What's wrong with "Merry Christmas"?

[marion11111]

Sheryl, I wonder if the family was Jehovah's Witness.  In my community, a number of 
families are Jehovah's Witness and they do not celebrate any reigious or patriotic holidays 
or personal birthdays.  In my experience, the parents make a point to teach their children 
how to respond politely when facing a situation involving religious greetings, parties, 
birthdays, the pledge of allegiance, etc.  I am always impressed by how calm and polite 
the children are.  A co-worker who is a Jehovah's Witness said they start role-playing 
these situations with the kids at an early age.  

This is one of the mian reasons we avoid too much holiday fuss at school.  While the kids 
are always free to opt out of celebrations, it really isn't nice or fair to ask such little ones to 
have to do something that makes them feel "different."  Some take part anyway and I can 
only imagine how guilty they must feel inside.  I think we can all remember how guilty we 
felt as kids when we did something that we'd been told was a "sin."  Honestly, I remember 
thinking Jesus was writing down every time I lied or said a bad word!


--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at yahoogroups.com, Sheryll Townsend <s_ings at ...> wrote:
>
> I'm not going to quote anyone here, I think most
> people reading have followed the thread. 
> 
> I work in retail and wish customers Merry Christmas
> quite liberally. I had a regular customer come in
> yesterday with her daughter. I'd been asking a number
> of the children who came in to the store in the
> afternoon if they'd received nice gifts from Santa.
> For no particular reason, I didn't ask this little
> girl. I asked her mother if they celebrated Christmas.
> They do not. When asked, she informed me that they
> didn't celebrate any other holidays either, though
> they did take note of New Year's Day as a time to
> recognise the possibility of make new changes in their
> lives. She also thanked me for asking before
> addressing any Christmas related questions or wishes
> to her daughter. Apparently I am the first person to
> do so. 
> 
> Her daughter is about 5 and very well spoken. She as
> recently taken to starting great conversations with me
> when they're in the store. She asked yesterday why I
> celebrate Christmas. I simply told her that my
> religion chooses this day to celebrate the birth of
> Jesus. Her mother thanked me for a short,
> uncomplicated response that the daughter could
> understand. Her daughter, of course, had more to say
> and ask. I have to say, it was quite interesting to be
> informed by a 5 year old that she didn't celebrate
> Christmas because it was "wrong". Her mother was
> horrified that she said that to me, but I couldn't
> possibly have been offended. 
> 
>