Especially when Jesus was most likely born in the spring, and the only reason the holiday is celebrated this time of year is because all the pagans celebrated Yule this time of year before they were converted. It was just more convenient that way. I sent an email to my churchy aunt a few years ago titled "family x-mas plans", and she promptly replied with an email chewing my ass up and down about keeping the Christ in Christmas. I made sure I informed her of the above facts. 'Tis the season, so why don't you lighten up a bit and be merry for once in your life. Merry X-mas, you crabby bitch.
Richard Dawkins and I are cultural Christians, so I say Merry Christmas no matter what the person is. If you are teh Joo, feel free to wish me a Happy Hannukah or whatever.
In commercial settings, "PC" language-policing is usually about the bottom line. I'm pretty sure the owners of Wal-Mart are serious right-wingers and fire 'n' brimstone Jesus freaks, but if their displays needlessly alienate one Jew, they lose money. Sure, everyone's too goddamn sensitive, but I don't look to Wal-Mart for provocation. Focus: I don't bring it up, and if you do, I'll just repeat whatever you said. So it's "Merry Christmas" for the Jesusy types, "Happy Holidays" for Jews, hardcore atheists, etc. and "fuck you" for everyone else.
I think its stupid for people to get mad about being wished a Merry Christmas around Christmas time. They are just getting mad for the sake of being mad. Old Jews will always interpret a "Merry Christmas" as a personal attack on them and that you are naturally anti-semitic. The only reason "Happy Holidays" exist is to keep them at bay. Once angered and because they have nothing better to do, the elderly Jew will call the corporate office and complain about being offended and wish for some sort of compensation. The corporate office will of course comply because nobody wants the Hebrew Hammer coming after them. Being raised in a Jewish household, but largely abandoning the beliefs into adulthood, I can say, without exception, that old Jews are annoying (and some of the young ones as well). Instead of just saying "thank you" or "Merry Christmas" in response, they feel the need to explain that they don't celebrate Christmas and should not just assume that everyone does. I love this time of year and I wish my people could just shut up a bit. Edit: notice my ironic(on 2 levels) avatar.
I don't really have a strong opinion on this. But Frosty's not going to put up with this hippie bullshit.
The only thing that isn't disappointing about Christmas is the food*. Otherwise, Get Off My Lawn. *And yes, every year, someone proverbially pisses into my cornflakes. Fuck off.
I'm a registered member of the secular humanist clergy and a firm atheist who thinks religion is the stupidest thing known to man. I still say 'Merry Christmas' and fuck anyone who tries to make it an abstract holiday. Tis the Season for goodwill - not stupid fucking political correctness arguments. It's the one time of year that most christians actually show some fucking christian spirit - instead of being a pack of sanctimonious douchebags who clearly haven't ever fucking read past the bit in the bible that says it's ok to hate homos. And anyone who thinks that a fat home invader who likes to touch kids in the mall, riding flying female rodents around the earth, and allegedly not stopping at the bad girl's houses, has anything the fuck to do with the birth of christ, has clearly lost touch with reality.
And it's equally stupid to take somebody saying "Happy Holidays" as an affront to your christian sensibilities or proof positive that they're some pc pussy (not that your post did that). There are a lot of holidays around the end of December. Why is inclusiveness a bad thing all of a sudden? Anybody who gets offended at which winter-time platitude somebody offers cares way too much. Unless it's "Happy Kwanzaa", because that's just stupid.
Well, Happy Kwanzaa to you too, mother fucker. I really don't take offense to anything. It's just people being nice for the most part... then again, I don't get much besides Merry Christmas in lil ol arkeesaw.
I have no problems with "Merry Christmas", but since I'm Jewish and celebrate Hannukah instead, I go with "Happy Holidays".
I'll say whatever I feel like at the moment. I am an atheist and basically the only thing christmas is for to me is seeing what little family I have. To me, it's no different than seeing them any other time though. All christmas is these days is a commercial holiday. Maybe it's just me but when I was a kid all chrismas meant to me was toys and then once I got to be old enough it just kind of fell into the just another day category. I didn't even realize today was christmas eve and never even made it to my family gathering, I thought it was tomorrow, oops.
When I go with, "Happy Holidays," I'm not doing so for any PC reasons - to be honest, that didn't even occur to me. I say it because I don't give a fuck what your silly superstitions are, I'm telling you to enjoy your time off from work in a generally happy season. Though I will lighten up occasionally and want to wish someone a good Christmas, so I say "Happy Christmas." It makes me smile how that often confuses people, someone using regular words to express good wishes. Maybe next year I'll tell people to have a Gay Christmas.
Merry Christmas, of course. It sounds more cheerful ("Happy Holidays" sounds as wooden as it is), and it's what I've heard my entire life up until a few years ago when some asshole decided it was wrong because of all the other goofy celebrations going on around that same time of year. Kwanzaa was invented in the 1960's. What do they say, "Have a groovy holiday, can you DIG it?!"
Thankfully Hanukkah was early in the month this year so it wasn't too terribly awkward when I repeatedly (and chipper-ly) exclaimed "Merrrrry Christmassssss" as customers were departing the store, although I started wearing my Santa hat on Black Friday so I probably over-stepped my yuletide bounds once or twice but whatever.
Knowing that you are Jewish clarifies so many things for me, I get you know. Merry Fucking Christmas.