Christmas Crazy

[Early B.]

Am I the only one who thinks Xmas has gotten waaaayyy out of hand? The church around the corner from my house already put its Xmas lights up. I went in Home Depot yesterday and they are selling Xmas cards!

It seems 99% of Xmas is all about consumerism, and it appears to be starting earlier each year. Has Xas lost its religious significance?

[Willow]

Well lst night, we drove by an area, they had the lights ON !! I said to my wife WTF ?!

[RuSsMaN]

It seems 99% of Xmas is all about consumerism, and it appears to be starting earlier each year. Has Xas lost its religious significance?

All, no - most of it's significance - yes. I think it all started with people calling it 'Xmas' instead of Christmas. ;)

[janmike]

For the most part it probably has lost a lot. In our home the religious emphasis is reinforced to our young son and hopefully some of it will stick. In Canada our inept gov't insists that it must not offend minorities. In the end, the majority is penalized for the sake of a few. Sad, but true. I have yet to understand why the religious significance of Christmas cannot be demonstrated in a classroom of 35 children when 2 of the 35 do not honour this holiday. Where I live the old fashion values are, for the most part, still held. Unfortunately I cannot say that for the rest of Canada. I guess that it why I have selected to live where I live.

[george daniel]

^^^what he said^^^^^

[Frank Z]

Wow! I didn't realize we had exported our candy-ass political correctness across our northern border.:eek:

[Mike682]

Well said janmike.

Here is a part of what I wrote last year in the "holiday" trees thread: Diversity by definition is the inclusion of all, not the exclusion of some. Those who feel offended by this season are themselves not celebrating the diversity they claim to be preaching.

Post: http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showpost.php?p=380140&postcount=35

Anyway, I was in Sears yesterday and I was happy to see the many "Merry Christmas" signs posted throughout the store. At least they are making an effort to acknowledge the holiday.

[Willow]

a guy a work said if it wasn't for us they wouldn't have the time off !!
kinda twisted they request we not offend them yet they reap the benefits of the days off....

[bobman1235]

Some thoughts :

- Yes, Christmas is becoming more and more about consumerism. And it may be very removed from its religious significance, but I think it keeps the spirit alive and well. I don't have any data to back it up, but I know people are most charitable and giving around the holidays, and I think the spirit of giving and "good will towards man" is most strong in this time period. So if we have to deal with excessive consumerism for a better and stronger sense of community with our fellow man, I'll take that trade. And if that's not enough for you, I'm also pretty sure that Christmas is by far the highest Church attendance day of the year.

- Walmart has decided this year to do away with the PC idea of a "holiday" section and is "bring Christmas back (http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&ct=us/0-0&fp=45544e740549c873&ei=6pRURaPOAYXOpwLUxoX8DQ&url=http%3A//aapl.bloggingstocks.com/2006/11/09/wal-mart-bringing-back-christmas-to-its-advertising/&cid=1111046075)".

- Wikipedia has an interesting article (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xmas) about the abbreviation "Xmas", and it has nothing to do with PC-ness or removing "Christ".

The word "Christ" and its compounds, including "Christmas", have been abbreviated for at least the past 1,000 years, long before the modern "Xmas" was commonly used. "Christ" was often written as "XP" or "Xt"; there are references in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle as far back as 1021 AD. This X and P arose as the uppercase forms of the Greek letters χ and ρ), used in ancient abbreviations for Χριστος (Greek for "Christ") (see Labarum), and are still widely seen in many Eastern Orthodox icons depicting Jesus Christ.

Many people believe that the term is part of an effort to "take Christ out of Christmas" or to literally "cross out Christ";[citation needed] it is also seen as evidence of the secularization of Christmas or a vehicle for pushing political correctness, or as a symptom of the commercialization of the holiday (as the abbreviation has long been used by retailers).

[PolkThug]

I like to celebrate XXX-mas!

[wingnut4772]

It's depressing how Christmas has just become an economic indicator anymore. It's all about shopping and spending anymore.

[petrym]

+1 -- and that would be *excessive* shopping and spending. We still teach the kids what Christmas is about, but they still go for the goodies under the tree.

[zombie boy 2000]

I like to celebrate XXX-mas!


.... with over $240 worth of pudding.

Ahhhhhhh yeah...

[jgido759]

It's depressing how Christmas has just become an economic indicator anymore. It's all about shopping and spending anymore.

Christmas shopping is about spending money you don't have, on things you don't need, for people you don't like. :)

[Shizelbs]

Its too early for lights. No lights before Thanksgiving.

[Early B.]

Take the gifts and parties out of Christmas and for most people, it's just another day off.

[Libertyc]

Wait...were still allowed to say the word "Christmas"?

[brettw22]

I think you can, but if you can't, look for the nearest Democrat to blame Libertyc...... :D

[mhardy6647]

Friday after Thanksgiving ("Black Friday"), stay home, pull out a copy of Bruce Cockburn's "Christmas" album, and give it a spin.

I suspect it'll cheer you up if you're down on the consumerism and ephemera around the holidays :-)

http://api.mds.cw.com/xmlserver/img/012000-012999/09B25F4B8EF62556E0400B0A0E0D61BB.jpg