Happy Freakin' Holidays
'Tis the season...already. I can accept the Christmas music, the advertising, the decorations and the rest of the Christmas stuff now that Thanksgiving has past, and we have entered the month of December. I've already been to my first Christmas party of the season, helped my son and daughter-in-law decorate the roof lines of their house, helped unload a Christmas tree and bought a couple of presents. For those of you who know me well...to have already purchased two gifts at this point is no less than a new land speed record!
It's also time for the holiday/Christmas wars. Sheesh! Those Ebenezer Grinch types out there who have a problem with the word Christmas has everyone on the planet changing their parties to 'holiday parties'...trees to 'holiday trees' (are you freakin' kidding me??), Christmas season to the 'holiday season'...wow! What's next? Renaming the newborn messiah "Jesus Holiday"? The relocation of nativity scenes is taking place all around the country...hidden in private areas so as to not offend anyone. Wouldn't want to do that, huh?
Since when was it a crime to offend someone? I'm offended by people wanting to change the vocabulary of the season because a few people don't like it. Ironically the ones who typically want things changed because they are 'deeply offended' are those who scream the loudest about tolerance! Don't be telling me you want tolerance, you selfish piece of work! You want things your way! Give me a break! Somebody's feelings are going to get hurt people! Your purpose in life is not to walk on eggshells around me so as to not offend me! Nor is mine to do so for you!!
tol·er·ate/ˈtäləˌrāt/
Where is the tolerance, the acceptance, the endurance. I guess it's horrible to have a season that has as part of it's name, "Christ". That is non-inclusive (I never knew Jesus to be exclusive). So the word that in the 1500's was put together, Christ + mass is offensive to some. Christ is the messiah of the Bible that was promised to reconcile us with our Creator, and the word 'mass' has it's roots in the Eucharist, or the giving of thanks (or the Lord's supper).
Can you imagine what would happen if I went to China, Russia, or Japan and started whining because their traditional festivals were offensive to me? Could you imagine me going to a muslim country and raising a big stink about Ramadan and wanting it changed to something more inclusive because it hurt my feelings?? How about going to Israel and going to the courts to have Hanukkah removed as a national festival and changed to Festivus (see Seinfeld) because it would include more people?? I can't think of another country that would TOLERATE such nonsense!!
So what is the acceptable word the the highly offensive "Christmas" is to be replaced with?? The secular or non-religious, all-inclusive word "holiday". I laugh out loud (for those of you who don't know what this means...insert LOL) as I write that. The etymology of the word holiday goes all the way back to the 1300's. Literally it means HOLY day, or day of rest, or sabbath day. The Sabbath was originally a Jewish name for Saturday, the seventh day of the week which the Lord designated as a day of rest. Christians took it over (mistakenly) and started attributing it to Sunday, the first day of the week, the day of the week that the tomb Jesus was buried in was found empty. So what exactly is the point of trading one Christian word for another??
Both words, Christmas, and holiday have been utilized by so-called non-religious folks for years in a non-religious way. In England, our American 'summer vacation' is their 'holiday'. The word Christmas, for many, is no more a religious term than holiday for those in England. For me, I can use both words, Christmas and holiday, and be equally unoffended.
If you don't want to look at the nativity scenes, walk past it and look at the pretty snowman. If you don't want to center Christmas around Christ, don't. Bypass Jesus and go sit on Santa's lap for a while, and tell him what you want. I guess you don't have to ask for a Christ-free Christmas...Santa doesn't have to give it to you...we're giving it to you for him. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays...and I mean it in the most Christian way possible...it's how I roll. FB
It's also time for the holiday/Christmas wars. Sheesh! Those Ebenezer Grinch types out there who have a problem with the word Christmas has everyone on the planet changing their parties to 'holiday parties'...trees to 'holiday trees' (are you freakin' kidding me??), Christmas season to the 'holiday season'...wow! What's next? Renaming the newborn messiah "Jesus Holiday"? The relocation of nativity scenes is taking place all around the country...hidden in private areas so as to not offend anyone. Wouldn't want to do that, huh?
Since when was it a crime to offend someone? I'm offended by people wanting to change the vocabulary of the season because a few people don't like it. Ironically the ones who typically want things changed because they are 'deeply offended' are those who scream the loudest about tolerance! Don't be telling me you want tolerance, you selfish piece of work! You want things your way! Give me a break! Somebody's feelings are going to get hurt people! Your purpose in life is not to walk on eggshells around me so as to not offend me! Nor is mine to do so for you!!
tol·er·ate/ˈtäləˌrāt/
| Verb: |
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Where is the tolerance, the acceptance, the endurance. I guess it's horrible to have a season that has as part of it's name, "Christ". That is non-inclusive (I never knew Jesus to be exclusive). So the word that in the 1500's was put together, Christ + mass is offensive to some. Christ is the messiah of the Bible that was promised to reconcile us with our Creator, and the word 'mass' has it's roots in the Eucharist, or the giving of thanks (or the Lord's supper).
Can you imagine what would happen if I went to China, Russia, or Japan and started whining because their traditional festivals were offensive to me? Could you imagine me going to a muslim country and raising a big stink about Ramadan and wanting it changed to something more inclusive because it hurt my feelings?? How about going to Israel and going to the courts to have Hanukkah removed as a national festival and changed to Festivus (see Seinfeld) because it would include more people?? I can't think of another country that would TOLERATE such nonsense!!
So what is the acceptable word the the highly offensive "Christmas" is to be replaced with?? The secular or non-religious, all-inclusive word "holiday". I laugh out loud (for those of you who don't know what this means...insert LOL) as I write that. The etymology of the word holiday goes all the way back to the 1300's. Literally it means HOLY day, or day of rest, or sabbath day. The Sabbath was originally a Jewish name for Saturday, the seventh day of the week which the Lord designated as a day of rest. Christians took it over (mistakenly) and started attributing it to Sunday, the first day of the week, the day of the week that the tomb Jesus was buried in was found empty. So what exactly is the point of trading one Christian word for another??
Both words, Christmas, and holiday have been utilized by so-called non-religious folks for years in a non-religious way. In England, our American 'summer vacation' is their 'holiday'. The word Christmas, for many, is no more a religious term than holiday for those in England. For me, I can use both words, Christmas and holiday, and be equally unoffended.
If you don't want to look at the nativity scenes, walk past it and look at the pretty snowman. If you don't want to center Christmas around Christ, don't. Bypass Jesus and go sit on Santa's lap for a while, and tell him what you want. I guess you don't have to ask for a Christ-free Christmas...Santa doesn't have to give it to you...we're giving it to you for him. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays...and I mean it in the most Christian way possible...it's how I roll. FB
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