Comments on: The Meh on Christmas http://www.kuliniewicz.org/blog/archives/2005/12/23/the-meh-on-christmas/ After all, it could only cost you your life, and you got that for free. Thu, 04 Dec 2008 22:07:32 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.5 By: Paul Kuliniewicz http://www.kuliniewicz.org/blog/archives/2005/12/23/the-meh-on-christmas/#comment-701 Paul Kuliniewicz Sat, 24 Dec 2005 18:18:35 +0000 http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~kuliniew/wp/?p=421#comment-701 <a href="http://fuckchristmas.org/">Or, if you prefer a more obscenity-laden take.</a> Or, if you prefer a more obscenity-laden take.

]]> By: Paul Kuliniewicz http://www.kuliniewicz.org/blog/archives/2005/12/23/the-meh-on-christmas/#comment-700 Paul Kuliniewicz Sat, 24 Dec 2005 17:46:47 +0000 http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~kuliniew/wp/?p=421#comment-700 Modern Christmas, in the United States at least, is an amalgam of both religious and secular holidays, and is the de facto winter solstice celebration in our society. Besides the celebration of Jesus's birth, there's also the secular aspects of gift giving and Santa Claus, the symbolism of evergreen trees and lights, reuniting with family, declarations of peace on earth, and so on. Not to say that there isn't overlap between the two sets, but it's incorrect to say that Christmas is <em>solely</em> a Christian religious holiday. Or, to try to summarize that, there's more than just <em>one</em> true meaning of Christmas. All of this makes the so-called "War on Christmas" annoying. The people pushing the idea have some kind of us-versus-them mentality where being wished "Happy Holidays" is somehow interpreted as a personal attack on their faith. The supposed perpetrators of this attack are retail personnel, where "Happy Holidays" or "Seasons Greetings" or "Merry Christmas" or "Happy New Year" or "Have A Nice Day" are all just instances of "insert friendly greeting to say to the customer here." And what makes this whole thing bizarre is that those pushing the War idea seem to be complaining that there isn't <em>enough</em> overt commercialization of Christmas. Weren't they complaining there was <em>too much</em> of it just a few years ago? Modern Christmas, in the United States at least, is an amalgam of both religious and secular holidays, and is the de facto winter solstice celebration in our society. Besides the celebration of Jesus’s birth, there’s also the secular aspects of gift giving and Santa Claus, the symbolism of evergreen trees and lights, reuniting with family, declarations of peace on earth, and so on. Not to say that there isn’t overlap between the two sets, but it’s incorrect to say that Christmas is solely a Christian religious holiday.

Or, to try to summarize that, there’s more than just one true meaning of Christmas.

All of this makes the so-called “War on Christmas” annoying. The people pushing the idea have some kind of us-versus-them mentality where being wished “Happy Holidays” is somehow interpreted as a personal attack on their faith. The supposed perpetrators of this attack are retail personnel, where “Happy Holidays” or “Seasons Greetings” or “Merry Christmas” or “Happy New Year” or “Have A Nice Day” are all just instances of “insert friendly greeting to say to the customer here.” And what makes this whole thing bizarre is that those pushing the War idea seem to be complaining that there isn’t enough overt commercialization of Christmas. Weren’t they complaining there was too much of it just a few years ago?

]]> By: Wesley Allen http://www.kuliniewicz.org/blog/archives/2005/12/23/the-meh-on-christmas/#comment-699 Wesley Allen Sat, 24 Dec 2005 04:20:30 +0000 http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~kuliniew/wp/?p=421#comment-699 Granted the "war on Christmas" issue has gotten quite a bit out of hand in the media, I still find fault in some of your arguments. No matter the "source" of the traditions or the "source" of the time of year/date of the event, Christmas is still a holiday that was for the celebration of the birth of Jesus. I seem to be getting the impression that you're arguing that that isn't the "true meaning of Christmas." I agree that things have gotten out of hand w/ all the uproar over the "Happy Holidays" and whatnot, but that doesn't mean that the base reason for the Christian holiday Christmas isn't still what it was initially. Let me know if I'm reading too much into your post as that is often the case :) And have a Merry Christmas, or Happy Hanukkah, or just an overall enjoyable winter break, and I'll see you when we get back next semester! Granted the “war on Christmas” issue has gotten quite a bit out of hand in the media, I still find fault in some of your arguments. No matter the “source” of the traditions or the “source” of the time of year/date of the event, Christmas is still a holiday that was for the celebration of the birth of Jesus. I seem to be getting the impression that you’re arguing that that isn’t the “true meaning of Christmas.”

I agree that things have gotten out of hand w/ all the uproar over the “Happy Holidays” and whatnot, but that doesn’t mean that the base reason for the Christian holiday Christmas isn’t still what it was initially. Let me know if I’m reading too much into your post as that is often the case :) And have a Merry Christmas, or Happy Hanukkah, or just an overall enjoyable winter break, and I’ll see you when we get back next semester!

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