NationStates Jolt Archive

I just wonder how other people feel.

It is beginning to p*** me off, that we Christians (practising or not) have to alter our Christmas into a Winter Festival, just to please the do gooders.

I am not a Pagan or Druid, so do not celebrate a Winter Festival....
I celebrate Christmas!

That means I celebrate the Birth of Christ.

I know several Sikhs and Hindus, and they all like us to have our Christmas, they give each other presents.

We celebrate Diwalli with them, and feel that all religions have a place in this world.

I, for one, will not wish any one a happy holiday!

Merry Christmas one and all!

A Festivus for the rest of us!

Though I don't really much care one way or the other, since I'm not Christian and think that Christians should be allowed to practise whatever they want as long as it doesn't affect the rights of others, I think that if there's any celebration in the winter, it should be the winter solstice on December 22d.

I just wonder how other people feel.

It is beginning to p*** me off, that we Christians (practising or not) have to alter our Christmas into a Winter Festival, just to please the do gooders.

I am not a Pagan or Druid, so do not celebrate a Winter Festival....
I celebrate Christmas!

That means I celebrate the Birth of Christ.

I know several Sikhs and Hindus, and they all like us to have our Christmas, they give each other presents.

We celebrate Diwalli with them, and feel that all religions have a place in this world.

I, for one, will not wish any one a happy holiday!

Merry Christmas one and all!

The Bible nowhere records th birthday of Jesus.

December the 25th was selected purely and simply to supplant the pre-existing pagan rituals that were held at that time. Its sufficiently close to the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere to allow for the "birth" of the "sun god" to be celebrated. If you are going to celebrate the "birth" of a "son of god" in direct competition, why not steal their date, eh?

Similarly such things and Christmas trees are pagan based.

You should perhaps be grateful that the pagans aren't suing your ass.

Ah, leave it as Christmas. I think at this point we're getting too politicly correct anyway. I'm not Christian and I'm not celebrating Jebus but hey, why break up tradition?

Ahhhh the ever returning question of political correctness! Welcome back my old friend. This whole argument of "PC" has got some people to such an extereme that people actually lose sight of the meaning of said event.
Here's another one of my favorte example's - the warning sticker on science books because they discuss evolution

Why are so many people of the mind that it has to be one or the other? Why can't Christians celebrate Christmas, Jews celebrate Hanukkah, and whoever wants to celebrate the winter soltice or Kwanzaa or just not do anything if they want to? Why do people raise such a big fuss? No one is forced to celebrate any of these things, and no one is forbidden form celebrating them. I think too many people are focused on trying to make everyone else think they way they do, that they aren't even happy doing what they do, because they are too busy being miserable from trying to make everyone else miserable.
Besides, as Christians we are supposed to be tolerant and have open arms to everyone, but it seems to me that too many of them are focusing on all the "bad" that they don't see all the good that would come from just accepting things. I, for one, am all for winter festivals for those that don't celebrate Christmas. Let them be happy, too! If you want someone to learn more about your religion and accept it, and maybe even like it and/or consider making it a part of thier lives, you should make it something they want to be a part of. Why would anyone want to come join a group of people always attacking their choices? Lighten up - more people like that.

Here's another one of my favorte example's - the warning sticker on science books because they discuss evolution
Actually, those stickers said that evolution was just a theory. That was the warning.

It's Yule. In English. Learn your own goddamn language.

I absolutely love how schools can't have Christmas parties any more; they've got to be "winter" parties. What a fucking joke. Take for example, my high school. The freshmen were decorating their hallway, and decided to added a halloween theme to it, and called it Nightmare before Christmas. Nope. Can't do that. It's gotta be "nightmare before the holidays". Give me a break.

Actually, those stickers said that evolution was just a theory. That was the warning.

Sorry bad english, on a bit of a rant

I absolutely love how schools can't have Christmas parties any more; they've got to be "winter" parties. What a fucking joke. Take for example, my high school. The freshmen were decorating their hallway, and decided to added a halloween theme to it, and called it Nightmare before Christmas. Nope. Can't do that. It's gotta be "nightmare before the holidays". Give me a break.

Well, I have no religious winter holiday, so I'll bring in my closest one.
I ask you this, how would you feel if a bunch of people at your school openly celebrated the Akitu festival, puttin up banners and holding an assembly that they stop classes for, and perhaps a play of the sacred marriage rite between Dumuzi and Inanna?
For the sae of argument, the Akitu festival takes up 5 days starting on the first new moon after each equinox, and is centred around a huge party with a play about the marriage between the Goddess Inanna and the God-King Dumuzi, the main themes being polytheism, sex, and an outright party.
From what I remember of Christianity, this is nothing more then a sin-fest.
So I ask, if this was a major event, and you're a devout Christian, how would you feel about it?

For the sae of argument, the Akitu festival takes up 5 days starting on the first new moon after each equinox, and is centred around a huge party with a play about the marriage between the Goddess Inanna and the God-King Dumuzi, the main themes being polytheism, sex, and an outright party.
From what I remember of Christianity, this is nothing more then a sin-fest.
So I ask, if this was a major event, and you're a devout Christian, how would you feel about it?

Sin fest in christian eyes, therefore we use the ever growing vast sum of tollerance that we all clearly have. Pretty rich coming from me, a catholic but thas a different subject
I do undertand that its annoying not getting the holiday and I do sympathise

I absolutely love how schools can't have Christmas parties any more; they've got to be "winter" parties. What a fucking joke. Take for example, my high school. The freshmen were decorating their hallway, and decided to added a halloween theme to it, and called it Nightmare before Christmas. Nope. Can't do that. It's gotta be "nightmare before the holidays". Give me a break.

See, but Christians are complaining that Christmas is too commercialized, and people don't treat it as a religious holiday, and they act like Santa is more important than Jesus, and it should be treated as an important religious holiday because that's what it is. But then as soon as they start treating it like a personal religious holiday, you complain about that. Maybe people should be less negative about everything - I don't look at it as them trying to "take Christmas away" - they are trying to include all people of all different backgrounds and faiths in festivities. Imagine being the only Jewish kid in a class with 30 other students celebrating Christmas. Or if you were the only Christian kid in a class with 30 other students celebrating Hanukkah. They are just being more inclusive (and giving you back yuor holiday) - lighten up.

Besides, even if they were trying to take your holiday away - any Christian should know that you are taught to turn the other cheek. Let them do what they want, just hold to your own faith - that's what it's all about.

I just wonder how other people feel.

It is beginning to p*** me off, that we Christians (practising or not) have to alter our Christmas into a Winter Festival, just to please the do gooders.

I am not a Pagan or Druid, so do not celebrate a Winter Festival....
I celebrate Christmas!

That means I celebrate the Birth of Christ.

I know several Sikhs and Hindus, and they all like us to have our Christmas, they give each other presents.

We celebrate Diwalli with them, and feel that all religions have a place in this world.

I, for one, will not wish any one a happy holiday!

Merry Christmas one and all!

It's still a Winter Festival, no matter how you slice it.

I ask you this, how would you feel if a bunch of people at your school openly celebrated the Akitu festival, puttin up banners and holding an assembly that they stop classes for, and perhaps a play of the sacred marriage rite between Dumuzi and Inanna?
For the sae of argument, the Akitu festival takes up 5 days starting on the first new moon after each equinox, and is centred around a huge party with a play about the marriage between the Goddess Inanna and the God-King Dumuzi, the main themes being polytheism, sex, and an outright party.
What religion is this? I've never heard of that before.

It's Yule. In English. Learn your own goddamn language.
Well, acutally, Yule and Christmas are pretty much equally English, though Christmas is probably even more English than Yule is. Yule comes from the Old Norse jōl, a pagan festival somewhere near the middle of winter, form whence it passed into Anglo-Saxon, then Middle English, to English today. Christmas came from the Anglo-Saxon Cristes mæsse. Christ came from the Greek khristos, annointed one, which is where Cristes came from. Not sure if mass can be traced any further back.

Sin fest in christian eyes, therefore we use the ever growing vast sum of tollerance that we all clearly have. Pretty rich coming from me, a catholic but thas a different subject
I do undertand that its annoying not getting the holiday and I do sympathise

Lol, thanks, but I think you missed my point.
As for getting the holiday, I can take it all I want, that's the wonderful religious freedom here in Canada.

My point was simply just to get whoever may read this and thinks "Christmas should stay as the main holiday" thing, that perhaps they're blinded?
It's not that Christmas is a Christian holiday, it's that it's the biggest holiday, and that it's generally shoved down peoples throats.
I remember being in grade school when we were forced to sing in the Christmas Concert, I quite aptly remember refusing to partake singing "Silent Night" and being punished for it.
Publics institutions are supposed to say things like "Winter Festival" or "Hollidays" so as not to be favorable to one set of practises. Calling it Christian implies Christianity only, which then leads people to use it to force everyone into Christianity.
"It's a Government Sanctioned holliday, so everyone must believe it!" is an attitude I've heard more then I like, and all from people who claim that they believe in religious freedom, then go about and try very vigoursly to convert me and other non-Christians.

What religion is this? I've never heard of that before.



Used by all the ancient Mesopotamian religions, lastly by the Babylonians, which is where the word "Akitu" comes from. I, unfortunatly, don't know the Sumerian one, which I was refering to. But the festival remained the same for the most part.
My description was very vague at that.
www.gatewaystobabylon.com may provide more information if you like.

Couple of points, hope I am not straying too far off track.

Firstly, Christmas, being December 25 may well have started as a winter festival. However, for those of us living in the southern hemisphere (Australia in my case) then December 25 is, of course, the middle of summer. Some people (and certainly resorts and restaurants) here have what they call a "Christmas in July" which means that they can feast on the traditional Christmas foods in the middle of winter.

Secondly, public holidays are determined by the state. Christmas happens to be the religious festival for a large proportion of people in some nations. If equality was to be brought in, then all religious groups would be allowed a holiday for each of their own beliefs. The trouble, of course, is that cynical and opportunistic agnostics like myself would be more than happy to "convert" to whichever religion had the next holiday coming up.

An elementary school in Oklahoma pulled all references to Christmas from its holiday play at the last minute, but left in references to Hanukkah and Kwanzaa.

The superintendent overseeing Lakehoma Elementary School in Mustang, Okla., banned a nativity scene and the song "Silent Night" from the presentation, which was scheduled for last night, citing fears that non-Christians might be offended and file suit against the school. However, a parent reported that students sang the song at the matinee performance of the program yesterday despite the school's decision.


Superintendent Karl Springer nixed the Christian reference based on a recommendation from the school district's attorney, the Associated Press reported.

"Including Christmas in the play does not violate any law," Brent Olsson, an attorney in Oklahoma City allied with Alliance Defense Fund, said in the statement. "It is a myth that the so-called 'separation of church and state' requires officials to suppress the celebration of Christmas in the public schools."

Continued Olsson: "Ninety-six percent of Americans celebrate Christmas. If the superintendent is truly concerned about offending someone, then he just made a very wrong decision."

I pulled this article from www.worldnetdaily.com
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Though it is a national holiday no one is truly forced to participate. Parents have the right to ask that their children not participate and if you are of legal age you can make that choice yourself.

As to what we should call the holiday, Christmas should suffice. It began as a Christian holiday and so it should remain. How one chooses to celebrate it or not is up to them, but the holiday's name should not be censored just because it offends you. If you want to create a name for the holiday as you celebrate it that is up to you just don't expect me to change the name of my holiday for you.

I think that Life is about choices and that EVERYONE should have the choice to celebrate, show, and share how they feel about something provided that it does not infringe upon the WELL BEING of anyone else.

Please take these things to heart because if you think that this doesn't effect you just because you don't see this problem where you live then you are wrong. Soon we're going to have to come to a resolution over this matter and if you don't speak out and tell your government how you feel about an issue then the issue may be resolved without your input and you will have to live with it, be the results acceptable or not.

Couple of points, hope I am not straying too far off track.

Firstly, Christmas, being December 25 may well have started as a winter festival. However, for those of us living in the southern hemisphere (Australia in my case) then December 25 is, of course, the middle of summer. Some people (and certainly resorts and restaurants) here have what they call a "Christmas in July" which means that they can feast on the traditional Christmas foods in the middle of winter.

Secondly, public holidays are determined by the state. Christmas happens to be the religious festival for a large proportion of people in some nations. If equality was to be brought in, then all religious groups would be allowed a holiday for each of their own beliefs. The trouble, of course, is that cynical and opportunistic agnostics like myself would be more than happy to "convert" to whichever religion had the next holiday coming up.


Which is why, hee in Canada ta least, you can take a number of days off as "Religious Days", at least from work. The current Nova Scotian school system isn't as good with that yet... (Jane Purvis messed that up, for anyone who knows of this provinces shortcommings).
Most places, excluding minimum wage part time jobs, just have you work year round, and give you certian numbers of days off, some let you choose, some don't, but generally you can take Personal Days off, Religious Days off, and Vacation days off.
Of course here in Nova Scotia, the Conservatives seem to be holding power for the past decade or so, and we, unlike the rest of Canada, have no Sunday shopping, most buisnesses here are legally required to close on Sunday, and all Christian holidays.

Here's my idea:

In december, you celebrate things like Kwanzaa, Wintereenmass, Gifty WubWub Day, Hanukkah, and Mithras Birthday.

You can celebrate christmas in May. When he was born.

Here's my idea:

In december, you celebrate things like Kwanzaa, Wintereenmass, Gifty WubWub Day, Hanukkah, and Mithras Birthday.

You can celebrate christmas in May. When he was born.

a bit idealistic and unatainable ....................... I like it

EDIT: Ahhhhhhhhhh the logic it burns

Now watch as the thread dies and nobody else responds to what I said.

<coughbumpcough>

Now watch as the thread dies and nobody else responds to what I said.

<coughbumpcough>
Actually, he was born in August. But anyway. Ask yourself this, is Christmas was in May, do you think we'd get all those school days off in December?

Actually, he was born in August. But anyway. Ask yourself this, is Christmas was in May, do you think we'd get all those school days off in December?

December, May, October...I don't care when we get school days off, as long as we get 'em :D

December, May, October...I don't care when we get school days off, as long as we get 'em :D
What I mean is, it should be called Christmas break because that's why you're getting the break. If every other holiday in the world was in December, but Christmas was in February, you'd be in school in December.

What I mean is, it should be called Christmas break because that's why you're getting the break. If every other holiday in the world was in December, but Christmas was in February, you'd be in school in December.

And like I said, that makes little to no difference for me. I celebrate Gifty WubWub Day, and by no means do I have to be out of school for that.

I still celebrate Saturnalia, which starts *looks at calendar* TODAY! December 17. Of course, it lasts (for me) until the 25th, so I celebrate 3 holidays -- 2 pagan and 1 semi-Christian. Also, my 2-year anniversary is on the 24th, so it's just a lovely week overall.

I still celebrate Saturnalia, which starts *looks at calendar* TODAY! December 17. Of course, it lasts (for me) until the 25th, so I celebrate 3 holidays -- 2 pagan and 1 semi-Christian. Also, my 2-year anniversary is on the 24th, so it's just a lovely week overall.

My friend's mom's birthday is on December 24 :p. She's said that she'd be happy to share her cake with Jesus if he ever comes over. Same with Mithras. She's really generous like that.

A Festivus for the rest of us!

This is the best festivus ever!

as i understand it, the supreme court ruled that christmas has such a huge secular component that it can be considered contitutionally correct for municipalities and public schools to recognize it (so your town can decorate the streets with lights). but they cannot recognize the religious parts of it.

so as i see it, (although i think that pretty much NO school principals see it this way) the "winter holiday" thing is as much to protect a christian religious sensibilities as it is to protect non-christians

do you REALLY want kids to be taught that the true meaning of christmas is spending yourself into unrecoverable debt? that "dashing through the snow on a one-horse open sleigh" is more important than jesus? that the coolest thing about christmas is sneaking a peek at mama kissing santa claus?

christmas is a family holiday best celebrated at home, with friends and at church. i dont see the need for schools and government entities to be involved in your celebration at all.

goverment calling it "winter holiday" is the best thing for christians and non-christians alike

when it comes to non-governmental entities (like the local mall) calling it winter holiday, well i dont know if any of them do, but it would make them idiots bowing to an almost non-existant PC agenda.