Hubby and I were driving home from shopping for our daughter's birthday gift yesterday and as we were stopped at traffic lights, I noticed workers changing an advertising sign outside Home Depot. You know, the kind where they slide one letter in at a time? Well, the words "Get a new kitchen before" had already been spelled out. As we sat at the light I anticipated seeing them spell "Christmas" next, but sadly "the h" got slid in just before we proceeded through the green light.
My heart sank as I realized they'd taken the politically correct route and chosen to refer to Christmas as "the holidays." When did "Christmas" become a word only used in Churches? And how did we let this happen?
Any suggestions on how we can bring "Christmas" back onto our streets?
P.S. Did you know there are only 51 days now until we celebrate the birth of our Saviour this year?
Surrendering to Him,
Eileen
17 comments:
You know I used to write Christmas X-mas all the time b/c I thought it was just abbreviations and let's be honest Christmas is a long word! It wasn't until I was an adult that I realized it was really X-ing out Christ in Christmas. Huh.
I so need to shop!
If I know I am with a group of people who are not all Christians I'm careful to say Happy Holidays. But lets face it most "holiday" decor is geared toward Christmas, so I think the stores should call it what it is Christmas decor. I'm not offended when someone says Happy Hanukkah, so I'm not sure why we have to be so careful with the Christmas word. And this year, even though I won't push Thanksgiving aside, I am preparing early for Christmas and enjoying the whole meaning of the season:)
I say Merry Christmas. I agree it is slowly being removed, but I'm not surprised.
I say Christmas. I wish folks wouldn't get bent out of shape about it. If someone wishes me a Happy Hanukkah or Happy Kwanza or Happy Holidays, I say thank you. I don't smack them around or demand they change.
I think it's sad to not say or display "Merry Christmas." People all over the world have taken the Christ out of Christmas and claiming the day to mean whatever they want it to mean.
I wrote a post in Dec. 2009, basically, about the same thing. I made it rather light, in hopes of getting honest opinions from a diverse group of people...and I did. Lots of people prefer "Happy Holidays."
In Niagara-on-the-Lake, Canada, every December they have a Christmas stroll with lots of Christmas carol singing, like a Norman Rockwell Christmas, complete with horse-drawn carriages. :)
Eileen:
When I worked in a public library, a coworker and I went out of our way to say,"Merry Christmas." I made up the sign listing the days we would be closed for Christmas and New Years. One year I made them up, had a hard time doing it-electricity went off, unsaved document. My coworker was going to hang them for me when she came back and told me I needed to do them over. The director saw them and told her that we (meaning I) had offended one of the possibly two Jewish patrons we had when I made them the year before.
I will always say, "Merry Christmas."
I say Merry Christmas. That's just the way it is.
I'm also not offended if someone wishes me Happy Holidays.
I always like saying Merry Christmas, and I think it's a good reminder to both me and the person I'm saying it to. It's kind of frustrating about the kids, too. In my daughter's school they have to be politically correct about everything but I always tell her she's allowed to say Merry Christmas, she doesn't have to say Happy Holidays.
Happy Holidays includes the many that fall between Nov. and New Year's. I try to use the one that seems the most appropriate.
It doesn't bother me I guess because I haven't noticed. What I have noticed and what annoys me, is the generic cards at Walmart. I want to buy packs of Christmas cards with actual verses on them and those are becoming a rarity. :-(
Two things
1. Christians were bullied, and let the bully win
2. They support these places by shopping there.
If it says happy holidays... i do not shop there.
Yet the holiday are all about God, take your choice of holiday and you will find God and I tell people that.
I get giddy just thinking about the holidays. Oh dear. I used that naughty word. (Funny how that word used to mean Thanksgiving and Christmas!)
Thanks all for chiming in here.
Generic cards are a pet peeve of mine too. I really wish the card makers would work around Bible verses.
I've got to say that I'm not offended when I'm wished a happy holiday, but I am a little sad on those occassions. I think Christ is taken out of the celebration so much that I would really like to hear Him being referenced at least in relation to the reason for such a holiday.
I always appreciate it when someone wishes me a 'Merry Christmas' instead of 'Happy Holidays'. I know store clerks are just being careful or have been instructed by their superiors as to which greeting is appropriate. But I noticed last year that more of them are keeping Christ in Christmas, whether because it's their personal belief or their superiors have changed their minds based on feedback received. Whatever the reason, it makes me happy!
Eileen - take a look at my blog. I've memed you and hope you'll participate!
Eileen:
Something I read this morning made me think of this discussion. "The original meaning of holiday was HOLY DAY."
I wonder what people would say if, when we were told "Happy Holidays, we responded with "Happy Holy Days."
It's sad to think all holidays, religious or not will be demoted to just another day we get off work.
I think more people need to make it known in person and on the web that many of us prefer to celebrate Christmas, not the holidays and that Merry Christmas is not a four letter word.
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