Forum Index
»
Infants, Toddlers, & Preschoolers
What do we say to "Merry Christmas"
![[Post New]](/jforum/templates/default/images/icon_minipost_new.gif){kind=icon}
Anonymous
Why can't we just relax? I'm not Jewish, but if someone told me Happy Hannukah, I'd probably say it back. Same with Happy Kwanzaa. I like the Festivus response, though. |
Anonymous
| I agree with saying Thank you and Merry Christmas to you too, or Happy Holidays. What's the big deal. I hate all this PC crap about not saying Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, etc.. Why do people take offense when someone is just trying to be pleasant. |
Anonymous
|
OP here. Well, I don't agree it's all "PC CRAP." There are reasons why some, and I emphasize 'some', people feel threatened by all the Christmas merriment and festivities and Christmas wishes. If you are of a minority faith that is scarcely recognized or acknowledged and the majority faith is constantly emphasized before your family, you worry about the effect it may have on your young, impressionable children. Many children want to be a part of the majority. They want to be like other children. Children who don't celebrate Christmas may feel 'left out.' I used to work for a Jewish boss who would go on vacation every Christmas just to be away from all the Christmas festivities. When I asked her why, she said it was because she always felt that she was outside a stranger's house on a cold winter day, with her nose pressed up against the window, watching them getting Christmas presents and enjoying themselves. She felt left out and isolated and alone on Christmas holidays. Well, I can understand that feeling of isolation. When one belongs to the minority faith, you sometimes will feel isolated on holidays that are celebrated so widely, in such a big way, with lights everywhere, the media covering it constantly, the cartoons having Christmas stories or Christmas references, etc...
People of the minority faith aren't 'blaming' anyone for feeling isolated, its just the way they feel and it's understandable. But we chose to live in this country and we knew full well it was a predominantly Christian country when we moved here, so we make the best of it. We make sure our kids know about our faith, we make our holiday's fun, we let our children befriend other children of their faith also so they don't feel alone...So long as our kids feel comfortable with their own faith, I believe they will grow up loving their faith but also respecting and not feeling threatened by people of other faiths. So this is why SOME people take offense - I think they actually feel threatened. But like I said, they needn't feel threatened. We need to live in a multicultural and multireligious society where all faiths are respected. |
Anonymous
Where did you go where people wished you a Merry Christmas? Everything is so PC nowdays, I don't even think Target even mentioned the word "holidays" never the less a sign or greeting with Merry Christmas? |
Anonymous
|
I'm Jewish, we don't celebrate Christmas, and I say "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays" when someone says "Merry Christmas." "Thanks, you too," works for me too. I see it as just a friendly greeting and don't have any concerns about responding happily to a Merry Christmas greeting. If someone asks me how I celebrated Christmas or what gifts my children received for Christmas, then I may say something like, "Well, we don't celebrate Christmas, we're Jewish, but we went away for several days/bought them X toys for Hanukkah/etc." I do remember the time when I told one of my colleagues that I don't celebrate Christmas, and she was utterly floored. I don't think she realized that there were Americans who didn't celebrate Christmas. I guess that was an eye opening exchange for both of us . . . Happy Holidays! One more thing--what's up with the person who keeps posting about being denied red and green decorations or Xmas decorations in their children's schools? I volunteered in my child's class before winter break in a Montgomery Cty Public School and my job was to help the children decorate paper cutout Xmas tree lights. . . . |
Anonymous
OP, you seem like a really nice person. 
I reiterate my earlier post: I wonder how much of this is perspective, but I honestly can't remember anybody saying Merry Christmas to me this year, outside of church and the Christmas tree lot! I do remember a LOT of "happy holidays." I guess it would make sense that the people who don't celebrate Christmas notice the Merry Christmases more. FWIW, I have a lot of Jewish neighbors, and some of them assume I'm Jewish too (I'm Christian), so I get wished Good Shabbas or Shabbat Shalom now and then -- I got a Happy New Year last Rosh Hashanah! I always just repeat the well wishes back to them with a smile. |
Anonymous
Somebody forced you to put up a Christmas tree in your house and sing Christmas carols with your kids? 
|
Anonymous
This thread saddens me tremendously. When did we become a society so sensitive and entitled that we feel a question such as "Are you ready for Christmas?" is presumptuous? For heaven's sake be bigger than that. As a person with a physical disability I get blindsided by all sorts of lovely inquiries including "What is wrong with you - were you born like that?" stated loudly on a crowded metro train or my favorite "Are you able to work?" Gosh, if only someone would ask me if I was ready for Christmas then I could really blow off some steam giving them the "what for" for being so presumptuous!! |
Anonymous
Actually it was at Target, Home Depo, and some restaurants. |
Anonymous
|
I was raised celebrating Christmas, my DH is Jewish, and we don't celebrate Christmas. We just got back from a trip (so were out-of-state for over Christmas), and I was stunned at how many people approached DC asking "Have you been good? Is Santa going to visit you?" We also got a lot of Merry Christmases, to which we all responded "Merry Christmas" (which we don't have any problem with). All of the direct questions to DC about Santa were initially a non-issue too - we were able to deal with them in a low-key way. But then there was the day we returned from our trip. We were at the airport, we had problems with our luggage (so I was distracted a lot), and DC struck up a conversation with a friendly elderly couple next to us. For a couple of minutes I didn't pay attention to their conversation, and the next thing I knew, the husband of the couple was saying to me "Your daughter told me she didn't get a visit from Santa!" Clearly, he had asked her if Santa had visited, and she'd said no (which was the truth), and he was astounded. The look on DC's face was heartbreaking - she definitely understood from the exchange that there was an experience other people expected kids to have, and she didn't have it.
I know the couple was just making conversation, and didn't mean any harm. However, after my experiences this holiday season, I'm going to say that directly addressing my child about Santa thing - for me, that's crossing a line. |
Anonymous
This is not directed at OP - I am just quoting your interesting statement for reference. For those who feel threatened by Christmas and are offended that they are forced to celebrate a holiday not their own -- I assume that you treat the week of December 25 as any other...no vacation time, working all day Christmas Eve even if your office closes early, not taking the automatic annual leave day of December 25? Just a little reality check. |
Anonymous
Don't feel sad. You are right I think in that we are a society that is becoming more sensitive, but in a good way. We are becoming more sensitive to people of other religions and races and cultures. That's not a bad thing at all. It means we are recognizing that despite being a predominanatly white, Christian society, we live with people of all races, nationalities, and religions in this great country, and we are trying to be mindful of letting them know we recognize they're here and we respect them. Inherent in the question, "Are you ready for Christmas" is indeed a presumption - the presumption that the person you are speaking to is Christian or celebrating Christmas. But for that poster, neither one was true. So it was an erroneous presumption. It was completely understandable and the speaker, I believe, had nothing but the best of intentions when she said this. But the listener, even if just for one second, might feel that the speaker forgot that there are indeed people of other faiths living near and around her. In essence, she might, for one second, feel her kind was forgotten. Nobody should ask you such questions ( and so crudely) because you have a disability. That is insensitive because the speaker isn't thinking of how you might feel being asked such questions. But give some people the benefit of your doubt, as they probably didn't have time to rethink or rephrase their questions in a more polite way to you or they overlooked the impact of such questions on you. But this is the purpose of making our society more politically correct - sensitizing people to other people's feelings and needs. It's not a bad thing really. |
Anonymous
|
It is amazing to me how bigoted people are when they can hide behind anonymity.
I was excited when I found these forums, but after seeing all of the offensive holiday posts I prefer the listserv. It's too depressing. |
Anonymous
Nearly all offices are closed on Christmas Day. Phones don't ring, many systems are down, there's nobody to call, no patients that would come in, no support staff to do surgeries or any other kind of work. So many people take off that it would not make sense for nonChristians in many different industries to go to work. I don't think nonChristians are sneakingly riding on the coat tail of the Christian holiday. If they were asked to or could, I think they would work without grudge. It's just not that big a deal for them to have to work on Christmas because its not a day they celebrate. It would seem more fair if those who took off on any religious holiday to not be paid for it regardless of what faith they belong to. But again, 99% of offices shut down due to the predominance of Christians, so what kind of work could possibly be done with the handful of people working on Christmas day? This is why this holiday is bestowed on everyone of any faith. |
Anonymous
|
I believe the appropriate response is "Bah humbug." I'm kidding
FWIW, I'm a catholic married to a jew -- and for whatever reason, many folks seem to think that I am jewish and thus they wish me a happy hanukkah. I have never been offended by it or felt a personal affront to such kind wishes. My response: "Thank you!" Or, "Happy Hanukkah/Happy Holidays to you too!" I think folks really need to lighten up. In the grand scheme of things, having someone wish you a Merry or Happy Whatever really isn't such a horrible thing. |