They are at it again, the annual “lets make EVERYONE SAY MERRY CHRISTMAS.” Not that anyone was ever prevented from saying it, mind you … or that every celebrates it, either. The leaves have just changed and I don’t know what we’re eating for Thanksgiving this year, but it’s never to early to start whining about the holidays.
That’s right Bill O’Reilly, the sleazy sex-offender previously of Fox news, is sniveling about Christmas. If he snivels and whines about the holidays, maybe no one will remember that he’s a sex offender.
Did you know that folks are being forced — FORCED!!! — to not say “Merry Christmas?” I’m 71 and no one has ever prevented me from saying Merry Christmas. Or, for that matter, forced me to say anything at all about the holidays. It has always been a matter of good matters and personal whimsy.
That’s right, world. No one has ever cared what I said about any holiday. Other than responding with a smile and a returned greeting, I’ve never met a anyone who gave a rat’s ass whether I said Merry Christmas, happy holiday, or “have a great time whatever you happen to celebrate” — which I occasionally say when I don’t know what holiday you celebrate or even if you celebrate anything.
Basically, I’m a nice person and I want you to enjoy your holiday. So, I say Merry Christmas if I’m reasonably sure you celebrate Christmas. I would say something different if I thought you celebrated something else … or don’t celebrate anything for whatever reason. If I happen to say “happy holidays,” you’re going to spit in my eye? Because I greeted you with the wrong words and stepped on your self-righteousness?
The cops aren’t going to pick me up for my accidental failure to greet you the way you want to be greeted.
There are no “political correctness” police.
Anyone can say whatever he or she wants to say and that includes saying nothing. At all. So you can be friendly, or you can be a jerk. It’s not about religion or beliefs. It’s about being civil to other people who may or may not share your background. The whole little spiel about how I can leave if I don’t celebrate your customs? Since when did your customs become mine? Talk about offensive … you’ve got a lot of nerve!
I am tired of oppressed “Christians” whose idea of oppression is to not get everything exactly the way they want it — and who snivel about oppression because they have to move their crèche to the church around the corner.
You live in a country where you can have a church. You can have a dozen churches and attend all of them. Any time. That is freedom. What you want is spiritual tyranny.
The laws to which you refer do not exist. The police don’t care. Basically, neither do I. I’m just being polite. To you. For no special reason.
I’m going to make a suggestion: No matter what anyone says? Smile and say “thank you.” That’s a win-win for everyone involved.
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Categories: Quotation, Religion, Sayings and Platitudes
SERENDIPITY - SEEKING INTELLIGENT LIFE ON EARTH 
I feel sorry for “Thug whatever” who has such an issue about something so trivial. Does that person realize there are serious, life altering issues at stake and so somebody even wishing someone else a ‘happy/merry/glad’ anything is a miracle? We’re too busy griping about crap mostly and not taking the time to be kind and thoughtful to our fellow beings. Good on YOU for being thoughtful. Me? I just say Merry Christmas and leave it up to the other person to be offended or not. It’s THEIR problem (as I see it) not mine.
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That is why it annoys me so much. The stupid triviality of it. To make a fuss about something so minor while ignoring so many major issues. Oh lord give me patience.
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Christmas in September – toooooo much…… I just shudder at the thought of lifting that giant bird and putting it into the oven for the hungry hoards.
Leslie
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We still have the eating part of the ceremonies and we finally stopped buying birds. No one really loves turkey here. Garry like leftover turkey sandwiches, but the whole big bird and extras is no one’s favorite meal. Finally, we realized we all DO have a favorite meal — lamb. So we buy a giant leg of lamb instead and that makes EVERYONE happy, except the lamb, of course.
My son does a lot of the cooking now and we use disposable plates and flatware. Yes, I know, not as nice … but we also don’t have hours of clean up and putting everything away afterwards. I like an elegant table too … but not if I’m going to be on my feet scrubbing for hours. Days, if you add the silver.
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We have a neighbour from Croatia and he roasts lamb in his garage for big holidays.
Leslie
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Anyone from that part of the world, lamb is the festive dinner. I have Greek friends and as far as they are concerned, it’s not a festive anything without lamb.
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I thought Donald Trump assured all Americans that they can now safely say Merry Christmas. Personally, I believe that the proper holiday greeting to be uttered prior to December first should be “bite me.”
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And you are the person for whom I save ” be happy whatever you do or don’t celebrate.” We do very little holiday stuff. We stopped years ago and it was such a relief. When Owen was little and then when my granddaughter was little, we did if for the kids. But at this point, no one needs anything I can afford and I can’t afford much. Garry and I don’t need anything anyone else can afford for sure! So we share a dinner. I have a little tree that lives in the attic — decorated — which comes out, stands on the table, then goes back to the attic.
I keep waiting to “miss” the holidays, but we don’t.
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lol. I’ve reached the “merry christmas dammit” stage. Sales girls always smile.
And yes, please, Christmas is for Christmas, not setting up displays beside the Hallowe’en costumes or crowding out the Thanksgiving stuff…It should be a treat, not a bore.
There is a new aggressively holy Hobby Lobby in town, every aisle smacks you in the face with Jeesus hands, bibles, religious sayings on burnt wood. They don’t open on Sundays for the comfort of their employess (go to church, you heathens). Christmas is a nightmare in there. I am positive Elvis’ “White Christmas will never be heard on the sound system, nor Eartha Kitts’ “Santa Baby”. Oh, if only.
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I sincerely want people to enjoy their festivals. They need to also understand that these are THEIR festivals and we are not all celebrating them. Where they get the nerve to assume we are all supposed to celebrate their holiday is at the least, aggravating and in response, I celebrate less and less. The harder they push, the less I’m interested.
I understand the economic dynamics of the holiday sales, but these people are turning a financial sales season into a religious war. Pick your poison: is this the biggest mercenary event of the year or it is religious?
One of the amazing parts of living in Israel was that Christmas was a religious holiday. It involved people who believed going to church. Some churches (Church of the Nativity, in Bethlehem) had Nativity parades. It had NOTHING to do with greetings or how you worded your greetings. There were no Christmas trees, either. It was a religious holiday for Christians, like every other religious holiday for every other faith. A real eye-opener for Americans.
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In Great Britain there was a decree that went out from higher places that only happy light festival should be wished, so as not to offend others although as no one was really offended the decree was mostly ignored. Not being in the club, i don’t wish anything myself, but just acknowledge what the others wish, not wanting to be impolite.
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I’m polite. These annoying people think we ALL need to believe what they believe. It is the ONLY right way. Every time I see one of these posts, it really annoys me. I’m just being polite and they are being jerks.
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I was in one of our big-box stores the other day, before Labor Day, and their Christmas decorations were already being set up! I don’t have a problem with “Merry Christmas,” or “happy holidays,” or other greetings, but I do have a problem with Christmas decorations before Labor Day. Let’s wait until after Thanksgiving for Christmas to roll around!
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I think at the very least, not ONLY should they NOT start the preparation for the holidays before the trees have changed color, but people should stop whining about not “being allowed” to say whatever they want to say. It is SO annoying. It’ the middle of September. They’ll probably be taking up arms before the holidays!
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