merry christmas

bilby commented on the word merry christmas

This is the first time merry christmas has been listed? Wow and humbug wow.

December 20, 2007

reesetee commented on the word merry christmas

We were all trying to be nondenominational, I guess. ;-)

December 20, 2007

seanahan commented on the word merry christmas

I think you mean we're all trying to be secular. Nondenominational, to me, implies unspecified religion, particularly unspecified Christian, and typically all Christians support Christmas.

December 21, 2007

sonofgroucho commented on the word merry christmas

I don't understand this growing reluctance to mention things like Christmas. I am not religious at all, but I really enjoy Christmas. I can't see why using terms like "holiday season" improves relations between people.

Thoughts, anyone?

December 21, 2007

skipvia commented on the word merry christmas

I'm with you, SoG. I love the lights, the mythology, the music, the celebrations, and being with family. (What's not to like?) I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and I enjoy it when then wish me the same. I don't believe in supernatural events, but I love stories about them.

December 21, 2007

john commented on the word merry christmas

I have no idea if people here are Christian or Jewish or whatever, and I'd rather not make assumptions. So I don't. It's the same reason I don't presume Wordies are male or female, or straight or gay: I think being polite and not pigeonholing people improves our relations. I'm not a PC milquetoast, but for all I know, you're a Sikh. In which case, I hope you enjoy Guru Gobind Singh Ji's upcoming birthday!

That's just me, though. I think most of America talks about Christmas plenty, and that this supposed reluctance to talk about Christmas is an invention of Bill O'Reilly.

What I really wouldn't mind, though, was if Christmas got a little more Christian. I'd like to hear O'Reilly talk about love, compassion and tolerance, if he's going to talk about Christmas at all.

December 21, 2007

mollydot commented on the word merry christmas

SonofGroucho, you may not be religious at all, but were you brought up with a nominally Christian background? You might feel differently if you had a different religious upbringing, or beliefs now, especially one that also has a holiday at this time. Holiday season really is broader - it's not just that Christmas has become secular and can be enjoyed non-religiously; there are a number of religious and cultural holidays at this time of year.

December 21, 2007

reesetee commented on the word merry christmas

Holy...I mean heck, I was just kidding (and I did mean nondenominational). Speaking just about the site, I have no idea why Merry Christmas wasn't listed sooner on Wordie, but there are plenty of belief-related words floating around the Wordiesphere, aren't there? So far as I know, no one has yet objected to them. :-)

December 21, 2007

chained_bear commented on the word merry christmas

I say "Happy Holidays" because it's simply shorter than saying "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year--oh and don't forget Martin Luther King Day coming up..." I was kind of stunned a couple years ago when someone got in my face about it and assumed that I was "afraid" to say "Merry Christmas." My response was "I didn't know if you were Jewish or what," and when he laughed, I may have said something like, "Screw your New Year then."

Happy Holidays, or "holiday season" for that matter, is an acceptable way to wish people a happy time at a dark time of year. There's more than one holiday. It doesn't do anything to improve the supposed "war on Christmas" (of all the retarded phrases I've ever heard...!) to get offended at people who choose to wish you a happy season instead of just a single day.

And I'm with John on this: I'd like to hear more about the values Christ lived and taught, than about some made-up problems like "make your friends say 'Merry Christmas,' not 'happy holidays'!" I've actually gone to church during the Christmas season and had to listen to sermons about this--more than once! Is that really a valuable use of the limited time people spend in church? Are there not other, more problematic behaviors and tendencies that people exhibit these days, that we deserve to be sermonized about?

Sorry to rant. The whole thing just makes me want to, you know, *not* wish people a happy holiday OR a merry Christmas.

That said, I just LOVE Christmas lights and stuff. I was even thinking of making a list of words we only hear this time of year--the archaic and bizarre-sounding words that are sprinkled liberally throughout Christmas carols (even that word "carols" for example), but otherwise never used. Hm.

December 21, 2007

reesetee commented on the word merry christmas

Happy Holidays, chained_bear. Merry Christmas, SoG. John, you're a little teapot, and I have no idea how (or even whether) teapots celebrate holidays. As for the rest of you guys--Enjoy December! :-)

December 21, 2007

mollydot commented on the word merry christmas

I think teapots celebrate by pouring mulled wine

December 21, 2007

sonofgroucho commented on the word merry christmas

I was glad this raised a few issues, and mollydot is right that I was brought up in a nominally Christian family with 2 parents that went to church. This may well affect my views.

To my mind, it doesn't matter a whit what anyone believes as long as they don't try and force their beliefs down someone else's throat. Tolerance is, I think, a key attribute of a good human being.

With the huge challenges our little planet faces, surely the things we have in common are far more important than the differences between us?

December 21, 2007

uselessness commented on the word merry christmas

I'm a Christian (though it could be said I'm not one of those Christians) and I will most definitely be celebrating Christmas this year. I think the whole "war" thing is pretty stupid, of course. My solution to the "what do I say to people?" issue is not to say anything at all, and I don't advocate that anyone else follow my example because, while practical, it's also very scroogish. A well-wishing of any kind is better than none at all, and I just suck at it this year.

Anyway, I do wonder if there's a growing trend of people intentionally NOT celebrating Christmas as an act of protest or whatever. Historically, the vast majority of people (in America, at least) celebrated Christmas regardless of their beliefs. It was a pretty secular holiday. It's still secular, but I think more and more non-Christians are starting to refuse participation. Possibly as a response to the attempts of evangelicals to "reclaim" the holiday. It's a shame; whatever your beliefs, there's something cool about taking one day out of the year -- ideally more than one, but we've gotta start somewhere -- to generously bless those around us and be blessed in turn. If my observation is correct, it's sad that people would willing pass up such an offer.

December 21, 2007

john commented on the word merry christmas

mulled whine! Can I pour you some more‽ *said in a loud braying voice*

December 21, 2007

sonofgroucho commented on the word merry christmas

Make mine a large one, John!

December 21, 2007

chained_bear commented on the word merry christmas

That's true, u. The best part of this time of year really is giving stuff away--by which I don't necessarily mean buying gifts for people. (In fact that part's kind of soured for me lately.) Having a holiday that celebrates generosity is awesome, no matter what religion (if any) it's associated with.

... which makes it even weirder to me that people would invent a "war on Christmas."

December 21, 2007

reesetee commented on the word merry christmas

Hear, hear, SoG, U, and c_b! Now that we've settled that, we should probably get to work on "Good Will Toward Men." ;->

Anyway, c_b, I thought you were going to start using crossmas in your greetings?

December 21, 2007

john commented on the word merry christmas

Giving stuff away is cool, as is making things. Stringing popcorn, baking cookies, knitting sweaters. Not that I'm much of a knitter--I tried to make a scarf once, but petered out and ended up with a pot holder. But anyway, I like DIY holidays, ideally involving lots of food. I'm pretty much in favor of anything that involves feasting.

December 22, 2007

mollydot commented on the word merry christmas

SonOfGroucho: I'd like to shove tolerance down people's throats :-)

An atheist with a Christian upbringing, I say "Happy Christmas" myself (though, if I remember, I'll say happy yule to my pagan friends, and I make sure to put happy new year as well as merii kurisumasu when I send cards to my Japanese friends), and don't personally find Merry Christmas offensive. But I do take offence and people who take offence at "happy holidays" (this doesn't include you, as you were asking, not claiming offence).

John: Yes please!

I fail at diy christmas, despite always having great intentions. I've sent no cards, never mind handmade ones (though I did make a couple I haven't sent!) and I've only made one present, which isn't quite finished yet...

December 22, 2007

chained_bear commented on the word merry christmas

I'm now confused about whether I should be offended.

Anyway, I hope everyone's upcoming week is terrific and happy, and I also hope everyone's upcoming year is terrific and happy.

December 22, 2007

uselessness commented on the word merry christmas

So this place is as good as any to say "Merry Christmas!" I'm taking off on vacation through the new year, during which time I may or may not have web access and probably won't be seen (much) around Wordie. May you have a wonderful festive week, and may it be all the more useful without me around. ;-)

December 22, 2007

seanahan commented on the word merry christmas

Regardless of whether you are religious or atheist, I think we all agree on "peace on earth and goodwill towards all men".

December 22, 2007

sonofgroucho commented on the word merry christmas

But what about women?

December 22, 2007

seanahan commented on the word merry christmas

As a male, I think I can say that most wars are caused by men. So I'll change it towards "Peace for men and goodwill for all of earth".

December 22, 2007

sonofgroucho commented on the word merry christmas

I think I may have solved the problem of what greeting to use. Try this!

December 23, 2007

bilby commented on the word merry christmas

Excellent SoG! May your yoga class be emo and filled with hot apple cider!

December 23, 2007

rolig commented on the word merry christmas

May your luau be benign and filled with lords a-leaping!

December 23, 2007

reesetee commented on the word merry christmas

Thanks, SoG! That site will provide hours of wasteful fun. ;-)

Ditto to what uselessness said--I'm off too, but will try to feed my Wordie addiction whenever possible--although I may be stuck with a dial-up connection that's so slow it would probably be easier for me to simply walk to all of your houses. ;-) Whatever you're doing, enjoy!

December 23, 2007

samoritan commented on the word merry christmas

Season's Greetings to all!

December 23, 2007

skipvia commented on the word merry christmas

Merry Mirth Sacs to one and all!

December 23, 2007

sionnach commented on the word merry christmas

Happy Holidays, everyone! I will be playing host to my adopted U.S. "family" over the next several days (I finally persuaded them to come here to SF for Christmas), so will not be online that much. Hope everyone has a great time.

david

December 23, 2007

seanahan commented on the word merry christmas

I like to say Happy Christmas and Merry New Year.

December 24, 2007

sonofgroucho commented on the word merry christmas

"It's people like you what cause unrest."

December 24, 2007

Prolagus commented on the word merry christmas

The world's first mobile text message was an entirely naff "Merry Christmas" keyed in by engineer Neil Papworth of the British technology company Sema to Vodafone director Richard Jarvis in Newbury, southern England.

(Source: The Times of India)

June 5, 2009