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The war on the war on xmas has already started

Keith&Co. said:
dx713 said:
If she was alone, wouldn't "trolling" be more descriptive than "trawling"? (or was she that massive?)
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She was looking for a very specific catch. not an actual fight, as evidenced by her retreat when i went off-script.
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Trollers with their customized lines are fitter for specific catch than trawlers with their massive nets... :p
Oh yeah, I see what you mean. She was trawling where she should have been trolling, and had to reject you fast when she realized you weren't the kind of fish she was looking for.

Back to the topic.
What is it with all cultural associations deciding that the approach of Christmas is a good time to program events?
Between my kids', the nearby theater, and the conservatory senior orchestra, we've already earmarked or gotten tickets for at least 8 concerts in November/December...
Is that something that pleases Christ, or are the churches angry about the competition? Is it like that in your part of the world?
 
dx713 said:
Is that something that pleases Christ, or are the churches angry about the competition? Is it like that in your part of the world?
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Yeah.
I think it's easiest to teach little kids christmas songs because the damned things are playing EVERYWHERE, pretty much programming the little monsters everywhere they go, so it's almost like a free rehearsal.
 
Keith&Co. said:
dx713 said:
Is that something that pleases Christ, or are the churches angry about the competition? Is it like that in your part of the world?
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Yeah.
I think it's easiest to teach little kids christmas songs because the damned things are playing EVERYWHERE, pretty much programming the little monsters everywhere they go, so it's almost like a free rehearsal.
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Yes, that too.
But I'm also talking about higher brow events, that can only be tangentially related to Christmas (if not completely orthogonal), like the conservatory's senior orchestra playing the first three Beethoven piano concerto. Like they all think the parents are in happy Christmas mode and now is a good time for them to go applaud their kids (or, in the case of the senior orchestra, marvel at the musical level of older students). And from what I hear around, sport clubs have their pre-Christmas tournaments too.
Hint: no we're not! Beginning of winter with associated house maintainance (oops, is the boiler ready?), end of trimester assignment piling on said kids, organizing Christmas family reunions and managing gift lists... Why not do that in January?
 
dx713 said:
Like they all think the parents are in happy Christmas mode and now is a good time for them to go applaud their kids (or, in the case of the senior orchestra, marvel at the musical level of older students).
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Yeah. But we've started with the little kids showing off their stuff as Christmas recitals or whatever, so that's when we're accustomed to scheduling everything else.
Hint: no we're not!
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No, but that's the funny fun fun of the holiday season. If you point out that your stress is high and you've got a long list and a short fuse you're a grouch.
They CAN stress you because they know there's extra pressure on you to be jolly. Or at least tolerant.
You're trapped by social expectations and cultural traditions and not wanting to see the pout on the widdle faces.

This is why there are four boxes of frozen cookie dough and two pies in my freezer.
It's also why we don't have a christmas tree. Too much to do and there's no benefit to having one (not once our kids got out of school and until someone brings home a grandkid)(Or a cat. Cats seem to be entertained by the tree...).
 
dx713 said:
Apart from a couple of talking heads trying to fight the merchandisation of Christmas, I don't bump in that kind of people around here.
Whether it is because it's less easy to remember to put "Christ" in "Noël" or because religion is becoming a minority, I don't know. Maybe I just don't go out enough...

(what's sure, is that the Christmas lights generally don't get lighted before around december 1st, but I suppose it's more about fuel economies for the town. The chocolates and presents are definetly in the shops. Oh, and here, it's only one payday till Christmas, we're on a monthly pay tradition)
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I had a random woman on the street get angry at me for saying "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas" during Hanukkah. That's right. She was very angry at me for trying to include non-Christians in my holiday platitudes during fucking Hanukkah. I guess trying to acknowledge that other religions have holidays during Hanukkah counts as "persecuting Christians" and "waging war on Christmas."
 
Underseer said:
I guess trying to acknowledge that other religions have holidays during Hanukkah counts as "persecuting Christians" and "waging war on Christmas."
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Now i'm trying to imagine a real War On Christmas.

A militant atheist i knew used to shout "Nothing happens when you die!" instead of Gesundheit.

If we were trying to actively stamp out the observation of holy days during the winter festival period, what would our salutation be?

"Christ wasn't born in the winter!" or "Christ wasn't born!"

Or "Early Americans outlawed Pagan festivals like Easter and Christmas!"

Certainly not 'I hope you enjoy yourself and implicitly acknowledge your superstitious celebration (among several other superstitious observations).'
 
dx713 said:
Keith&Co. said:
Yeah.
I think it's easiest to teach little kids christmas songs because the damned things are playing EVERYWHERE, pretty much programming the little monsters everywhere they go, so it's almost like a free rehearsal.
Click to expand...
Yes, that too.
But I'm also talking about higher brow events, that can only be tangentially related to Christmas (if not completely orthogonal), like the conservatory's senior orchestra playing the first three Beethoven piano concerto. Like they all think the parents are in happy Christmas mode and now is a good time for them to go applaud their kids (or, in the case of the senior orchestra, marvel at the musical level of older students). And from what I hear around, sport clubs have their pre-Christmas tournaments too.
Hint: no we're not! Beginning of winter with associated house maintainance (oops, is the boiler ready?), end of trimester assignment piling on said kids, organizing Christmas family reunions and managing gift lists... Why not do that in January?
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Here all of the events are crammed into October to February/March because those are the only months we can wear our fancy frippery without melting. :p
 
There was a great post on Reddit yesterday which mentioned the "reason for the season" among other things. If I ran into random belligerent Christians with any regularity I'd print out copies to hand them.

http://np.reddit.com/r/Christianity/comments/2ms1a2/do_you_think_jesus_is_proud_of_christianity/cm74c2u


You guys bicker and argue with each other about stupid shit like "keeping Christ in Christmas". But few of you do during Christmas what Jesus did in his life. You don't feed the hungry, clothe the naked, forgive the guilty, welcome the unwanted, care for the ill, love your enemies (better yet, eliminate the concept of "enemies" by becoming their friends and accepting them for their faults as you too have your faults), and do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
 
Keith&Co. said:
Underseer said:
I guess trying to acknowledge that other religions have holidays during Hanukkah counts as "persecuting Christians" and "waging war on Christmas."
Click to expand...
Now i'm trying to imagine a real War On Christmas.

A militant atheist i knew used to shout "Nothing happens when you die!" instead of Gesundheit.

If we were trying to actively stamp out the observation of holy days during the winter festival period, what would our salutation be?

"Christ wasn't born in the winter!" or "Christ wasn't born!"

Or "Early Americans outlawed Pagan festivals like Easter and Christmas!"

Certainly not 'I hope you enjoy yourself and implicitly acknowledge your superstitious celebration (among several other superstitious observations).'
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It really angered me.

I mean, when we try to include more than just Christians in holiday greetings, who are we mostly trying to include? Pagans? There aren't very many of them, and only some of them celebrate Solstice. No, it's mostly about trying to make Jews feel included. If you've ever spent time talking to Jews about what it's like to be a Jewish child in a Christian nation, most of the stories are about feeling excluded, especially around Christmastime.

So the demand that we only acknowledge Christmas is a demand that we make Jews feel even more excluded.

That someone would make this demand during Hanukkah really pissed me off. If I am going to acknowledge one religion's holiday to the exclusion of other religious holidays during Hanukkah, then I am going to say "Happy Hanukkah" not "Merry Christmas."

Fuckers.
 
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bilby said:
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Our company has a guest account to give customers limited access to the Internet from our offices. The password changes monthly and it is typically a cute or funny reference to that month's holiday. Someone very cynically created this month's password:

FauxThank$

LOL
 
Your reason for saying Happy Holidays could be to turn, look her in the eyes, and say, "In case I don't see you before New Years, I wanted to cover them both. Oh, and if I do, call me and let me know that was you.

Response to Merry Christmas: With your best born again face; and how will you be honoring our lord this Christmas? That'll make her head spin while she fights through the truth of it.

I always kind of liked the season. Traditional Christmas music I could live without but I have my seasonal music.
For the winter solstice, I flip the switch for the fireplace and let it run all night, get drunk and pass out on the couch. It's beautiful.

That goddamn Feliz Navidad song sometimes sticks in my head.
 
Underseer said:
dx713 said:
Apart from a couple of talking heads trying to fight the merchandisation of Christmas, I don't bump in that kind of people around here.
Whether it is because it's less easy to remember to put "Christ" in "Noël" or because religion is becoming a minority, I don't know. Maybe I just don't go out enough...

(what's sure, is that the Christmas lights generally don't get lighted before around december 1st, but I suppose it's more about fuel economies for the town. The chocolates and presents are definetly in the shops. Oh, and here, it's only one payday till Christmas, we're on a monthly pay tradition)
Click to expand...

I had a random woman on the street get angry at me for saying "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas" during Hanukkah. That's right. She was very angry at me for trying to include non-Christians in my holiday platitudes during fucking Hanukkah. I guess trying to acknowledge that other religions have holidays during Hanukkah counts as "persecuting Christians" and "waging war on Christmas."
Click to expand...

I experienced this a few years ago on line at a Best Buy.
The old lady in front of me admonished a cashier (who was just doing what she was instructed to do by her management - say, "Happy Holidays"). Since I was next on line, I approached. It was the second day of Hanukkah... weeks away from the first day of Christmas. The old lady had said in response to the cashier's well wishing, "I think you mean Merry CHRISTMASS. It's OK to say it"! To which I calmly explained to her that it was currently Hanukkah and that Christmas is "a while away", so I believe YOU mean happy HANUKKAH - Please go ahead and say that, if you would like to be specific"! She apologized for "offending me". I explained that she did not offend me at all... just sounded a bit confused.
 
War failed again... there was an Xmas this year. Must try harder next time.
 
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