Christmas & Political Correctness

[Gryffindorian]

This will be my requisite annual thread regarding the holidays.

Many people celebrate different holidays this time of the year, such as Kwanzaa, Christmas, Winter Solstice, or Hanukkah, so it's not uncommon to greet people "Happy Holidays!" In fact, that would be the PC thing to do, since not everyone celebrates Christmas, and there are those on the other end of the spectrum, who are offended when Christmas and Christianity are suddenly omitted from the holiday festivities. While I can understand the latter's sentiments, I don't necessarily share them.

FWIW, here's my belief: Christmas is a combination of pagan and Christian traditions. And in recent decades, it's become more and more secular. If you want to celebrate Christmas in a religious way or say "Merry Christmas" to people, you have every right to do so. If you're of a different faith and don't celebrate Christmas but rather observe other holidays, you're entitled to do that as well. Those of you who are in between (non-religious, non-Christians, atheists who celebrate Christmas), I say more power to you! There's no reason why we shouldn't all enjoy the holiday season and the spirit of giving, joy, peace, and good will to all mankind.

What say you? Any thoughts?

EDIT:

Doggone it! I just realized Options 2 and 3 are the same. I meant "I'm a non-Christian and I celebrate other holidays this time of the year."

 

[Paradon]

Christmas is the time when we should celebrate about being alive and family and friends. I don't mine celebrating it for this reason.

However, there are people that at this time of year is very hard for them because they got no family or they are very sick. People with mental illness like schizophrenia and bipolar usually get pushed aside and left in the dark to suffer alone. I will be praying for those who are less fortunate than I am.

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

My church actually has a special service on the darkest night of the year for that specific purpose: for people who need support with grief or other difficulties that the Christmas holiday is making harder to cope with. I've never seen any other church think of that. Don't know if you go to a church, but it might be worth suggesting to them if you do.

As far as I'm concerned...I would like to be greeted from the heart, rather than some generic greeting. I am a Christian who celebrates Christmas, but why would I turn down a heartfelt "happy Hanukkah," or "winter solstice"? I would not throw someone else's well-wishes back in their face.

 

[sidious618]

I celebrate Christmas more in a Winter Solstice fashion as I'm an atheist. I do like the idea of gift giving and having a nice holiday as the days get shorter and colder. Done right, it can be a lot of fun.

 

[{ Emilia }]

Same here. Atheist but I like celebrating Christmas with my family, gift giving, it's a nice time.

 

[Kestra]

I like Christmas. I surround myself with cheesy decorations, dance and sing to Christmas music (most notably Wham!), make treats and eggnog, etc. We used to celebrate with the in-laws but this year we're staying put, so it's just the two of us and the cat! The movie Elf is also generally watched at some point

I'm Hindu and sometimes I get annoyed by attitudes and assumptions around Christmas, but for the most part it's a great time of the year.

 

[{ Emilia }]

I'm Hindu and sometimes I get annoyed by attitudes and assumptions around Christmas, but for the most part it's a great time of the year.

Would it derail the thread a lot if I asked if and how you celebrated Diwali this year? Think it was in October in 2011?

 

[Amaris]

I'm an atheist and I like any reason for a celebration, but Christmas is my favorite holiday.

 

[{ Emilia }]

I'm an atheist and I like any reason for a celebration, but Christmas is my favorite holiday.

You know Christianity is in trouble if Santa Claus says he's atheist.

 

[Goji]

The older I get, the more neutral I am on Christmas.

I liked it a lot as a kid because it meant presents. These days, I don't know, the whole season is just too full of saccharine sentiment that is certainly well intentioned but frankly makes me uncomfortable these days. That and the constant bickering back and forth about what the holiday supposedly represents and which side of the political spectrum is trying to corrupt it for what subversive ends and why that means we're all horribly doomed as a society makes the whole thing look really, really silly. When people make such a big damn deal about something, I usually want to head the other way. Fast.

Plus I've seen the only good Christmas movies about a billion times each by now.

 

[Kestra]

I'm Hindu and sometimes I get annoyed by attitudes and assumptions around Christmas, but for the most part it's a great time of the year.

Would it derail the thread a lot if I asked if and how you celebrated Diwali this year? Think it was in October in 2011?

Yeah we celebrated it, thanks for asking. My siblings and their spouses actually happened to visit that week so that was good timing. We just did stuff at the apartment here and then in the evening my sis-in-law and I cooked up a big feast, since she's pretty traditional. I think I posted pics in the pic thread at the time. We lit candles and all around here, then went out for a walk late at night to look at all the lights people had put up. It was actually pretty terrific.

 

[WillsBabe]

I don't really "celebrate" Christmas as such. Sometimes I put up a tree and I send cards because it's kind of expected and kind of nice to catch up with people. Other than that, I can't say I do much celebrating.

 

[RJDiogenes]

The Solstice celebration is the oldest continuously celebrated holiday in human history; it ties us to our earliest ancestors and to the very beginnings of society, and therefore to each other in a way that nothing else can. Christmas is just one of this holiday's current names. It has had others in the past and will have more in the future. As an atheist, I have no problem with a community celebration derived from astronomy that binds all of humanity throughout time and across cultures.

Saying "Happy Holidays" is not an example of political correctness, any more than saying "Season's Greetings" is. It's just an accurate expression of goodwill.

 

[Tosk]

Agnostic, don't celebrate Christmas at all.

 

[O'Dib]

Grew up Christian in a communist country where all its trappings got tied up with New Year's Day instead. Our Saint Nick became Father Frost (a Slavic myth), and so on. I've moved to the States as a teen, but Christmas still hasn't grown on me. Each year I'm annoyed more and more by the noisiness of it all.

 

[Scout101]

I'm an atheist and I like any reason for a celebration, but Christmas is my favorite holiday.

You know Christianity is in trouble if Santa Claus says he's atheist.

Worst part is that he doesn't believe in HIMSELF either!

 

[Tora Ziyal]

My church actually has a special service on the darkest night of the year for that specific purpose: for people who need support with grief or other difficulties that the Christmas holiday is making harder to cope with.

Nice idea. Very nice.

 

[Tom Hendricks]

I'm an atheist who celebrates Christmas with my Jewish wife. I "believe" in the humanist version of what Christmas should be. A time to come together and share in the love and warmth of family and friends.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I am a Christian and I celebrate Christmas, but if somebody gives to me their own wish, I will try and return it in kind. I don't see it as political correctness.

 

[RoJoHen]

Atheist. I celebrate Christmas, but I don't make a big deal of it. For me it's really just a good time to visit my family and turn my brain off for a few days.