The War on Christmas has begun!!!

[ADoyle90815]

One of the stupidest things about this is that Starbucks has seasonal drinks, plus they have a "Christmas Blend" coffee available for purchase, and it actually says "Christmas" on it, not "Holiday Blend" which would really offend those nuts.

[Cartmann99]

Apologies for my ignorance but I have to ask what are "the Christmas Wars"?

There is a subset of American Christians who are very upset that Christmas is not the only holiday that is celebrated in the month of December. If you innocently wish one of these folks a more inclusive greeting like "Seasons Greetings" or "Happy Holidays", they become very upset because you did not specifically recognize Christmas in your greeting, and therefore you obviously hate Christmas, Christians, and Jesus Christ. Just file it under the desire of some American Christians to be persecuted, but to not actually suffer or have their lives endangered like Christians face in some other parts of the world. 

[Anny Nym]

Apologies for my ignorance but I have to ask what are "the Christmas Wars"?

I am still trying to fully wrap my head around that too. Apparently it´s greatly about only one brand of True Christians ^TM having sole authority about how Christmas should be celebrated the right^TM  way. This seem also to include getting mad at a fast food chain over using plain red cups instead of cups with cartooney  snowflakes on it. Because cartooney snowflakes mean Merry Christmas, The Lord And Saviour Is Born and the colour red doesn´t. Which I personally find especially hilarious.

Also they constantly Freak out about "Happy Holidays". Holiday like in Holy Days. Why one needs to get batshit crazy about being wished to celebrate happy holy times instead of a merry Chrismas, it is beyond me too.

In german we say Schöne Feiertage ("merry days of celebration"). Never occured to me it should be offensive. And now I am back to pinterest for cross stitch patterns of Dala horses for my Advent calender for Christmas.... 

[laPapessaGiovanna]

In Italian we say Buone Feste that also means something on the line of Happy Holidays. I'll never understand that stupid   

[Cleopatra7]

Back in the ancient early 1990s, my elementary school used to add lyrics to "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" to me more inclusive. There was "We wish you a happy Hanukkah" and "We wish you a joyful Kwanzaa" in addition to the traditional works, and as far as I know, no one complained about it. For some context, this was a majority white elementary school in a very wealthy suburb of Atlanta. But then again, Fox News didn't exist then, so maybe the parents didn't know that they were supposed to be offended.

[O Latin]

When I first heard about this I thought that people were upset because Starbucks wasn't going to have holiday cups at all and was just going to continue using their normal cups. Then I saw some people exiting the campus Starbucks with red cups and I was like, "They DO have the red cups, what's everyone all upset about?" I don't think I even would have known the difference between the plain red cups and the snowflake-y ones if some people hadn't made such a fuss about it (and I am one of those freaks who LOVES everything about Christmas and can barely wait until November 1 to start decking the halls and blasting Christmas music). 

[Fascinated]

I get very depressed about Christmas. I would like to propose a four-year gap like the Olympics. (Ok, it's really only two now with summer and winter, but, I digress.)

I hate that we have, what, nine Christmas-free months each year?  I believe Christmas decorations and music should be outlawed until December 1st.  

However, I despise the terms 'holidays' and 'season' and the like. If we are to be subjected to the advertising of it, let's call it what it is.  It's Christmas. I understand that other religions also have celebrations and observances, but the reason Starbucks has red cups is because it's Christmas ffs.

(And I'm an atheist.) 

 

[EmCatlyn]

How can someone be so fucking Stupid?  That gun thing killed me. This guy makes me hate christmas even more (but to be far,  I hate christmas because this year will last for almost 3 months, it has been christmas already for 3 weeks, please kill me now)

In the States we try to control ourselves and not start Christmas before Halloween, but some people are finding it harder and harder. (A neighbor actually put up his Christmas lights out las weekend!)

Then, of course, they stop "celebrating" Christmas on Dec. 26 instead of carrying it to is proper conclusion of Epiphany.  

I still love Christmas. 

<snip>  I believe Christmas decorations and music should be outlawed until December 1st.  <snip>

Totally agree. (And I am --culturally at least-- a Christian.)

[Sobeknofret]

I'm a Christian and I've never understood this War on Christmas stuff. If you're Jewish, wish me a Happy Hanukkah. If you celebrate Kwanzaa, wish me a Happy Kwanzaa (but none of that appalling Kwanzaa cake, a la Sandra Lee, mmmkay?). Wish me whatever holiday you're associating with in December and I'll know that you're wishing me well, and I'll be happy with that. Douchenozzles that try and cry persecution at the winter holidays because they're not exclusively Christian need a sore lesson in history and the Bible.

Can you tell that this bullshit really sets my hair on fire? So many other, much bigger, things to be concerned about and *this* is the hill you want to die on, people?

[Destiny]

I've thought about putting up our lights early this year instead of our family tradition of Thanksgiving. (We put up lights and decorate while dinner cooks.)

That said, we would leave the lights off til the actual holiday. The reason for putting them up early would be because we are supposed to get a lot of snow this year and it's not exactly safe to be on the roof with snow on it putting lights on.

[Nonyabznoch]

That guy reads like an infomercial, I think he is possessed by the holy spirit of Billy Mayes.  I kept expecting to hear "if you call now I'll throw in my free guide to concelealed carring for Jesus!!!1!!"

[Cartmann99]

That guy reads like an infomercial, I think he is possessed by the holy spirit of Billy Mayes.  I kept expecting to hear "if you call now I'll throw in my free guide to concelealed carring for Jesus!!!1!!"

If you really love Jesus, you openly carry at all times.  

 

 

[ViolaSebastian]

I get very depressed about Christmas. I would like to propose a four-year gap like the Olympics. (Ok, it's really only two now with summer and winter, but, I digress.)

I hate that we have, what, nine Christmas-free months each year?  I believe Christmas decorations and music should be outlawed until December 1st.  

However, I despise the terms 'holidays' and 'season' and the like. If we are to be subjected to the advertising of it, let's call it what it is.  It's Christmas. I understand that other religions also have celebrations and observances, but the reason Starbucks has red cups is because it's Christmas ffs.

(And I'm an atheist.) 

 

I have an extremely hard time around the holidays.  Like many, many people, my growing up years weren't fantastic, so I don't have many warm and fuzzy memories of Christmas time.  Christmas is a painful, painful reminder of my dysfunctional family and how the stress surrounding the holidays made things harder for me.  Not everyone has a picture perfect, Hallmark channel life, which is something that a lot of Christmas songs/programming/commercials/etc. emphasize, and to be reminded of that for two solid months sucks.  So it's tough that it keeps getting earlier and earlier.  I went to the mall yesterday and saw the Salvation Army bell ringer in a Santa cap and I couldn't believe it.  It's the beginning of November, for pete's sake!  I'm still recovering from my Halloween snickers coma! I despise the serious case of the 'gimmes' that kids tend to get around this time of year and the accompanying behavioral issues that seem to flair up around this time as well.  I know I sound like Scrooge over here, but I know I'm not alone.  I could deal with and perhaps enjoy Christmas if it was one or two weeks in December...but this marathon of Christmas time just feels like a chore to be endured.  Luckily, Mr. Sebastian hates it, too, so at least we're enlisted soldiers in the war on Christmas together. /end rant.

[AliceInFundyland]

 This year I'd like to only celebrate Festivus. 

[Beb]

Forget it, people. They won. 

[Toothfairy]

And this is why people hate Christians. Did you know it's Orphan Sunday?  Did you also know Christmas isn't a Christian holiday. Why do conservative white Christians want soooooooo badly to be oppressed? You're not being oppressed because Santa clause isn't riding across your Starbucks cups, shitting snow flakes and high-fiving baby Jesus over the Starbucks logo.

O i know so they'll feel justified in oppressing others

[Fundie Bunny]

What i celebrate on december 24th is called over eating. And also the same on december 25th. December 26th is called leftovers. December 31st is called also over eating. January 1st is hangover. December 6th is chinese food (i don't even know why that started). And most of my family are practicing christians, they acknowledge not everyone celebrates it the same way

[EmCatlyn]

I decided to be absolutely awful this year and I put all of my Christmas decorations up on Halloween.    I'm sure my neighbors think I'm completely nuts. In my defense, I've been alone on Christmas for the past two years (husband's military) and didn't feel like decorating when it was just me.

Ah, so you are the one!  I didn't realize we were neighbors.    

Actually I don't mind if you do this so long as you don't give my house strange looks when I keep my decorations up until Jan 6.  (Or maybe Easter, if I get lazy.)

[PartriarchydefyinValkarie]

And this is why people hate Christians. Did you know it's Orphan Sunday?  Did you also know Christmas isn't a Christian holiday. Why do conservative white Christians want soooooooo badly to be oppressed? You're not being oppressed because Santa clause isn't riding across your Starbucks cups, shitting snow flakes and high-fiving baby Jesus over the Starbucks logo.

O i know so they'll feel justified in oppressing others

With Gawds not Dead too coming out next year, April 1st to be precise,  be prepared for more BS. Penn and Teller should have done an episode of Bullshit on Christian persecution here in the USA, and shown REAL persecution over in the middle east. 

[apple1]

Disclaimer: I self-identify as a Christian, who tries, and frequently fails, to follow the example of Jesus.

Paraphrased from something I liked that came across my FB this morning: Honey, if the color of a coffee cup defines Christmas for you, it's you who needs Jesus.

[Ennui]

What traditionally happens on my fb feed is that the secular people in my feed are the ones to go absolutely apeshit reminding everyone that JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON, while my religious wingnut relatives will either keep completely silent on the subject or post some really mild statement about it and then be done. I have no idea what is up with that.

[clueliss]

I've struggled with Christimas for years.  Even before I set religion aside.  And I've never gotten worked up about Season's Greetings or Happy Holidays (Holiday origin if from holy days).  My sister is (was?  it's hard to keep track when your sibling crawls under a rock) Messianic to  Jewish holidays were on the calendar for her.  I've known online Jews and a pair of Wiccans who celebrate Winter Solstice.  The only people taking Christ out of Christmas as the Christians trying to legislate all this.  

[formergothardite]

I'm currently amused by FB. There are people self-righteously posting about how they are going to boycott Starbucks over the coffee cups. Then the people who are even more self-righteous respond saying that real Christians boycotted Starbucks a long time ago. 

The mall in Charlotte, NC putting up a Christmas glacier for Santa has sparked even more amusing FB fights because one group of people say that this is an attack on Christmas and then another group of people are saying that Santa is an attack on Christmas and the mall needs to put up a nativity scene. 

 

[Screamapillar]

I usually have my Christmas Tree up before Thanksgiving and I watch 24 hours of A Christmas Story every year.....but even I was seriously PO'ed when I went into Target on October 29th to pick up some Halloween decorations for our office party, and found that the Halloween section had already been replaced by miles and miles of inflatable Christmas lawn decorations. Which makes me wonder what the nuts who find a plain red cup to be an abomination would think about this...

[justsomedame]

Ah, so you are the one!  I didn't realize we were neighbors.    

Actually I don't mind if you do this so long as you don't give my house strange looks when I keep my decorations up until Jan 6.  (Or maybe Easter, if I get lazy.)

Don't mind one bit neighbour! I can get pretty lazy myself LoL