"Christmas not X-mas"

[Ollie_Vera]

What's that all about?

[iRobot]

What's that all about?

Huh?

[kash]

I don't get that.
X-mas is just a shortening of the term, but everybody think's it's an attempt to take the christ out.

The X REPRESENTS the cross!

Grargh.


I also hate the whole "How dare you wish me Merry Christmas! I support insert alternative holday here!"
Okay, how about Happy Go-Fuck-Yourself! I was just trying to be nice in the season of love!


*cough, cough*
'scuse me.

[mbtiru]

I don't get that.
X-mas is just a shortening of the term, but everybody think's it's an attempt to take the christ out.

The X REPRESENTS the cross!

The occasionally felt belief that the "X" represents the cross Christ was crucified on has no basis in fact; regardless, St Andrew's Cross is X-shaped, but Christ's cross was probably shaped like a T or a †.

Wikipedia article

Anyways, am I the only one who doesn't get what prompted the topic in question? I didn't see Christmas or Xmas mentioned anywhere in the strip or news.

[El Durazno Muerte]

I thought that the X was supposed to be like the Greek letter Chi. That X-lookin' thing in the Chi-Rho symbol that Emperor Constantine used as one of the first symbols of Christianity?

http://altreligion.about.com/library/gl ... schiro.htm

[oenone]

Okay, how about Happy Go-Fuck-Yourself! I was just trying to be nice in the season of love!


*cough, cough*
'scuse me.

wow, THAT'S cheerful.

[Ollie_Vera]

There was a big red banner just above or below the Penny and Aggie banner... said it was an advertisement but it linked nowhere.

Guess I shoulda screencapped.

[kash]

Okay, how about Happy Go-Fuck-Yourself! I was just trying to be nice in the season of love!


*cough, cough*
'scuse me.

wow, THAT'S cheerful.

Well all the drama about it irks me.
Why do people get so offended, to the point where in the stores in the mall (or in fast food) we weren't allowed to wish someone Merry Christmas.
We got this big lecture about having to use Happy Holidays, or just sticking to "have a nice day"

Because people might get offended if we wished them Merry Christmas when they were really celebrating Channukah, Kwanzaa, Festivus, or other.

It's not about the specific holiday, it's about the sentiment.


(also, apologies if I'm coming off extra testy today, It's the end of the semester and I'm stressing out.)

[oenone]

if it's about the sentiment, then what's the problem with saying "happy holidays?"

[kash]

if it's about the sentiment, then what's the problem with saying "happy holidays?"

I have no problem saying "happy holidays", I have a problem with people getting offended when someone wishes them something else.

[CharSol]

I also have a problem with this and it irks me that we can't put christmas decorations up at work incase someone is offended by it. You would have to be very insecure in your faith if you are offended by someone else celebrating a holiday of theirs publically.

[oenone]

I also have a problem with this and it irks me that we can't put christmas decorations up at work incase someone is offended by it. You would have to be very insecure in your faith if you are offended by someone else celebrating a holiday of theirs publically.

i think that's not fair to say; it's not that you're insecure, it's that having decorations up related to your faith can lead to people at your job judging you unfairly or making comments about it rudely. i mean, my dorm community was pretty open about stuff, and all about the interfaith dialogue, but i know that i got some flack for having a poster of a page from the qu'ran on the wall, and that one of my other friends was criticized for having a framed print of the 100 names of god in arabic on her wall. meanwhile every fri during lent we get fish as a campus community, and have vacations set up around easter and xmas... and it's not like you have the same ability to go home during eid or solstice as you do then. in situations like that, which are, again, really liberal contexts, you do start to feel like everywhere you go someone's pushing christianity at you as not just a faith system but a way of life. and all you're trying to do is decorate your room, and, you know, live. :p

[Stella Polaris]

X does not represent the cross.

Like Neil Gaiman said,

X-mas ( P ) (krsms, ksms)n.
Christmas.
[From X, the Greek letter chi, first letter of Greek Khrstos, Christ. See Christ.]
Usage Note: Xmas has been used for hundreds of years in religious writing, where the X represents a Greek chi, the first letter of, "Christ." In this use it is parallel to other forms like Xtian, "Christian." But people unaware of the Greek origin of this X often mistakenly interpret Xmas as an informal shortening pronounced (ksms). Many therefore frown upon the term Xmas because it seems to them a commercial convenience that omits Christ from Christmas.

Bizarrely, it completely omits any reference to alternative lifestyles or kinks of any kind. I bet you could write to the American Heritage people and complain, though. They'd probably like that.

And I wouldn't really mind it if they took Christ out of Christmas. It's a originally a pagan holiday anyway. I'm glad the Finnish word for Christmas comes straight from Yule.

[iRobot]

I thought that the X was supposed to be like the Greek letter Chi. That X-lookin' thing in the Chi-Rho symbol that Emperor Constantine used as one of the first symbols of Christianity?

We have a winner.

but i know that i got some flack for having a poster of a page from the qu'ran on the wall, and that one of my other friends was criticized for having a framed print of the 100 names of god in arabic on her wall.

That pisses me off. I can't undo what other others have done, but I can at least apologise tor the crappy behaviour of others. I'm sorry.

meanwhile every fri during lent we get fish as a campus community, and have vacations set up around easter and xmas... and it's not like you have the same ability to go home during eid or solstice as you do then. in situations like that, which are, again, really liberal contexts, you do start to feel like everywhere you go someone's pushing christianity at you as not just a faith system but a way of life. and all you're trying to do is decorate your room, and, you know, live. :p

Meh, Christmas has nothing to do with Christianity (it was Mithras' birthday, anyway, before it got hijacked)--it's all about mass consumerism, treating other people like shit and committing suicide. Merry Fucking Christmas, everyone.

Personally, I support the idea of holy days of other religions becoming national holidays and getting exploited for capitalism. I think it would be great for promoting appreciation for other religions.... "Thanks to your holy day, bud, I get a paid day off from work, whoohoo!"

[Ollie_Vera]

I call it "Crimmus" for a reason.

Also still waiting for an answer for that mysterious banner "ad" that I know I did not imagine.

[Gisele Lagace]

I call it "Crimmus" for a reason.

Also still waiting for an answer for that mysterious banner "ad" that I know I did not imagine.

Can't help you. I haven't seen it. Sorry.

[iRobot]

IAlso still waiting for an answer for that mysterious banner "ad" that I know I did not imagine.

Had nothing to do with the 5 hits of acid you dropped, either--does it?

[TCampbell]

Gisele and I have no time at all to review every ad as it comes in through Keenspot. Sorry about that.

[JackFairy]

Well all the drama about it irks me.
Why do people get so offended, to the point where in the stores in the mall (or in fast food) we weren't allowed to wish someone Merry Christmas.
We got this big lecture about having to use Happy Holidays, or just sticking to "have a nice day"

Considering that you don't know the religious beliefs of people coming into a store, saying "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas" seems like common decency and the only polite thing to me. It's rude to make assumptions about people's beliefs, and rather weird to tell them to have a good holiday when they might not only not celebrate that holiday, but have problematic associations with it.

[Zeekoe]

IAlso still waiting for an answer for that mysterious banner "ad" that I know I did not imagine.

Had nothing to do with the 5 hits of acid you dropped, either--does it? ;)

The relevant banner ad (apparently not merely an acid dream) is here: http://gavzad.keenspot.com/ads/0000137/0001.png?941023

Although, for what it's worth, the bit about stealing yule made me think that the "ad" was meant to be in jest, since if you're serious about "keeping the Christ in Christmas," you probably aren't so much as into advertizing the pagan origins of the celebration. :)

[Bumblybee]

Yeah, I'm gonna disagree with you about "happy holidays" being an annoying custom. I much prefer it to wishing everyone a merry christmas--some people have different religions and want to be recognized as such, what's wrong with that?

My mother has a friend who is an extremely religious Christian and last year sent her a Christmas card that specifically mentioned Jesus as the "savior" and noted that it was too bad about my dad and all. Too bad about what, you ask? Too bad about him being Jewish! Needless to say, we're hoping not to get a card from her this year.

[juxtaposem]

Meh. I don't know. Personally, I don't mind people wishing me "Merry Christmas." I have a friend, who is Jewish, who wishes everyone of every creed "Happy Chanukah." I generally wish people a "Cool Yule," though I've been known to let slip a "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays." (I'm a practicing pagan, if you were curious. I hope to one day be good enough to go pro. )

Generally, I think people can be oversensitive about the issue. I've heard people become outraged over faith-centered holiday wishes, and I've also seen people become outraged at "Happy Holidays." Maybe we could all learn to lighten up a bit. In a world where people commonly flip strangers the bird and exist in apathetic detachment from their fellow man, I think it's nice to hear a good will greeting. Sometimes (and I am not pointing at anyone here, mind you) I think people can be a little too stuck on their own hang-ups, and before getting offended should take a moment to realize, "This stranger just said something kind to me."

There will always be people who try to push their religion (or lack thereof) and morals (or lack thereof) on others. Those aren't the people I'm talking about. Telling someone you're sorry their loved one is Jewish? That's bad manners. However, chances are, that man or woman behind the checkout counter, or passing you in the street, isn't one of those people. They're just being friendly.

Just my two cents.

[badkittyface]

i'm agnostic. my typical greeting is, "Merry Christmas... maybe."

[MRodriguez]

Generally, I think people can be oversensitive about the issue. I've heard people become outraged over faith-centered holiday wishes, and I've also seen people become outraged at "Happy Holidays." Maybe we could all learn to lighten up a bit. In a world where people commonly flip strangers the bird and exist in apathetic detachment from their fellow man, I think it's nice to hear a good will greeting. Sometimes (and I am not pointing at anyone here, mind you) I think people can be a little too stuck on their own hang-ups, and before getting offended should take a moment to realize, "This stranger just said something kind to me."

There will always be people who try to push their religion (or lack thereof) and morals (or lack thereof) on others. Those aren't the people I'm talking about. Telling someone you're sorry their loved one is Jewish? That's bad manners. However, chances are, that man or woman behind the checkout counter, or passing you in the street, isn't one of those people. They're just being friendly.

Just my two cents.

Thank you. Anyway, I work at Home Depot, so I can figure out if someone celebrates Christmas by whether they're buying a tree or lights or wreaths and such and wish them accordingly. If they're not, I just wish them a good day, unless they wish ME a happy Christmas in which turn I return the favor.

Not really all that Christian, but was raised Catholic so I'm not entirely opposed to Christianity and don't see it as the big evil so many people do.

[Shadrach]

I couldn't agree more with juxtaposem's advice that we should all, whether Christian, non-Christian religious, or secular, lighten up about the holiday greetings issue. I'm Jewish, and when people who don't know me wish me a Merry Christmas, I smile and return the greeting. They mean well. And even on the odd occasion where someone who does know me slips up and asks "Where are you going for Christmas" or some such, I patiently remind them that I don't celebrate it.

Here in Ontario, a judge (who also happens to be Jewish) created controversy this week by banning Christmas trees from the courthouse. It was an overly PC and thoughtless decision. Just as troubling, though, is some of the backlash I've seen on, for example, Globe and Mail reader forums, along the lines of "This is a God-fearing Christian country and if you don't like it, leave," or "Yeah, figures someone named Cohen would make that ruling." (These are paraphrases, not exact quotes.) People, people. Just because one of my co-religionists made a stupid decision, don't take it out on us all. Whatever. I wish everyone on this board happiness at this season and hey why not, at other times too.