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Post by Primrodo on Dec 4, 2005 2:29:49 GMT -5
Yeah, but when I hear the "Merry Christmas" is being 'banned' I never see that backed up. It just turns out to be some corporation going generic with 'Happy Holidays'. How did that turn into 'banned'? Is anyone getting fined, jailed, beat up or otherwise persecuted for "Merry Chirstmas"? No.
No, but retail stores, government procedings, all the way to Christmas trees are slowly moving the word Christmas out. Its not a forced issue like say Prayer in public schools in 49' (or was it 45?). When I say banned I don't mean with anyting except not allowed to say. This is something thats been all over the news, here anyway, though Ontario is the most PC place on earth..oy. As for SNL, it was great! too bad you missed it! |
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Post by Leda EmBorr on Dec 4, 2005 5:11:02 GMT -5
I'm a Pagan. If I wish any of them a Merry Yule or Winter Solstice they think I'm given them the sign of the devil. Well why not wish them a Merry Christmas? I wouldn't say Merry Christmas to you if you didn't celebrate the holiday... and it would feel odd if someone wished me a Happy Hanukkah.
Well, my rant goes the other way. I'm HAPPY HOLIDAYS all the way. Some of the churches around here are just so overbearing, so obnoxious (and sometimes creepy) that I feel like telling them to go stand in their corners until they learn how to play nice. I'm a Pagan. If I wish any of them a Merry Yule or Winter Solstice they think I'm given them the sign of the devil. A person can NOT be a Christian and be just fine in the real and spiritual worlds. So, 'Happy Holidays' is my slogan this season.
Many things are obnoxious and overbearing Ani... sorry to hear the churches in your area are that way.  My husband agrees with you about the Happy Holidays slogan, Ani, and I do also, to a point. I say Happy Holidays all the time, much more than I say Merry Christmas--- I think I usually say "Have a Happy". The fact was that the township tree lighting took place on municipal grounds, and for that reason, the Minister was told not to say Merry Christmas.... or anything else for that matter. Last year, he addressed many faiths, and that was nice. It was like he spoke to the hearts of many different people, but this year he had a mandate, set by town council vote, to follow, and his speech felt empty. I guess they though it was the safest thing to do. I never expected to react as I did, it was totally out-of-the-blue.... but as I said, it's just a small part of a larger issue that has bugged me for quite some time---- People today are too quick to run, crying that they've been victimized.... and that's what really gets to me because there isn't much that can be done to change it. Political correctness, even though I understand and often applaud it, really gets to me when it's taken to extremes. But it's the nature of the society that we live in. Some people just don't know how to play nice, and unfortunately, it affects us all. As for the Christmas vs. Holidays issue, it's a dilemma no matter how you look at it, because people's emotions are envolved. That's just what happened to me... I have a burst of emotion, and logic goes out the window. No matter how thoroughly I know the history of Christmas tradition, of Kwaanza and Saturnalia, and no matter how I believe they should each stand on thier own, I still felt my personal sense of tradition being threatened when they didn't say Merry Christmas. Change is sometimes hard to swallow. But what angers me most is intolerance, and last night's events were an example of that... Just can't tolerate intolerance---  So, yeah, I'll still wish my family and friends a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Merry Yule, Happy Kwaanza (did I miss any? I'm sure I did...) and just to save my breath... Happy Holidays.... But don't tell me that I can say none of the above, that's a step backward. And I still think that it's a shame that certain retailers have banned the Salvation Army from ringing bells in front of stores...although I understand the reasoning behind it. The bell ringers didn't bother me--- my dad used to give us coins when we were little and we loved to throw them into the bucket and make a wish! lol!... but I know some people that hate it... they won't go to some store because they have to walk past the annoying bell ringers... again, a clash of opinion. Who's right? Both positions are valid. And by posting my rant here, I suppose I just wanted to hear that I wasn't insane for freaking out about it. I just needed to hear some opinions... Glad I got some contrasting ones.  |
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Post by Leda EmBorr on Dec 4, 2005 5:27:19 GMT -5
And I'm definitely tracking Santa with NORAD this year.... www.noradsanta.com This is just really cool! My kids are going to love it! ;D |
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JediKai
Message Board Member
TJA Savior
Posts: 5,560
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Post by JediKai on Dec 4, 2005 11:34:12 GMT -5
Thanks for sharing the NORAD link. I had no idea! Looks like funa nd I'll be tracking with you on Christmas Eve
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Post by Leda EmBorr on Dec 4, 2005 18:12:34 GMT -5
Another tradition that has evolved in our family is the tradition of the annual Hess Truck.
Every year, for about the past 20 years I think... (one year before Andrew was born) my dad would buy each of his daughters (4 of us) the seasonal Hess Truck. Then he started buying one each for his grandkids... back then there was just Andrew, then my sister had a kid and so on--- no there are 9 grandkids,plus he still gets one for my sister who has no kids, and one for himself... that's alot of Hess Trucks! lol! You can imagine the noise on Christmas day!
And you can imagine the buildup of them in my house with all 3 kids...
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Post by Ani-Chay Pinn on Dec 4, 2005 23:10:39 GMT -5
As for SNL, it was great! too bad you missed it! Awwww, rub it in.  The first part of SNL is almost always the best. The non-religious-words-to-Silent-Night sounds similar to an old Stan Freeburg routine where he's trying to sing "Old Man River" and the network censor kept stopping him to change words that might offend anyone; the routine is called "Elderly Man River". And this was back in the 1950's, long before anyone had given political correctness a name. Aaaah, I put up my tree. Lights and ornaments and strings of stuff. I always add a few new ornaments every year. Now I have tree tinsel sticking to my Jedi robe, but at least I got those tucks and the rest of the robe done. |
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Post by Starkindler (The Naked Jedi) on Dec 6, 2005 23:10:24 GMT -5
To go back to the topic that started this thread.... My wife and I each brought a few "family" ornaments from our homes when we got married and added a bunch of normal ones to fill our tree. Since then we purchase one or two new ornaments each year that have some significance to the year (Baby's first, favorite movie, past-time, kids fav book, etc.) , write the year on it, and replace one of the normal ornaments. Now that the kids are older we let them help pick the new ornament. When they get married each will get to pick a few to take with them to start their own trees. |
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JediKai
Message Board Member
TJA Savior
Posts: 5,560
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Post by JediKai on Dec 7, 2005 2:48:22 GMT -5
Nice tradition, Tenric.
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Post by Leda EmBorr on Dec 7, 2005 21:05:58 GMT -5
To go back to the topic that started this thread.... My wife and I each brought a few "family" ornaments from our homes when we got married and added a bunch of normal ones to fill our tree. Since then we purchase one or two new ornaments each year that have some significance to the year (Baby's first, favorite movie, past-time, kids fav book, etc.) , write the year on it, and replace one of the normal ornaments. Now that the kids are older we let them help pick the new ornament. When they get married each will get to pick a few to take with them to start their own trees. Yup, we make sure we keep that one going. Even through those years when we were flat broke, I managed to take some gift tags and glue pics of the kids to them along with some writing with a gold paint pen. When we hang them on the tree it reminds us of how much we have to be thankful for. Also, I added hooks to all the little wedding and baby/bridal shower favors that we've collected over the years. We see them and think of those people. Then of course there's the lovely kid-made ornaments! And the Dragon*Con dragon with the santa hat! lol! |
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Post by Jan-Qui Coran on Dec 10, 2005 0:46:13 GMT -5
Whew! After reading all of these I'm simply going to say to my fellow TJA members
;D Have a Very Healthy Happy MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! ;D
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Post by Ani-Chay Pinn on Dec 10, 2005 19:17:32 GMT -5
My mother made stockings for each us when we were kids. They had our names on them. She always filled it with practical things like socks and pencils, and the occassional chocolates, with an orange at the bottom to weight the toe down, but we looked forward to emptying them. When my mother cleared the closets one year, she gave us all our old stockings. I still have mine around here somewhere.
Happy Holidays. ;D
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Post by Primrodo on Dec 10, 2005 22:12:23 GMT -5
From SNL Ani Here ya go: Silent Night Silent night, regular night All is calm, all is bright ‘Round the fire, mother and child Random infant, religiously neutral Sleep in comfortable beds Sleep in comfortable beds Away in a Barnbox Away in a barnbox No bib for their lunch The donkey and camel On straw they will munch The stars in the sky Shine down ‘cuz it’s night The lamb and that donkey Just got in a fight Tuesday Night O Tuesday Night The stars are brightly shining It is the night to watch TV and play cards Fall on your knees And do a jigsaw puzzle Just stay inside tonight It’s half past nine Just stay inside Feelin’ fine AND FINALLY – The Hallelujah Chorus (sing it with me now, EVERYBODY!) How ya doin’ How ya doin’ How ya doin’ How ya doin’ I’M DOIN’ JUST FINE |
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Post by himiko sabbrawrra on Dec 10, 2005 23:01:41 GMT -5
Well now i don't have a real christmas holiday. My family are Jehovah Witnessess so they got ride of all their x-mas stuff..Including the one ornamnet that I WANTED. it was in the family sense my mthers grat-grandma. it was a gold plated bulb. Pure gold and was heavy. I was away and I never got to say I wanted it.
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Post by Leda EmBorr on Dec 11, 2005 1:51:17 GMT -5
Wow, that's harsh... Maybe we can make TJA ornaments! |
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marajademms
Message Board Member
September 2007
Posts: 24
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Post by marajademms on Dec 11, 2005 19:16:13 GMT -5
I actually found the words for the SNL Silent Night very sad.
But, to keep with the initial message of thread...
I am the Christmas nut. As soon as Santa Claus waves to the crowd at the Thanksgiving parade, the Christmas season starts for me.
From that point on, I'm listening to every Christmas CD I can find, keeping on the radio stations that play the Christmas music 24/7 (hey, I only have ONE month of this, right?), write my Christmas cards (including drawing little holly leaves by the addresses), setting up my entire cubicle at work into a Christmas wonderland, getting the house decorated, decorating the Christmas tree...
But, the most important thing for me is and always has been BAKING THE CHRISTMAS COOKIES. It's the one time of the year, I put my entire heart and love into what I'm doing. Time slows down for me as I bake. The Christmas music fills the house while the sweet scent of cookies fills the air. The tins I put the cookies in quickly overflow with yumminess. Then, at Christmas Eve after we have our big extended family dinner, and pull out the desserts, I open the tin of love-baked cookies and watch my family dig in. It's amazing how a simple pleasure like mint-cookie dough imbedded with chocolate chips returns that innocent smile to the people around me that I love.
Now, that to me, is Christmas.
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The first part of SNL is almost always the best. The non-religious-words-to-Silent-Night sounds similar to an old Stan Freeburg routine where he's trying to sing "Old Man River" and the network censor kept stopping him to change words that might offend anyone; the routine is called "Elderly Man River". 
