Yaoi Huntress Earth Posted November 14, 2006 Share Posted November 14, 2006 Tis the season for spoiled, obnoxious fundies and neo-cons to start raising a stink about the War of Christmas. They bitch about the ACLU and just because someone uses happy holidays instead of Merry Christmas. Stores have been using that term for decades and they haven't bitched about it until now. And instead of taking the most posititive aspects of Christmas (both secular and religious), it's about merchandizing their crappy "we're soooooo persecuted merchandise", rudely shoving their beliefs down our throats, and acting like Veruca Salt with PMS. The christmas they want isn't warm, caring, or even religious. Just hateful, self-rightous and extremely commercialized. The Christ-thing is just a tool to exploit what they want. Which brings another thing. Have you ever noticed how much modern Christmas movies are mirror this ugly side of what Christmas could become if these assholes got their way. Sure there's the message of the "true meaning of Christmas" but it's usually dwarfed by the meaness and "I'm always right mentality". While that new movie on Christ's birth looks like it has promise (at least Gibson isn't doing it), just compare cool older Christmas movies like It's a Wonderful Life and Bernard and the Genie (where a Brit finds this magic lamp and him and the genie perform some Christmas miracles in honnor of the J-Man and some mean people get what's coming to them) to modern stuff like Christmas with the Cranks (where a couple who refuse to partake in the commericalized version of Chrismas and are treated like crap by their entire town until they give in, which they do) or the live-action Grinch which has very little of the simplicity, warmth and charm (let alone the lesson) of the animated version. Hell, even Santa Claus Conquors the Martions has more of the idealized spirit of Christmas than this new kind of Christmas that is being shoved down our throats. Anyway, thanks for listening. I just had to vent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unknowing1 Posted November 14, 2006 Share Posted November 14, 2006 Believe me I totally understand. I heard a news article the other day that Walmart is now going to start saying Merry Christmas again. Why? Because people complained and they want to appease the larger customer base. It would seem to me that a true Christian wouldn't be so caught up in the commercializm of Christmas and wouldn't put as much emphasis on buying presents, santa and so forth and to complain because someone doesn't say Merry Christmas isn't being very humble now is it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thurisaz Posted November 14, 2006 Share Posted November 14, 2006 Hypocrisy, thy true name is jebus... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amethyst Posted November 14, 2006 Share Posted November 14, 2006 Yes, I am beginning to dread Christmas. The over-commercialization, the obligation of having to get people in your family a gift and spending a certain amount of money on that gift, having to spend time with annoying relatives, going shopping and having not just Christmas but religious music shoved down your throat...gah! I'd much rather have just a small, close-knit celebration for one day than the monstrosity that Christmas in America has become. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thurisaz Posted November 14, 2006 Share Posted November 14, 2006 In recent years, we celebrated Yuletide with a whopping horde of three people (heathen ritual ) and some generic get-together with my wife's family. Without (well, almost without) all the commerce junk et al. Very pleasant if you ask me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fweethawt Posted November 14, 2006 Share Posted November 14, 2006 Yes, I am beginning to dread Christmas. The over-commercialization, the obligation of having to get people in your family a gift and spending a certain amount of money on that gift, having to spend time with annoying relatives, going shopping and having not just Christmas but religious music shoved down your throat...gah! I'd much rather have just a small, close-knit celebration for one day than the monstrosity that Christmas in America has become. I'm feelin' ya, Amethyst... I'm right there with you. I like giving gifts'n stuff. I just can't stand the OVER-commercialization of it all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amethyst Posted November 14, 2006 Share Posted November 14, 2006 Yes, I am beginning to dread Christmas. The over-commercialization, the obligation of having to get people in your family a gift and spending a certain amount of money on that gift, having to spend time with annoying relatives, going shopping and having not just Christmas but religious music shoved down your throat...gah! I'd much rather have just a small, close-knit celebration for one day than the monstrosity that Christmas in America has become. I'm feelin' ya, Amethyst... I'm right there with you. I like giving gifts'n stuff. I just can't stand the OVER-commercialization of it all. I don't mind giving gifts either, but Christmas has become so filled with obligations. It's the idea of having to give someone a gift, and an expensive gift nonetheless. Why can't I just give that person a gift any old time? And why does it have to be on certain days of the year? Can't we have an UnChristmas Day? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kurari Posted November 14, 2006 Share Posted November 14, 2006 It sort of makes sense to me in a way though. Christianity has ALWAYS been really big on commercialization. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LosingMyReligion Posted November 14, 2006 Share Posted November 14, 2006 I loathe the holidays. They make me so sick. Everyone made Scrooge out to be such a bad guy, but I think he had a point... All of the commercialization and grandieose is enough to make me want to build a bomb shelter and hibernate until the Holidays are over. It is funny how the fundies talk about "the true meaning of Christmas," however, they are the main ones running out and buying their little brats 5 to 600$ worth of presents that they'll never play with after Christmas day...While little homeless children and their parents starve on the street... Christians just want to raise a stink just to show everyone that they are relevant... Bah fucking Humbug... I'm just going to eat at a nice restauraunt and buy myself some new CD's and DVD's... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StewartP Posted November 14, 2006 Share Posted November 14, 2006 I find winter a real drag, and Christmas is in ideal halfway break. It's the time to get together with the people you love. (And if that's not your family, it doesn't matter. Tuff luck on the family I say, they should have been nicer to you!) Its the time to chill out. Big meal/turkey/christmas pud too stressful? then sod it! cook something easy. Christmas bolognese! My best christmasses have been me, my wife, my brother and his girlfriend all lying, fat and half pissed in front of a warm fire. Traditions are only good if they're any good. If the tradition makes everything hard work, then trash the tradition and start a new one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Everglaze Posted November 14, 2006 Share Posted November 14, 2006 Screw holidays. It's the time for bigots to shine and preach on about how the holiday represents religious tradition and all the other back stories of mere useless trash. I swear LMR, fundies do buy their kids expensive presents for Christmas which gets used up in vain, while people in need are getting the neglect or cold shoulder. Fuck the self-righteous and snobby attitudes of Christians. I particularly hate the fact that Christmas is already being shoved down everyone's throats and it's only November. That means two months of me having to push myself through crowds of people in order to spend some regular time. I hate hearing Christmas Carols and hearing about those weak holiday celebration services that fundies attend where they talk like the spirit is truly in them. It'll be everywhere. Bunch of nuts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riverbank Posted November 14, 2006 Share Posted November 14, 2006 I don't have too many people to buy presents for, which is okay with me .. and actually in some ways i quite like the atmosphere leading up to christmas .. yeah it's ridiculously over commercialised though .. maybe not as bad here in UK as in US tho, not sure.. I would hate it if I had loads of family to buy for. Would probably never buy presents for friends unless there was an EXTREMELY good reason. This is my first Christmas as an ex-c, so wonder if it will be very different? Probably not much so. I'm sure I'll gratefully receive my pressies anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodsmoke Posted November 14, 2006 Share Posted November 14, 2006 Traditions are only good if they're any good. My thoughts exactly. I actually love the holidays--probably attributable to the fact that "growing up" is still some ways down on my to-do list. In a cruel twist of cultural irony, I actually treat the holidays as a time to set back and relax with things I enjoy, as opposed to those who pay lip service to the idea as their mind begins preparations for a stress-induced meltdown. I've asked my family not to buy me any gifts for Xmas this year, as I've made it clear to them I have no intention of doing the same for them (and wouldn't even if I could afford to ). I could probably list other reasons, but there are certainly some here who stand exactly opposite of myself on those points; and in the end none of it really matters anyway. I like them for my own reasons, and if someone else doesn't, they don't have to participate. After all, it's the working definition of insanity to take part in an event you know you don't enjoy because other people tell you it's supposed to be fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kurari Posted November 14, 2006 Share Posted November 14, 2006 I love the Holidays. I used to hate it when I bought into the hype and was running myself ragged trying to create the "perfect" Christmas, but now I just kick back and do what I want, so it's all fun again. I honestly don't notice the commercialism. It's just kind of "there." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curtdude Posted November 14, 2006 Share Posted November 14, 2006 God, the "easy adult contemporary" radio station here in SF started playing Christmas music last week! I turn my headphones on expecting to hear the Greatest Hits of the 70s, 80s And Whatever, and YUCK! All I heard was "oh the weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so blah blah blah.." Before Hallow'een I went to a fairly high end store downtown to browse at lunch and, yup you guessed it. Banners of chic advertising featuring the stars of the show, Jesus, Santa, Rudolph, the Elves, the Archangel Gabriel, Mar and Joe, and the Rest of the Holiday Gang were all there, in their shining red and white gawdy raiment, beckoning one and all to Partake, Party and Spend. Get us in the mood. Toasted marshmallows, hot chocolate, The Wise Men and Gifts. Let's not forget the gifts. Gotta get that GameBoyXXXIII for Junior, and the AnorexiaBarbieDreamHouse for LittleMissy. Jesus H Christ. The Great Pumpkin hadn't even had a chance to strut his (or is it her) stuff with Linus in the pumpkin patch and we're already being led down the Tannenbaum Lane. Ready to spend and coerce our way into mid-winter bliss. And be reminded of The True Meaning of It All. If you don't speak up for Christ, well you know he sure as hell won't speak up for you. Am I being too coy? Why not just get together with friends and/or family in the deep of winter, eat, drink and be merry. Be thankful for what we've got. Give and receive. I just don't like being coerced into it by a bunch of JamesDobson Wannabees. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amethyst Posted November 14, 2006 Share Posted November 14, 2006 Also, whatever happened to Thanksgiving? I know that stores don't make as much money off of it, but can't they wait until the day after Thanksgiving to bombard us with all the Christmas stuff? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kurari Posted November 15, 2006 Share Posted November 15, 2006 Also, whatever happened to Thanksgiving? I know that stores don't make as much money off of it, but can't they wait until the day after Thanksgiving to bombard us with all the Christmas stuff? There is actually a reason for this. Stores are pushing Christmas stuff earlier and earlier because a great many of them make most of their yearly profit around this time of year. Some of them as make as much as 2/3's of their total income for the entire year just at this season alone! The earlier they push it, the earlier they can start making people panic and get them into their stores. And what irony, I just had this little spam pop into my e-mail box. It says: "Thank you for your loan request" from "Christmas." *Starts playing Bob River's Twisted Christmas Tunes* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wertbag Posted November 15, 2006 Share Posted November 15, 2006 One Christian I know swears that Santa Claus is a abbreviation of Satan's Claws, and each year goes on his rampage of protesting the destruction of the Christian day. Thankfully hes an ignored minority in this case. Another Christian told me that she believes Santa Claus, or St Nick is a Christian saint. Told me the story she believes is a real world story. St Nick was just a nice old man, worked as a carpenter and spent his spare time making wooden toys for kids. Once a year to celebrate Christs birthday he'd grab a sack and deliver toys to those too poor to afford their own. If thats true then he was following Christian beliefs and should be respected for his good heart. No idea if its true, but I'd much rather believe he was just a nice chap than a conspiracy from Satan to hide Jesus's birthday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
godlessgrrl Posted November 15, 2006 Share Posted November 15, 2006 I fucking hate the holidays. I was into them as a kid, when my grandparents were still alive, and I had a reason to care, and traditions that were fun. Well they've been dead for nearly a decade, and I still haven't found anything to ground me in the season that I'd actually care about. Family is fractured, friends scattered... I don't know, somehow I'm just getting to this point where I'd really rather just go to Hawaii or Cancun for Xmas or something. Even New Year's is a fucking drag, although I'll admit I like it better than Xmas. Oh well, I'll figure something out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piprus Posted November 15, 2006 Share Posted November 15, 2006 Personally, I like the Seinfeld approach... FESTIVUS!!! (For the rest of us) Happy Festivus, all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
godlessgrrl Posted November 15, 2006 Share Posted November 15, 2006 Y'know, I couldn't fucking stand Seinfeld, but I think there just might be something to that Festivus thing. Hmm... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Sage Nabooru Posted November 15, 2006 Share Posted November 15, 2006 Believe me I totally understand. I heard a news article the other day that Walmart is now going to start saying Merry Christmas again. Why? Because people complained and they want to appease the larger customer base. Hah! Watch me. At any rate they may be able to make me do it but they can't make me do it with dignity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lycorth Posted November 15, 2006 Share Posted November 15, 2006 I fucking hate the holidays. Preach it, sister. I loathe the holidays. Too much Xian bullshit, combined with sentimental bullshit that just makes those of us who have lost things or loved ones all the more depressed and angry. Once upon a time, it used to mean something. Now it's just a yearly headache. I did it to myself, in a way. I made the holidays exclusively about Jebus, so when I finally kicked his ass to the curb, all the enjoyment I had for the holidays went with him. Ah, well - I'm newly married and at least have my loving wife to spend the time with. Otherwise, piss on this phony bullshit season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
specs appeal Posted November 15, 2006 Share Posted November 15, 2006 Oh here we go. This is starting to drive me nuts. And I like Christmas, the Christmas I know, anyway, because of the nostalgia I associate with it. I just don't feel the need to shove it on other people in any way. Why should I? I don't cram my birthday down people's throats, or bitch at people who aren't wearing poppies before Remembrance Day, or freak out when I find out that someone isn't using Easter as an excuse to gorge on chocolate... And I don't know of anyone who does. But "happy holidays" and "Xmas" and all that, OHH no... What IS it about this holiday in particular? (And why do even most Christians make Christmas a bigger holiday than Easter?) "War on Christmas" - gag me. Anyway... Believe me I totally understand. I heard a news article the other day that Walmart is now going to start saying Merry Christmas again. Why? Because people complained and they want to appease the larger customer base. Oh geez... one of my dear loved ones (who as far as I know isn't even really religious) apparently thinks that Wal-Mart is the Second Coming because of that. They're 'making Christmas Christmas'!! Hallelujah! Now, I don't know what the big deal is, but I can only imagine that this has to do with the fact that this is CANADA and here in Canada "WE" celebrate CHRISTMAS (I guess only Christmas-humping WASPs are real Canadians??). And apparently, if some (American) company here advises its employees to say to customers, "Happy holidays" instead of "Merry frickin' Christmas," that makes us like repressed Muslim countries where you can't even say merry-frickin-Christmas and in fact there is no Christmas. (Sounds like the background for some crappy made-for-TV movie. "There was no place for baby Jesus/Santa in the burning deserts of Arabia...") In other news, another one of my loved ones used to work at Wal-Mart, and he told me that they only suggested for the employees to say, "Happy holidays" (as opposed to making them say it even if they didn't want to). However, he didn't say anything holiday-related at all (just "have a nice day" or whatever). I mean, someone could get offended by any greeting. But even so, someone also took issue with his lack of reference to holidays: this woman looked at him and said, "Merry Christmas to you too" It would seem to me that a true Christian wouldn't be so caught up in the commercializm of Christmas and wouldn't put as much emphasis on buying presents, santa and so forth and to complain because someone doesn't say Merry Christmas isn't being very humble now is it? Yeah, I ranted about this somewhere else the other day. You'd think there were more important things to be concerned about during the all-important holiday, like one's family, for one example. But oh no, it's all about whether everyone in the fuckin world says "MERRY CHRISTMAS" or not. Screw spreading Christ's love. Screw that loving and giving Christmas spirit, too. Go and spread (read "buttrape people with") the gospel that "Merry Christmas" is the only acceptable greeting during December (November, December, whatever). Sorry. It just came out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mongo Posted November 15, 2006 Share Posted November 15, 2006 My inlaws return everything you buy to get something different. For an anniversary we pitched in to get them a really nice TV for the kitchen. Returned! And in a sense, I like to buy my own stuff. I don't want the cheap model my wife will buy and that I'm supposed to agree with her is nice cause she wants me to believe it is nice like a fundy wants their kid to mean it when they say "grace". "Oh honey I love it". What a colossal waste of money we call Christmas. Yes, of course, we buy the kids gifts... I'm an atheist not a fucking asshole. Besides my wife buys into the myth and all the inlaws buy toys and crap and toys and crap and toys and crap. I'd love to pack it into my trunk and drive it over to the local charity. I would!!! But I can't stop them and my wife won't!!! I can't stand having my kids spoiled but... they're not as bad as the neighbour's IPOD and XBOX laden braggards. Compromise! But me... I don't need presents. I resent having to buy useless crap for fickle people and I don't want to foist that on others. I do have a sense of fairness. There is one saving grace... my wife hates what I buy her and I hate what she buys me so we have a general agreement on holidays (birthdays excepted), we jointly decide on a mutually beneficial gift that we buy out of the joint account. She likes furniture or light fixtures or home improvements... I could give a rat's ass about them but she thinks it is for both of us so as long as I don't have to buy her clothes, I'm happy. I really do appreciate that. To all the others who think they and I should exchange gifts, I have two words... grow up! Happy Festivus! (Thank you sooooo much Piprus - you rock) Mongo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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