year to how many times I am wished happy holiday verses Merry CHRISTmas. I am sad to say more often that I want to hear it. I in return have been saying Merry CHRISTmas back to everyone regardless of what they say to me. I haven't had anyone say anything back rude but I have gotten a few looks. I don't mind because for those few looks, I have gotten far more Merry CHRISTmas wishes back to me. It is as if people are afraid to say it. I am a CHRISTian so I celebrate CHRISTmas. I don't try to force my religion on anyone and don't want anyone forcing mine out of me. If I were to be wished Happy Hanukkah I would more than likely say, Happy Hanukkah to you and have a Merry CHRISTmas too!! That way I would not be rude and also let them know I celebrate CHRISTmas.
Anyhow, sorry to rant on its just a very troubling subject right now for me and my family!
MERRY CHRISTmas to all!!
We are lucky where we live, the kids here are singing "Away in a Manger" and "Little Drummer Boy" at a public school. The parents are allowed to bring stuff with santas and the classrooms all have Christmas trees in them. The teachers in each class decide what to do so one parent won't ruin it for the whole school.
I went to schools on military posts for most of the first 7 grades and we had at least one year where there was a Jewish girl in the class. Instead of throwing a fit her father came in and told us a little about her holiday, we sang at least one Hanukkah song in the program and she participated in our stuff. I guess I don't see why it's going to greatly harm anyone if they see something from a religion they don't practice.
I think so much stuff is going overboard anymore anyway, my mom tells me that in Minnesota tney have to bring store bought treats to school and get permission from the administration first. This is to keep the kids from getting something they shouldn't, here they are happy to get stuff and the teachers are responsible to make sure that kids with restrictions don't get it. COMMON SENSE!!!!
Christmas is a religious holyday. It was not a holiday until the politicians got involved. It is a day to be celebrated because it is the birthday of our Savior Jesus Chirst. Even a lot of Jewish people believe that Jesus was a great and religious man even though they do not believe Him to be the Messiah. We celebrate Lincoln's birthday even if we were from the South. We celebrate M L King's birthday even if we are white. We celebrate Chirst at Christmas because in the United State of America we have the freedom of religion. That means that our freedom to express our religious beliefs should not be repressed. I for one hate seeing the term x-mas. Does that mean that terrorists can celebrate BinLadenmas on Dec 25, or devil worshipers can celebrate Satenmas on Dec 25? No. Christmas is what it is..... CHRISTmas. If you don't want to celebrate it with us.....stay home and be a scrooge. After all we as Christians have the right to celebrate it ....... if you ask us, we will help you celebrate Hannukah or Eid.......after all....we are all God's children.
Thanks everyone...good to know I'm not alone in these thoughts/feelings about it being taboo for Christmas to be Christmas and not some over secularized, generic "holiday". Not trying to exclude anyone of other beliefs, but I for one would never dream of scoffing at a Jewish person or a Muslim when they wished me a "Happy Hannukah", etc. Or expect them to call their religious observance/celebration by a name other than what it is, just so I am more comfortable or less offended or feel more included, or whatever...
I looked up the definition of the word holiday just to see what it was about the word that made people so much more comfortable in using it, rather than the word Christmas....what I read calmed me down a bit on this whole issue...and also made me realize that the people pushing the word holiday and silencing Christmas just may have shot themselves in the foot on this one....
Webster's Dictionary...definition....Holiday:
Main Entry: 1hol·i·day
Pronunciation: 'hä-l&-"dA, British usually 'hä-l&-dE
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English hAligdæg, from hAlig holy + dæg day
1 : HOLY DAY
2 : a day on which one is exempt from work; specifically : a day marked by a general suspension of work in commemoration of an event
3 chiefly British : a period of relaxation : VACATION -- often used in the phrase on holiday; often used in plural
Notice that the primary definition (1) is HOLY DAY, the secondary is the commemoration of an event...Holy Day...Event...I think some people should just think more on what event that was so holy it is that we're commemorating. Then they just might realize that the word means more than it's least (third) definition...vacation...which seems to be the one being so advocated & shoved in our faces. Christmas is more than just a vacation from work...it's a HOLY DAY.
ps. Here's the link for the Merriam-Webster Dictionary site where I looked it up..... http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary
Thank you JennT for taking time to research and posting it for all of us.
To quote myself from another thread (where I was off topic ... sorry RaRaRobin)...
SUMMARY: If you're Christian, wish people Merry Christmas, if you're Jewish, wish people Happy Hanukkah, etc. CELEBRATE THE JOY IN THIS SEASON... WHATEVER YOUR FLAVOUR! Don't get offended (or evangelical) that I'm not celebrating the same way you are, and I have no reason to get offended that you are!
DISCLAIMER ... THIS IS NOT DIRECTED AT ANYONE!!! IT IS A GENERIC RANT ABOUT BEING OVERLY PC THIS TIME OF YEAR!
I for one am happy to hear Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Good Kwanzaa, Namaste, Happy Winter Solstice, or whatever from anyone! Wishing someone else a happy holiday doesn't assume they celebrate it, and is not demanding an common belief structure! Bringing a cake with GENERIC Christmas images (I'm not talking about CHRIST IS BORN or any other overtly Christian things... just generic holiday images here) to a party (where there may be a mixed group of beliefs) is not offensive!
I'm not Christian, and haven't been for a very long time. My DH is, and he takes our kids to church every week. I teach them about my belief structure in other ways. They can make up their own minds when they are grown.
We celebrate Christmas. I am not offended when someone says Merry Christmas. I am not offended if someone brings holiday treats with stars and trees and pointsettias, and Santa, etc images. I am not offended if someone brings treats with pine boughs (a Pagan symbol, BTW) ... same goes for menorahs, dreidels, or the star of David. WHAT YOU BRING IS AN EXPRESSION OF YOUR BELIEFS! My beliefs are not in any way demeaned or diminished by your display of yours.
Live and let live people ... as long as you are not berating me for not going to your version of church, or accosting me with "Jesus is the reason for the season" slogans ('cause face it... he may be your reason - good for you!... but he's not mine!) then JUST ENJOY IT! In whatever way suits you... share your joy in the season, share your good wishes, keep your evangelism to yourself and we'll all get along fine!!!
Sorry in advance if anyone is offended...
Oh gosh get me s tarted on this topic lol.
First off, I have heard of various schools over the last few years, interacting with my nieces/nephews classes/concerts/ etc etc, that dont allow Christmas plays or concerts at all. They I guess decided they couldnt figure out how to make some music for people to enjoy without fear of offending someone So they just reumoved it all together from the curriculum OMG! GEEE back in my day, we learned every year about the different traditions around the world and in a respectful manner.
Taking Christ out of Christmas is like well I cant imagine, that's like saying ok lets just obliterate December 25th from existence and make some generic no-name brand holiday somewhere in there for everyone to celebrate/have time off with family. UGH.
And you wonder why when I ask my 7 year old nephew (besides other reasons i wont go into lol) what is fun about Christmas, and all he can think of is presents I groaned and said 'uh and anything else?' and he hmms and haahs for a few and goes 'uhhhhh love?' HOLY COW that's sad.
I work at a daycare, and spend the next 2 weeks making decorations. I try my DAMNDEST to keep the santa and presents out of everything i do and try and recreate every Christmas I had growing up, where we spent the month of December as a family playing games and making decorations and cards and presents and singing songs and playing music and what not. And talk about different traditions. THOSE are the important things we do to create positive memories to cherish and draw from. Not HAPPY NO NAME GENERIC HOLIDAY TO YOU ' (oh F you! I Dont celebrate holidays- you just offended me. OH F OFF YOURSELF I Just wished you to have a nice week off from work that happens to land between Dec 22 and jan 1. So take it at face value and dont get your panties all wound up.
ugh sorry I'm ranting. Bu not really cause I'm listening to Handel's Messiah (if you love traditional Choir/Christmas music, you must go see this live- to me this IS the essence of CHRISTmas 
)
Bless you all whatever you celebrate and have a happy CHRISTMAS/Kwanzaa/Hannukah and pardon me I dont know the names of the other ones 
I remember all the hoopla about a certain store not going to say Merry Christmas. Well the sign in front of our store specifially reads that this store says Merry Christmas.
oceanspitfire--I agree with you about how it's all being commercialized. People cannot believe that my kids (ages 4 and 2) do not believe in Santa. When people ask them what Santa is going to get them for Christmas, they reply "Whatever, the bank buys for him to give us." I then have to explain that they go to the bank to sit on Santa's lap and get a free toy. So people then ask them what does Santa bring to their house. They will say nothing. They know we buy them gifts. They understand already that it symbolizes the gifts brought to Jesus. We've heard Happy Birthday to Jesus from them a lot lately. They do hear other Christmas music of all sorts. They love the decorations....Reminds me of how easter is all about the bunnies (but that's a whole nother taboo...lol)
So whatever your religion/non-religion, I wish you a great celebration!
Merry Christmas and a God blessed New Year!
Along these lines of thought, I received this in an email some time ago, and thought maybe this would be an opportunity to fight back just a little!
.What a GREAT idea!
Fun with the ACLU......
Wanna have some fun this CHRISTMAS? Send the ACLU a CHRISTMAS CARD
this year.
As they are working so very hard to get rid of the CHRISTMAS part of
this holiday, we
should all send them a nice, CHRISTIAN, card to brighten up their
dark, sad, little world.
Make sure it says "Merry Christmas" on it. Here's the Address, just
don 't be rude or crude.
(It's Not the Christian Way, you know!)
ACLU
125 Broad Street
18th Floor
New York, NY 10004
Two tons of Christmas cards would freeze their operations because they
wouldn't
know if any were regular mail containing contributions. So spend 39
cents and tell the
ACLU to leave Christmas alone. Also tell them that there is no such
thing as a "Holiday
Tree". . . . It's a Christmas Tree even in the fields!!
And pass this on to your email lists. We really want to communicate
with the ACLU!
They really DESERVE us!!
I've got my card addressed to them ready to go.
Janice
Our school system does Christmas and Haunnekah (sp) music at their pageant, and go over all the winter holidays in class. However, they still have a Christmas party, not a Holiday party.
I prefer to say Happy Holidays, but not to be PC. It's to incorporate all the holidays celebrated, not to make it generic. Thanksgiving, Haunnekah, Winter Solstice, New Years. My decoration of choice is snowmen, because I adore them, not because I don't like religion.
Whatever you celebrate, Happy Holy Days. Me, I'm making a Christmas list.
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