middlegirl | Having it both ways

Everybody says you can't, right?

So why is it that Christmas can be at the same time "too religious" and "too commercialized to the point of complete disassociation from its religious roots?"

Temp job is having a ~~Christmas~~ holiday party next month, and I was asked to make the box for the employees to drop their RSVPs into. So I did. I wrapped it up and put a big sign on it that said "RSVP to the Christmas Party," because I was asked to make a sign for the Christmas party. I didn't question. I just made it.

Today I find out that - after a week of it being on display for the whole office to see - someone complained about the fact that I wrote "Christmas" instead of "holiday." So I was told that we "couldn't be religious" and asked (at least it was done nicely) to redo the sign (I also ended up ripping the tissue paper the box was wrapped in - grrr), and now it's finally sanitized for mass consumption.

So Christmas is too Christian, and we need to avoid using it. But people of all walks (I've heard this even from atheists) complain that Christmas is so focused on commercial crap that it's gotten away from its Christian/pagan/ancient-break-up-the-mid-winter-monotony roots. So what's the average person to do? I'm not even thinking about religious observances here, just general parties and gift/card exchanges. (Speaking of which, I'm getting on the bandwagon on that, but that doesn't belong in a rant.)

So, I know it's not even Thanksgiving yet, but in the spirit of kind brotherhood and platonic internet-friendship - and more than a little bit of rebellion - even if you look at December 25th as just another Saturday, Merry Christmas.

This message is not endorsed by the employees of Insert Robyn's Current Temp Job Here, or anybody else, really, probably even all the way up the United States Government, to be completely honest (did you see Obama's Christmas tree last year?), but I hope there are some people that agree with me.

(Also on the topic of Christmas, I get to see Trans-Siberian Orchestra on Saturday! It shall be amazing.)

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Interesting observations.

I work at Kohl's, and the company specifically has a policy to still put "Merry Christmas" on stuff, because apparently customers complained when they switched to Happy Holidays.

Yeah, I've heard that a lot. The dean of my college's law school is associated with a legal group that actually defended people in court who wanted to keep the right to call it a Christmas tree in public displays, so we'd hear about that sort of thing all the time at chapel... especially from Jerry Falwell.

In fact, I thought the backlash had died down on that so much that it had gotten back to the point where people could pretty much say whatever they wanted.

I'm not even going to pretend that my opinion should count for anything, because quite frankly, my opinions rather apply to anyone other than myself. (Which is a shame; I have some AWESOME opinions!) ;) HOWEVER: I do have a few points to mention:

1. Christmas IS way too commercial. Not because it's become more secular, but because we've allowed retail stores to completely co-opt the season and start bombarding us with Christmas advertising and merchandise before HALLOWEEN! (And yeah, people buy WAY too much crap!)

2. It's always good to remember that not everyone is the same, people have different beliefs, and being respectful and open-minded about those differences is just good citizenship. HOWEVER: that's a door that swings both ways. Religious people need to be respectful that not everyone is religious, and people who celebrate Christmas as a secular holiday need to keep in mind that for many people, Christmas is a spiritual holiday of major religious significance, and they are entitled to celebrate it as such.

3. "Merry Christmas" is a nice greeting; it's not an attempt to convert you to christianity.

4. "Happy Holidays" is a nice greeting; it is not a "war on Christmas".

5. I think I've run out of points to make.

Happy Holidays! ;) I'll just go put my soapbox back...

I'm pretty sure in hindsight that the original post didn't come across this way, but I agree with all of this (I think it comes across in my comment above, but walked away before I could post it), especially about the overcommercialization of Christmas. Last year I was too broke to buy just about anything, so I bought baking supplies and made scones for everybody. This year I have done some shopping, but we've never really gone for big-ticket stuff, though I am taking my sister to see Trans-Siberian as her gift.

In my mind, "Happy Holidays" and "Merry Christmas" are synonymous (possibly for my childhood belief that it included New Year's, but whatever), but PC-ness for the sake of PC-ness or coddling certain groups never sits well with me. Forced equality and respect aren't true equality and respect.

I love Thanksgiving, and will always make sure it gets its due. I'm a weird person, so while I kind of avoid talking to them, I like seeing my doddering old relatives. In addition, I've cut way back on how much I eat over the years, but I used to be a girl who could eat anything, and that girl likes all the yummy holiday food. (Plus, I now connect it with the scene in Addams Family Values where Wednesday sticks it to the Stepford Daughters and sets the camp on fire, so Thanksgiving is super awesome.)

but PC-ness for the sake of PC-ness or coddling certain groups never sits well with me. Forced equality and respect aren't true equality and respect.

This I would disagree with. Everyone has their favorite anecdotes of PC gone too far, and undoubtedly it sometimes does, but overall I think "political correctness" has become a button word completely divorced from its original intention; it has no meaning anymore. The original idea, that language has power to shape ideas and attitudes, and that sometimes our everyday language is demeaning and hurtful to people who don't have the social power necessary to change it on their own, is sound. I'm not sure what you meant by "coddling certain groups", but it's a fact that smaller, marginalized groups of people are easily trampled over by the majority and deserve a certain degree of protection. That idea is not new to this country or our government: Alexis de Tocqueville and John Stuart Mill talked about the "Tyranny of the Majority" in the 19th century, and the idea is much older than both of them.

It's true that "forced equality and respect aren't true equality and respect", but then the point, to me, is not (necessarily) to change the opinions of "un-PC" individuals, but to respect the rights of others to feel safe and comfortable in certain environments, such as their workplace. Easier said than done, I know, especially considering the over- and under-sensitivity of the small, but vocal, minorities on both sides; however, the idea is still sound.

I just wanted to clarify those points: not because I want to argue with you on your own journal, but because it's important for me to stand up for certain ideals. (Yes, I am a BLAST at parties!) ;)

I am looking forward to Thanksgiving as well! My cousin is hosting this year, and her husband is a fabulous cook. Yum!

Having it both ways

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