tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9911070.post113509722910401381..comments2024-03-01T06:27:41.786-05:00Comments on Damian McNicholl's Blog: Debating ChristmasM. Damian McNichollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12991119735240044243noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9911070.post-1135212874405944382005-12-21T19:54:00.000-05:002005-12-21T19:54:00.000-05:00Georganna makes a good point, though. I understand...Georganna makes a good point, though. I understand that there's no offense to be taken in people wishing one Merry Christmas. It's like taking offense at the use of "honey" or "dear" as a vocative: if there's no offense intended, it would be churlish to take offense.<BR/><BR/>That said, it is impressive that people seem to assume that everyone they come across celebrates Christmas. For example, well-wishers in the store will often ask my children what Santa's bringing to them, that sort of thing. It's nice of them, and the kids sort of know to play along/not contradict these adults, but in fact we don't celebrate Christmas (or Hannukah, or anything else). <BR/><BR/>I just wish Christmas would go back to being a simpler religious holiday rather than the overstuffed, over-commercialized affair its become. Good will toward men and all that--that's something one can respect. As it is I spend most of the season avoiding stores for the throngs of Christian shoppers and cursing them if I'm stuck in Christmas-season traffic.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9911070.post-1135189398530488642005-12-21T13:23:00.000-05:002005-12-21T13:23:00.000-05:00Thanks for the interesting comment, Georganna. I d...Thanks for the interesting comment, Georganna. I don't care so much for Christmas myself. But when I say 'Merry Christmas,' I'm not saying it in any religious sense, and I'm sure a great many other people aren't either. Merry Christmas is just meant to be, well, Merry Christmas. I can imagine its connotation might be different in the Bible Belt, but then I don't know people living in the rural areas of the Bible belt and really ahve no desire to find out.M. Damian McNichollhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12991119735240044243noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9911070.post-1135187395647561242005-12-21T12:49:00.000-05:002005-12-21T12:49:00.000-05:00For more than 60 years I've known people of every ...For more than 60 years I've known people of every walk and persuasion of life. Why is it only the Christians who try to cram their religion down our throats by forcing a "Merry Christmas" on everyone in sight (or out of sight, in the case of holiday cards)? Most everyone who knows me knows I'm not Christian. I know many people who celebrate Kwanza, Hanukah, Ramadan--and they don't wish me a happy whatever they are celebrating. Still, my best friend, my mother, my cousin ply me with "Merry Christmas" greetings, gifts, cards over my continued gentle protests.Georganna Hancock M.S.https://www.blogger.com/profile/13989653997711727130noreply@blogger.com