What's wrong with "Merry Christmas"?

[Geoff Bannister]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at yahoogroups.com, "Goddlefrood" <gav_fiji at ...> 
wrote:

Goddlefrood:

<summarised>
> I suggest that depends on what traditions you refer to. 
> Here's a few:

> (i) Father Christmas / Santa Claus

> (ii) Christmas tres / logs - pre-Christian traditions.
 
> (iii) Turkeys as the main meat for the Christmas dinner 

> (iv) Eight reindeers - 
 
> (v) FC's clothing 

Geoff:
These traditions are not actually part of the essential 
message of Christianity and, hence, of Christmas and 
really are irrelevant to what the season is all about; 
however, they make useful red herrings to distract folk 
from investigating what our faith is all about.

Goddlefrood: 
> (vi) The date of Christmas - a shoe in for other older 
> traditions and festivals. As Susan pointed out it was 
> a convenient time for the catholic church to put Christmas 
> at. The early Christians, as pointed out by Geoff did often 
> use older symbols and festivals to disguise their own. The 
> Roman church does date back to not long after Jesus, as I'm 
> sure all of you know. One of the early signs of a meeting 
> place was a fish symbol, a symbol that is still used in 
> parts of south eastern Europe, unless I'm much mistaken.

Geoff:
The fish symbol is used very extensively in the UK; I have 
one on the tailgate of my car and they also often occur on 
church noticeboards.

I wonder whether folk realise that the fish symbol is an 
example of possibly the earliest acronym?

The Greek word for fish is "ichthus" which, when spelt out, 
form the initials of the Greek for "Jesus Christ, God's Son". 
It was often traced out by early Christians in the dust as a 
recognition symbol to other believers.