What's wrong with "Merry Christmas"?

[dumbledore11214]

Lee Kaiwen 
<SNIP>
>A rose by any other name. IMHO. What's the difference between "Merry
>Christmas" and "Happy Holy Days"?
> Last I checked, the focal point of "the Holidays" is still 
December 25, 
> Which my (shamefully un-PC) calendar still labels Christmas Day. 
It IS 
> still Christmas, whether one happens to be Christian or not.

<SNIP>

Alla:

Well, the focal point of **my** holidays ( and please, holy-days? 
The root of the word does not mean that it still has the same 
meaning as it was originally, in Russian for example the word is 
completely different, while Christmas still has similar meaning) is 
not December 25, so I absolutely see the point. It is December 31 
and January 1. 
It is when we open the presents, when we wish each other happy new 
year, party that night.

And why would you wish me Merry Christmas if you 
know what I want to hear? Isn't what I want 
should matter the most? Aren't you wishing something to me? Or are 
you saying it to please **you** (generic you, I mean)?

If you are wishing it to please yourself, then sure, I get it, 
otherwise, no I don't.

As I said, I do not mind when somebody wishes me merry Christmas, if 
that person does not know me. If that person DOES know me, I just 
consider it to be a little bit disrespectful.

And it has nothing to do with pushing religion, since Chanukah for 
me is not holiday that I learned when I was a kid either, I mean not 
religious in a sense that I am not practicing. I consider myself a 
believer, but I do not think that judaism or christianity would 
agree with me. I just believe in G-d, that's all, I do not practice.

It has to do with knowing your friend and wishing the happiness for 
the holidays I celebrate.


This year I made SURE for example to send cards to majority of my 
coworkers and guess what, it never entered my mind to wish to people 
anything other than Merry Christmas, but only because I knew that 
they ARE celebrating Christmas. I sent happy New Year cards to 
couple of Jewish coworkers.


I just feel that when I do the greetings, I should greet the person 
with her holiday NOT mine. 


Alla (NOT ALLA):

> I personally don't understand why anyone would want to insist that
> "everyone" should celebrate Christmas

Lee Kaiwen:
When did wishing someone a "Merry Christmas" became tantamount to 
trying
to force religion (whatever that means) on anyone? It's an 
expression of
good will, period. No one's asking you to celebrate the holiday, just
hoping your December 25th is a happy one.

Alla:

I did not say the words that you attributed to me above, somebody 
else did.

I hope I explained my POV. I do not think that when somebody wishes 
me Merry Christmas they force anything on me, but when this person 
is my  **CLOSE** friend, I find it a bit disrespectful and sort of 
lazy if she does not remember what holiday is my favorite holiday of 
the year.

Again, I do not make a big deal out of it since I know intent is 
good, but from my close friends, even more than happy holidays, I 
want to hear happy New Year and nothing more.


Alla ( NOT ALLA):

> It was fascinating being in Southeast Asia where most people were
> Buddhists, their major holiday was Tet, and almost no one 
celebrated
> Christmas.

Lee Kaiwen:
As I mentioned in a previous post, I live in East Asia, where nearly
everyone is Buddhist, Christmas is not a holiday at all -- and no one
takes offense at being wished "Merry Christmas".

Alla:

That's great, only I did not say those words again, somebody else 
did, LOL.

Are you sure though that they do not take offense or they just do 
not tell you if they are? I mean obviously you are living there, so 
you know better and I never been there.



Alla (NOT ALLA):

> Not everyone wants to be reminded of the holidays. One friend of 
mine
> said she wanted not freedom of religion, but freedom "from 
religion."

Lee Kaiwen:
Which, near as I can tell, is code for, "I never want to hear 
religion
mentioned", so all those Christians should just keep their religion 
to
themselves.

So everything is to be tolerated and supported EXCEPT public 
displays of
religion? I hate to sound callous, but I think your friend needs to
learn a little more tolerance herself.

Alla:

It is rather bizarre conversation we are having, since those are not 
my words again.


CJ (who just can't believe so many folk take offense at being wished
happiness)

Alla:

I take annoyance if my friend is lazy to remember what I celebrate, 
I do not take annoyance at strangers who do not know that.

If they do know that and still wish me Merry Christmas, well it 
depends on what their intent is. If the intent is to annoy me, I 
will be annoyed.

And it has nothing to do with political correctness, it has to do 
with rather bold assumption people would make.

I think Christmas is a BEATIFUL religious holiday and people should 
be able to enjoy it as much as they wish, but it is not mine.