Christians are now organizing a boycott against businesses that fail to wish everyone “Merry Christmas” or use that offensive greeting “Happy Holidays.” Stores are being monitored and blacklisted for just wishing everyone “Happy Holidays” instead of referencing Christmas specifically.
The site www.standforchristmas.com is listing businesses on whether they are naughty or nice on using Christmas in greetings.
The group listed companies by whether they are “friendly,” “negligent,” or “offensive” in the use of such terms as Happy Holidays or Season’s Greetings instead of Merry Christmas.
The group explains in a standard letter:
“Yet, the trend is pervasive to preempt “Christmas” with generic terms like “holiday” or belabored
euphemisms like “Merry gift-giving” – and especially among retailers.”
The group says that it can accept signs reading Happy Holidays if they also include Merry Christmas.
However, the legions of Christmas inspectors report on stores that are light on Christ with such reviews as this one:
Comment Date: Nov 24 2009 10:29 PM
Rating: Christmas-Offensive
Comment: I’ve received Kohls advertisements, have seen the ads on TV and stopped in the store in Pasadena, TX. None of these have had the word Christmas anywhere. The TV ads seem to specifically avoid any mention of Christmas – they show snow flakes and talk about giving the right gift, etc. They also do not mention the typical “Happy Holidays” as if to make it ok, but this is offensive in itself. Not only will I not shop Kohls at Christmas, but will not shop there at any other time.
Another reported the following violation:
Comment Date: Nov 28 2009 10:29 AM
Rating: Christmas-Negligent
Comment: The clerk was friendly, but said, “Happy Holidays” when I was leaving.
Of course, Christ himself tended to be a little less into the whole shopping part of the holidays.
King James Bible
And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,
Flip–
I’ll second what Gyges said about Byron.
Following up on waht AY said: The Pilgrims of Plimoth Plantation did not celebrate Christmas.
Massachusetts Online Travel Journal
Excerpt from “When Christmas Was Banned in Boston”:
Outlawing the celebration of Christmas sounds a little extreme, but it happened. The ban existed as law for only 22 years, but disapproval of Christmas celebration took many more years to change. In fact, it wasn’t until the mid-1800s that celebrating Christmas became fashionable in the Boston region.
The Puritans who immigrated to Massachusetts to build a new life had several reason for disliking Christmas. First of all, it reminded them of the Church of England and the old-world customs, which they were trying to escape. Second, they didn’t consider the holiday a truly religious day. December 25th wasn’t selected as the birth date of Christ until several centuries after his death. Third, the holiday celebration usually included drinking, feasting, and playing games – all things which the Puritans frowned upon. One such tradition, “wassailing” occasionally turned violent. The older custom entailed people of a lower economic class visiting wealthier community members and begging, or demanding, food and drink in return for toasts to their hosts’ health. If a host refused, there was the threat of retribution. Although rare, there were cases of wassailing in early New England. Fourth, the British had been applying pressure on the Puritans for a while to conform to English customs. The ban was probably as much a political choice as it was a religious one for many.
http://masstraveljournal.com/features/boston-cambridge/when-christmas-was-banned-boston
Flip,
Byron’s reasonable. We don’t always agree, but we have good conversations about not agreeing. He listens, considers and responds.
The wingnuts have to find a way to manufacture rage during a period where people are busy shopping, partying, and not really paying close attention to their usual nonsense.
Even for some people who celebrate Christmas, this isn’t Christmas, as in the case of people who being to Eastern Orthodox churches and Christian sects like Jehovah’s Witnesses (noted above).
I’m not Christian, but I like Christian and I wish these wingnuts would stop their war on Christmas cheer.
“There’s nothing wrong with saying “Merry Christmas.” There’s also nothing wrong with NOT saying Merry Christmas. That’s the point.”
Bravo, Gyges. Unfortunately your spot-on response is likely falling on deaf ears.
Congratulations, Bill O’Reilly… you’ve got everyone drinking the War on Christmas kool-aid now.
Elaine,
Great song parody. It should become a Happy Holidays and Festivus classic. Jill, how dare you confuse the pagan Sun birthday with the birth of our Savior! Wasn’t the Sun birthday started by the Beatles? Or was that the Sun King?
Byron,
There’s nothing wrong with saying “Merry Christmas.” There’s also nothing wrong with NOT saying Merry Christmas. That’s the point.
I see no reason why I or any other non-Christian should be bullied by society into taking part in the the celebration of a Christian holiday (Jehovah’s Witnesses and other Christian sects also don’t celebrate the holiday). And that’s exactly what this blacklist is meant to do.
I happen to enjoy the gift giving aspect of Christmas, so I celebrate the holiday, but I pass no judgment on those who don’t.
Hmm, methink that the celebration of Christmas was against the founding fathers intent. As a matter of fact it was not until after the Civil War that Christmas as we know it came to pass. If memory serves me correctly Alabama was the first state that adopted it as a Holiday. It was not until U.S. Grant was president that it was adopted as a National Holiday.
So I guess Jesus celebrated it too…
Byron,
This time of year isn’t only about Christians. In fact, Jesus was most likely born in March. The reason Jesus’ birth is celebrated on Dec. 25 has to do with the Catholic church trying to convert pagans who celebrated the birth of the SUN on Dec. 21. Like many other pagan holidays, this one was incorporated into the Catholic church. So “Christmas” isn’t really about Christians, it’s about pagans and the solstice. Because of the importance of the solstice to many different religions you will find multiple celebrations of this time of year, in different faiths. That’s why really, Happy Holidays is the more accurate phrase. It’s an important time to many faiths and it is often celebrated by atheists (such as myself), because I am thrilled that the days will be getting longer again. It is my second favorite holiday after Halloween.
what is wrong with saying Merry Christmas? That is what it is. This is a response to going to far the other way.
Mespo turned me on to this and it well worth the time to read. Separation of Church and State was to protect religion from the state, not to protect the state from religion.
the last couple of pages is the Virginia Statute.
http://www.adamsjefferson.com/papers/Ragosta_final_7_09.pdf
Jefferson even gives the nod to atheists.
Joe G.,
LOL!
It’s about time someone had the courage and the ingenuity to make a list of stores that strive to make the holiday shopping experience as inclusive and comfortable as possible for persons of ALL creeds! Not only that, but I can be virtually guaranteed that I won’t run into Evangelist nuts runnin’ all up ’round in those stores!
Thank you, Focus on the Family! It’s everything I expected of you.
Boycott?! Oh for christ’s sake, these people make me nuts!!!
Their list of stores to boycott to me is a list of stores to buy stock in.
Their list of stores to boycott to me is a list of stores to frequent.
Here’s a song parody I wrote for the occasion:
You better watch out,
You better not cry
“Happy Holidays”
In your store. Here’s why:
Stand for Christmas
Is coming to town.
They’re making a blacklist,
Checking it twice,
Gonna find out who’s naughty or nice.
Stand for Christmas
Is coming to town.
They’ll see you when they’re shopping.
They’ll check you out online.
If you’re saying “Merry Christmas”
Then your store they won’t malign.
You better watch out,
You better not cry
“Happy Holidays”
In your store. Here’s why:
Stand for Christmas
Is coming to town.
Yes Bert, that is one point of view but God demands another. First of all the 3 wise men wished Jesus a Merry Christmas when they gave their gifts. Do you think Mary and Joseph said, Happy Holidays in return? Hell no they didn’t. They told the wise men, “and Happy New Year kind sirs”. Jesus asked for a three high end gift maximum and registered at the stable–no gift cards. It was hard times and gold doesn’t devalue like cash or expire like gift cards. So you see, modern christians are doing exactly as Christ did on his birthday and who are you to question them!
Where are their priorities? Our country is involved in two wars. The country has nearly imploded–financially speaking. Millions of people are out of work. Millions of Americans have no health insurance…and on and on and on. And this group spends its time on a project like this??? Why don’t they show the true Christian spirit and channel some of that energy by helping out some military families and/or people in need at this time of year?
Hey, all you kind-hearted “Stand for Christmas” Christians involved in this project: HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!
Shouldn’t these blacklisters be happy the word “Christmas” is not associate with crass commercialism?