"Experience somebody else's traditions as a chance to explore and learn."

Yet, you want everyone to accept and celebrate Christmas. Am I missing something?

I think saying 'Happy Holidays' is an excellent way to show acceptance of the plethora of holidays that take place during this time. By using a smidgen more brainpower you're ensuring that not only everyone is comfortable, but that you yourself have accepted the possibility of a pluralist holiday season.

I think it'd be nice if the 71% of the US population that consider themselves Christian attempt learn about the holiday traditions of other's for a change instead of expecting the Jews, Atheists, and what-have-you to enjoy being force-fed sermons and pageants in the name of 'education'.

When did common courtesy go out of style?

I'm going to have to agree with Eryk on this one. This seems a very hypocritical post... Esp when you consider that "Christmas Trees" aren't actually Christian at all but a pagan thing steaming from burning the Yule log on the longest night in pagan beliefs.

Even the date of Christmas is borrowed from the Roman holiday of Saturnalia.

It happens that this time of year is special for so many people of so many beliefs and cultures. It is just common courtesy to respect everyone's holiday.

If you are so worry about "Christmas", then I suggest that you attend Church regularly and try to follow the traditions that you have as a Christian for yourself and worry a little less what other people are doing.

I'm with Howard. I don't see it as a lack of courtesy to wish people a Merry Christmas. Too bad some folks are such sour-pusses. Courtesy runs both ways. As a truly courteous person I would graciously accept in the warm spirit it is given, Happy Hanukka, Happy Kwanza, or even a sincere Happy Wiccan debauchery day! So thank you Howard, and Merry Christmas to you as well.

Let's not ruin a beautiful time of the year being petty. Shall we wish a Jewish person Happy Honika or Happy Holidays? Or how about wishing a Muslin Happy Holidays instead of Happy Rammaddan? Like it or not Christmas is a Christian holiday so Merry Christmas to all!

Never let it be said that the P.C. crowd doesn't keep their narrow little minds running in the same circles 365 days a year.

Dan has the right idea.

It's not PC to wish someone a happy holiday.

Christmas

Christ+mas

Christ.

Some of us don't believe in Christ. Some of us have what you would call a "Christmas" tree, but have nothing to do with Christ at all.

Personally, if you want to have a Jesus Birthday, that is cool and I respect that. But I would hope that you would respect that I am not into the Jesus thing, no more than I am into Allah, or Jewish, or Kwanzaa.

Happy Holidays really isn't offensive- except maybe to people who are Christan Bible thumpers... And well... that speaks for itself, IMHO.

More of the dominance of Western Christian ideals, eh? If you aren't American, you better be into Jesus or you are a commie, pinko, terrorist.

Perhaps we can just make it easier and deport everyone who isn't Christan, white, etc...

While we're at it, since we like to pick on the French, better send the Statue of Liberty back to France.

That's funny... something that is often used as a symbol of America and American freedom was a gift to the United States by the French.

I say we pull it down and burn it!

AMERICA FOR AMERICANS!!!

*waves flag and shoots gun*

I will defend my right to HOOTERS GIRLS!!!

BUT THEY BETTER ALL BE BLOND AND VIRGINS!!!

Gimmie a Bud! It's gonna be a long 2004 and I'll need all I can defend against the pinko, liberal, pc, terrorists!

*scratches balls and wanders off into the woods*

Oh... and for the orgins of Chirstmas...

This guy actually has his facts right:

http://www.therant.info/archives/000346.html

It's truly amazing to me that people who proclaim themselves to be open minded and tolerant think nothing of spewing out the most vile and hateful stuff. They think nothing, for example, of taking an expression of openness to people of all faiths and turning it into a reason to rant about their own hatred of Christians. Amazing, amazing stuff. Some people can't see past the ends of their noses, given all the fog in their brains. If you think I'm proposing anything more than an open society, you've dove head first into the eggnog tonight, I'm afraid.

Oh, but I guess my opinion doesn't count, since I'm proposing the same openness toward Christians that the P.C. crowd expects Christians to show to everyone else. That makes me backward somehow, I guess.

Imgine, the gall, to think that I think Christianity should be respected as much as Islam or Atheisim. I should be ashamed.

Well, I'll just shut up now since I'm just an ignorant ball scratcher. Why, I probably even pick my nose!

Hmmm I see no vile hatred toward Christians here. Methinks you read what you want to read.

But then again, if you aren't into Christ and voice your displeasure that your beliefs aren't given the same respect, then it becomes hatred of Christians.

Goose, Gander, Pot, Kettle and all that. ;)

Once again, I don't consider it very open minded to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and then have the audacity to be offended when you encounter someone that doesn't swing that way. My response wasn't about hatred of Christians or anything else for that matter. I just wish that more people would step outside their own comfort zones to consider the fact that their are a number of other holidays being observed.

I don't find saying 'Happy Holidays' to a Christian to be a closed practice. What you obviously fail to recognize is that I'm trying to give you and your beliefs the same respect and credit I give others. Short of handing out survey's to everyone I come in contact with asking them to check a box indicating their choice of religion, I don't really know what more I can do. We're talking about equal respect, no more, no less. It sounds to me that you're offended at the very thought of being considered equal. This is what I find the most offensive.

Throw around buzzwords like "political correctness" if you like. If all you're going to do is write this off as another tree-hugging-liberal-attack directed at Christianity then I'm not sure why you broached this subject in the first place. Going further, why you would post about an issue that obviously affected you this year and take the time to only reply with sarcasm, when some people took the time to put together well thought out replies, is beyond me.

Fact: Most people in the US are brought up learning about Christmas whether they are Christian or not. Lots of public schools still sing religious songs and put together Christmas-themed events.

These people were forced to learn about your religion ever since they were little kids. Accusing them of being close-minded is asinine. When was the last time you saw a special about a family celebrating Kwanzaa or Hanukah in prime-time on NBC? I think you are taking a lot of societies overwhelming support of Christmas for granted and failing to recognize the near-total lack of inclusion of other celebrations.

Not being very religious myself, I could absolutely care less about whether some stranger wishes me a Merry Christmas as a sign off on my gift purchases. It's the thought that counts and I fully recognize that. It's when you blow it out of proportion and wag your finger at the minorities accusing them of being closed-minded does it really bother me.

Yes, Erik, responding with "I will defend my right to HOOTERS GIRLS!!!" is really well thought out and thoughtful and fully deserves more respect than I've shown. Thank you for helping me understand that. Oh, and it was also very thoughtful of you to read into my post that I said everybody should "celebrate Christmas." That showed some real deep thinking there, Erik.

Yeah, I get pissed off when people impose their own agendas on what I write, instead of, you know, actually READING what I write.

BTW: How do you know I'm a Christian? You're assuming facts not in evidence, so how thoughtful is that? There's nothing in my post that identifies me as a Christian. In fact, I link to a column by an ATHEIST who is saying essentially the same thing I am. (I'm not saying one way or the other here what my spiritual beliefs are, just pointing out that you're bringing your own pre-conceived notions to my post instead of reading it for what it is).

What's the problem Eryk? If you would rather say "happy holiday" than recognizing anyones specific holiday, that's fine. I don't think anyone's objecting.

BTW: Dan brings up a good point. My criticism, if you want to call it a crictism, is that any one specific person would prefer saying "happy holidays," it is that some many more people feel compelled to say "happy holidays." Those who read my post carefully would probably understand that, but those looking for a bigot behind every expression of tolerance for Christianity would probably see it otherwise.

I've wished people happy Hanukka before, and been wished the same. No problem, at least not for me.

And more than complaining, I'm just observing a trend, a trend that in the larger scheme of things probably doesn't mean a hell of a lot, but that doesn't mean I need to go along with it (though apparently Erik and Victoria feel differently). I still want to note the trend and maybe suggest that other people who think the trend is a little over-the-top PCness, will do as I do and stick to "Merry Christmas." I don't understand why some people think we should all march to the same drummer, but as the responses to this post shows, those people are out there ... let's all wish everybody one big HAPPY HOLIDAYS! Don't stray from the party line now!

"Yeah, I get pissed off when people impose their own agendas on what I write, instead of, you know, actually READING what I write."

Hahaha...

So if someone writes in response something that is contrary to what you wrote, that means that they are IMPOSING THEIR OWN AGENDAS.

aka

If you don't agree with me, you must have an agenda.

Well, that makes it all so much clearer now!

Rather than pissing on other people's parades, folks of non-Christian traditions should simply offer their own contributions to holiday celebrations from their own perspective- or alternate traditions or holy days.

Perhaps the Jewish kids would like to have their rabbi come in and do a little presentation for Passover, for example.

Let 1,000 flowers bloom.

That's what the Bargerterian Dandelionists say.

Howard, I just checked my email... Please, if you have something to say, do so let the public read...

I'm guessing it was an oversight on your part... Tell you what... Let me share the joy!

"How very smug. I bet you thought I never studied this issue before, uh?
Thanks for the education. I'm so much more enlightened now. Why, I'm downright ashamed of my previous ignorance.

H.

t"

and

"You are a particularly smug and self-satisified person, aren't you?

H."

If being comfortable with myself and proud of my education and the fact that I like to learn new things and will stick up for what I believe and state my opinions means that I am smug...

Hehe, yeah, guess I am... You and Craig can start a fan club about me... I can give you the email addresses of the other people who send me fan mail... Maybe you can form a mailing list and bond and trade holiday recipes and stuff ;)

Victoria, wasn't an oversight ... and I find nothing in my PRIVATE e-mail to you embarrassing, so you have my belated permission to post it here, but I think it says quite a bit out about you that you would post private e-mail in a public forum.

Merry Christmas Al.

I think that you sending me emails about how you find me smug and self satisfied about my opinions on Blogcritics says alot about you as well. =)

Glad we can agree that there is a lot to be said about each other!

Word of advice... don't take things on here so PERSONAL.

And be careful what kinds of emails you send to strangers! You never know where they may end up!

Once again, more sarcasm and selective reading skills in use. I also love the fact that you didn't read my posts carefully enough to get the spelling of my name right yet you accuse me of not reading what you have to say. Moving right along.

You call me a bigot because I'm trying to be inclusive of you and others I come in contact with yet you want people to form a coalition to fight this vile trend and "Just Say No" to "Happy Holidays." The very fact that you consider me intolerant of Christianity further proves that fact that you are simply offended by the very though of being considered equal to everyone else. It's disgusting, especially during a time of year that usually revolves around peace and brotherly love.

You continue to throw buzzwords like "politically correct" and "agenda" around like you're being interviewed on the O'Reilly Factor and refuse to actually comment on any of the points that have been broached. What a way to frame a discussion for people that don't understand their subconscious responses to language. Why the hell would you post about this in the first place if you're not going to begin to respond with any adult-like tone? It's a shame really. I'm always interested to hear what people with intelligent points of view have to say but this entry and it's subsequent comments fall far, far short. I suppose I'll take my "agenda" and skedaddle. A Merry Christmas to you and yours.

Victoria: Stay strong. An education and open mind are seen as deadly weapons by many and are frequently confiscated at airport bag-checks.

Eryk, sorry for misspelling your name.

But still, your talking past the issue instead of, you know, paying attention. Since you want to associate yourself with Victoria's callow remarks, then I guess any insults thrown her way that stung you were not as misdirected as might otherwise be perceived.

I note also, that I used the word "agenda" ONCE (though I fail to see why you find it offensive), yet you and Victoria have used it a combined FIVE times. And you're accusing me of throwing the word around repeatedly. Cute.

If you're all about open mindedness, I fail to see what objection you have with my post, then? It is, after all, nothing more than a PLEA for open mindedness and tolerance. So why do you want to keep arguing with me and doing your damnest to be insulting? And I'm supposed to learn about open mindedness from you and Victoria? Please!

Victoria, yeah, it says I'm a person of discernment.

And, I am careful. That's why I kept a civil tongue.

It's so precious, isn't it, to level a personal attack at someone and then say, "don't take it personally."

Whatever makes you feel better.

Howard...

Now you are just sulking. You were hypocritical in your post. It's there in black and white. Perhaps next time you decide to write something like that, you might take a moment to think of it a little bit more. Oh at the very least, don't whine about "agendas" when someone disagrees with you.


"Have a good time. Experience somebody else's traditions as a chance to explore and learn. I've been to Catholic and Jewish services before. It's an educational adventure. And if they preach at you, smile and say, "Thank you for your concern about me, and I'll certainly think about what you have to say, but right now, I think we should just enjoy Christmas together."


That was the damning statement there. In essence you're saying.. "It's nice that you are showing your Jewish/Muslim/Pagan/What have you beliefs but let's celebrate my Christmas" You in essence are invalidating their beliefs right there. This isn't a pc thing at all... Unless insulting other people's religion is acceptable now?


I just read your bio... I find it esp interesting that you are now using tactics that you accuse "liberals" of.

Trust me, I have no interest in teaching you anything. I'm still amused by the fact you saw to send me emails about your opinion of me.

Just let go of some of that anger and have a beer man!

Victoria ... I don't even know were to begin with you ... you invent stuff out of pure ether and then say it's in black and white ... imposing meanings that are not there at all. This is the most fucking useless thread I've ever been involved with. Why don't quit while you're ahead, before you dump your entire glob of ignorance on us.

OMG...

You are a real funnyman... Now you just made me spit my beer

"It's so precious, isn't it, to level a personal attack at someone and then say, "don't take it personally."

Did you or did you not take the time to email me about how "smug and self-satisfied" I am. Well that wasn't a very nice thing to say. It was kinda creepy you emailed me that. For something I said to strike a nerve in you so much, you felt the need to email me personally as opposed to debate the issue here on Blogcritics where you brought it up in the first place? I usually only get negative mail from people people who have been following my website... not from comments I make on others.


"This is the most fucking useless thread I've ever been involved with. Why don't quit while you're ahead, before you dump your entire glob of ignorance on us."

That's funny... since you are the one who started the thread!!

There is only one person who is showing their ignorance in this thread and it isn't me.

But keep em coming. I do find this ever so entertaining!

Victoria

First, you only got a PRIVATE e-mail after you leveled your personal, childish attack.

Second, I made a post. Whether a comment thread would be appended to it is beyond my control. Seven out of 10 times, posts here don't elicit comments. Be that as it may, whether the resulting thread is intelligent or useless depends entirely on the participants. There wasn't a problem with my post. There was a problem with your comments on it, starting with the second sentence of your first comment. Beyond that, I would redirect your attention to the 6th post. And you call yourself intelligent and enlightened!

Third, I'm so disappointed in myself -- I let myself get sucked in to a fucking useless argument with a TROLL.

HAHAHA ... I just popped over to your site for the first time, Victoria. And what do you call yourself, but a "Smug Bitch" ... and you were weirded out when I called you "smug"? Why? Didn't I just compliment you, by your own standards? Why, you're proud of yourself!

Happy holidays, all!

(And merry Christmas, Howard, which I can say because I know you celebrate it; that luxury doesn't exist in many others' cases.)

Just got in from work; off to light my menorah.

Why Howard...

I call myself a "Smug Bitch" because one of your fellow Blogcritics decided to call me smug long before I ran into you. That happens to be the webcam image I put up right after that exchange.

The WEIRD PART Howard is the fact you decided to send me a personal email telling me that is what you thought of me. Why not just put it here, on-line, out it the open?

Names and insults don't get to me. They just don't. I am an observer of human nature. Your response to this whole thread is what is childish and profoundly interesting.

I brought up a lot of valid points and you choose to dismiss them because they don't follow along with what you say. Look at yourself... Now you are calling me a troll. You keep on with this baby hissy-fit because you just showed yourself in a really poor light on this one.

You have called me "smug", "self-satisfied" and now a "troll". Is that the best you can do with your debating skills? Well of course it is... you have to hide in the darkness by sending me private emails with your issues with me instead of addressing them here, where the debate is.

You got caught with your pants down. That's cool... it happens to all of us. Take a bite of humble pie, learn from this and do a better job next time. That is how one learns.

Better luck next time, mein Schatz. Glückliches neues Jahr!! ;)

I don't know about this here "Glückliches neues Jahr" but it sounds perverted and possibly illegal.

Count me in!

LOL... for some reason the German characters didn't come out. There is supposed to be an umlaut in there.

Nothing perverted in a happy new year...

Well.. unless you make it so. ;)

Let's see ... I do a post espousing tolerance and open mindedness, and you call me a hypocrite and accuse me of being a bigot, and now you say I have my pants down? That's cute. That's why I say you're a troll. What issues are there to discuss with you? You turn everything on it's ear and make it out to be something it's not, and then smuggly pretend to "educate" me about the history of Christmas. Who's got their pants down, or their panties in a wad?

You do.

Tolerance and open mindedness...

So long as we say "Merry Christmas".

Tell me, this comedy routine... will this be a one night performance or will you be here all week?

BTW... You must have that "you guys" mentality as well... I did call you a hypocrite but as for being a bigot, I never said that you were.

So now we have established that not only are you a hypocrite but you have issues with reading comprehension.

Perhaps you didn't understand your own post or English is a second language to you?

"I was thinking yesterday about how hardly anybody said to me, "Merry Christmas." It was all "Happy Holidays." But let me ask you this -- do you call your tree a "Holiday Tree"? It's Christmas people. If an atheist can celebrate Christmas, can't everybody else?...

Because everyone else isn't bloody Christian... Is that so difficult for you to understand?

...I've been to Catholic and Jewish services before. It's an educational adventure. And if they preach at you, smile and say, "Thank you for your concern about me, and I'll certainly think about what you have to say, but right now, I think we should just enjoy Christmas together."

What part of your own post don't you comprehend? You think that Jews and Muslims and Pagans and what have you should enjoy Christmas together? Tell you what... Maybe you should shut it for a bit about Christmas and just enjoy Hanukkah or Eid. No one has a monopoly on the time of year holidays can be celebrated on. No one's religion/holiday takes precedence over another's.

Happy Holidays!

So we've got Victoria the Tekwh0re running around with her pants down, talking German preversions and sporting a strap-on, looking for the president and all interested parties. [Start with comment #14]

Howard, buddy, if this doesn't put you in a festive holiday mood, I just don't know what to do for you.

Perhaps you could wait for just the right moment in this production, and start shouting Christian abuses over top of her German, "Oh, happy birthday Jesus, oh, oh... MERRY FRICKIN' CHRISTMAS!"

Though granted, you might be walking around bowlegged for awhile after she gets done repaying your abuse.

Victoria, is your comprehension so stymied that you keep twisting the same shit to say what you want it to say instead of what it really says? You keep coming back to the same passages trying to make it say shit it doesn't say, what the hell is up with that?

Obviously, you didn't read the column I linked to or you would understand that I wasn't espousing celebrating Christmas as a Christian holiday. The atheist writer wasn't, and since I linked to him, with no disparaging remarks about his comments, I obviously approve of what he has to say.

I have pretty much always viewed Christmas as a largely secular holiday. It's devoid of religious meaning to me, and doing things like going to midnight church services has always seemed rather beside the point. There is nothing, absolutely nothing, in my post to suggest that I am saying people should celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday. In fact, by viture of the very link I include, I am saying the exact opposite.

And you seemed to miss the little fact that my friend was a GUEST in a Baptist household, so my advice was, don't make a big deal about things, and if they try to make a big deal, just politely defuse the subject. What's wrong with that? My advice would be the same to a Baptist staying at a Muslim house on Ramadan. Why is that hypocritical?

I find it laughable that here I espouse doing something educational and open minded and you want accuse me of celebrating the virtues of Hooters.

What planet are you from?

Not from the same one as you *thank god!!*

And now your a twisting your post to say something other than what it did.

CHRISTMAS is a RELIGIOUS HOLIDAY. You are telling people to enjoy Christmas... if you were being so open minded, you would tell people instead to enjoy the HOLIDAYS... Enjoy the FESTIVE SPIRIT... It's not so hard to do.

No matter what way you color it, Christmas is the celebration of Christ's birth.

I can see that this concept is far to complex for you to understand. What you wrote is there in black and white and several people see exactly what you said. Perhaps you didn't present yourself clearly enough. Perhaps you are just backpedaling. Either way, I honestly hope that you enjoy your holidays.

I know I will... Election season draws near and I am looking forward to the fun we shall have then!

Yes, Santa is a real religious figure, isn't he? Yup. Everything about Christmas is religous. How could I have missed it?

And that atheist I linked to ... really made a ringing endorsement for celebrating Christmas as a religious holiday, didn't he?

And you an Eryk -- that really sums up the entire blogcritics universe, doesn't it? I'm so alone.

Really, for the last dozen or more posts, Victoria, only you and I have cared about this issue, really, and I only care because it pisses me off when people go out of their way to misread what I write and make it say something it doesn't.

Look, either admit that you're wrong and misread my post, or go away. I don't want anything more to do with you.

Nope, I'm not wrong. I read your post for exactly what it says.

You're so all over the place that you don't even know what you are trying to say anymore!

As for me going away... Maybe you can ask Santa for that next Christmas? But only if you are a good boy! ;)

Ha ha ha ha!

This post should really be titled, "A Blogcritics Christmas." Because it is so very, very Blogcritics.

1. Blogcritic posts item with the thesis, Everyone should celebrate Christmas, because that's what I celebrate. ("It's Christmas people. If an atheist can celebrate Christmas, can't everybody else?")

2. Commenters point out that the post hardly seems to be in the spirit of the season.

3. Offending Blogcritic disingenuously claims to have not meant what he obviously meant and was just trying to spread a little holiday--er, Christmas cheer.

4. Brian is reminded why he spends less and less time at Blogcritics, wonders why he nonethless finds the thinking patterns of people like Howard Owens so fascinating, resolves to stop being so fascinated.

My two cents:

In my experience, people tend to say "Happy Holidays" to you when they're not sure if you're Jewish, because it would be embarrassing to say to a Jew, "Merry Christmas." It wouldn't be devastating to one's social status, no, but courteous people do tend to try to avoid these sorts of mistakes.

For a similar reason, cards are often sent that say "Happy Holidays," because it's easier to buy one batch of the same card to cover Hanakah and Christmas than to buy two or three and do the sorting and guesswork one would need to do to be more specialized.

Duh.

"Happy Holidays" is a convenience and a courtesy, not a symptom of P.C.

True examples of politically correct language:

--Saying "preemptive war" instead of the more accurate "preventive war."

--Calling suicide bombers the less descriptive "homicide bombers."

--Banning the use of the term "resistance fighters" to refer to those in Iraq who are fighting to resist the occupation.

Merry Christmas, everybody!

(Ooh, look at me. I'm such a rebel!)

Oh, charming, the original blogcritics troll has made an appearance.

In maybe just this one case, I can't criticize Brian. Hey, Victoria's spreading the holiday spirit, running around with a strap on [with candy-cane red and white stripes, no doubt], and naturally Flemming wants some of that. As who wouldn't?

Yee-haw! Ride 'em, cowgirl!

Why do I want to make a website so badly

"HOWARD OWENS IS A BIG CRYBABY!"

Because as you well know... If someone doesn't agree with Howard and says so, they are a "troll" and then Howard whines about how mistreated he is.

I took violin lessons years ago but preferred the piano... However for you, I just might take up that violin again!

No, Howard Owens likes loves a good argument. Unfortunately, he wasn't presented with one here. I know, Victoria, you want to think you're some sort of goddess of correctness, but sorry dear, just ain't true.

Howard likes to talk about himself in the third person.

Actually, I don't think I am a goddess of anything. I'm just me.

Howard has a chip on his shoulder however. That is seriously clear. However if you want to walk about saying that you are not a hypocrite in you post, go right ahead. Here in the peanut gallery, we'll have a good laugh.

Oh... Maybe I am correct in some things... I know better than to send not very nice emails to people I don't know just because I don't like what they say.

I bet the bullies picked on you a lot in school. It's just too darn easy. You walk into your own traps.

Ah, smug to the bitter end. You've got to love it.

*shakes fanny at you, does a dance*

I am the GODDESS OF SMUG!!!

I like that!

*licks whiskers all cat-like*

So I guess that does confirm that you were picked on by bullies, eh?

Hi,
I realize this whole thread was last year, but I am doing an essay for school about saying "merry Christmas" and stumbled across it... Honestly I'm a little afraid of responding to this, but I felt I needed to put in my two cents...
My position on "Merry Christmas" is just that there should not be an issue on it at all... yet there is. Freedom of speech is something we all value in this country right? (Actually I'm in Canada... so I mean in North America). I was recently told by my managers at work that even on Christmas Day (I unfortunately have to work) we are still not allowed to say "Merry Christmas". Now, I do not expect to say it to everyone, nor do I expect that everyone is, or should be, Christian. Saying "Merry Christmas" is something I grew up with, as did many people. Some didn't. That's fine, and I would be honoured if someone wished me a happy Hanukkah or Kwanzaa, even though I am most definitely a Christian. For this paper, I've talked to many non-Christian people and not a single one would be offended if I was to wish them a Merry Christmas. By saying it, they know I'm not saying "Be a Christian" but wishing them happiness because Christianity is where I find MY happiness and regardless of what they believe I wish every ounce of my happiness onto them. Understandably, a corporation has to appeal to every person from every walk of life, but the thing that makes me the angriest is that they are playing music such as "Silent Night" and "Little Drummer Boy". I think that someone who doesn't celebrate Christmas would be more offended with that than someone wishing them a good day. And that day just happens to be Christmas Day. The reason they have the day off and are able to go to the movies...
Please note that I am not opposed at all to saying "Happy Holidays" or "Season's Greetings" but to not being allowed to say "Merry Christmas".
Please don't get all heated at me... :)

hi Amanda, I agree with your position and support your right to share your joy: certainly Christmas is secular and widespread enough that it might be considered a culture-wide holiday that happens to have religious meaning for those who are so inclined. I think we should all be able to say Happy Hannukkah as well