And I do want everyone to enjoy their "holiday'" and celebrate their beliefs!

EDIT ~ No SHY, it doesn't matter what His birth date was.

Thank you! And Merry Christmas to you! I hope you didn't think I was yelling in the other post, I do enjoy your posts......you are a bit of a nut. I like that!

I don't think it's a problem to say Merry Christmas to people who aren't Christians. I especially like to say Happy Mothers Day to people who aren't mothers. Especially men.

Gary knows I'm not picking on him either. I like him too much

You did mean mutha's right?

No I didn't Jackie. and I am not trying to offend anyone or defend my faith...I just wanted to know why it is becoming unpopular to say Merry Christmas.

We have gone through too much together dear! And thank you moderator goddess for not deleting my posts....yet

I am not trying to offend anyone or defend my faith...I just wanted to know why it is becoming unpopular to say Merry Christmas.

Is it? You couldn't prove it by me. Just remember: NOT EVERYONE CELEBRATES CHRISTMAS, and those who don't shouldn't be made to feel like outsiders!

I guess, ANOther, I really hadn't thought about it much until last night. I was at my niece's middle school band concert, they played christmas songs...but they went out of their way to NOT SAY the word CHRISTMAS. I was a little put off by it...but I had a great time listening to my niece play the french horn in the 7th grade band! Who wouldn't right....wink

MERRY CHRISTMAS to one and all!
I have not yet had a Muslim friend wish me a Happy Ramadan, and my Jewish friends don't wish me a Happy Hanukkah, and my atheist friends don't care to acknowledge the season --so to each his or her own! I wonder, as Gary does, WHY a Christian takes alot of garbola for wishing others a Merry Christmas, when Christians are rarely included in other faiths' holiday greetings!!!! I don't think the intent is to be exclusional, but why oh WHY must EVERYTHING be ALL ENCOMPASSING!!!
SO,
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
and a Happy Chinese New Year!!!!
Maya

Thank you MAYA.

Gary, this one's for YOU, baby!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DO_vb...eature=related
Maya

I don't think that it is becoming unpopular to say Merry Christmas at all-I just think that people are becoming more sensitive, and wanting either to include everyone in certain environments. (Like school...)

I just watched a wonderful Christmas concert last night on tv with BareNaked Ladies-and it was fabulous. Rudolph, Frosty, The Grinch, and all of the other Christmas shows have been all over the television...so it isn't that Christmas is becoming "unpopular" at all. It is just that in certain situations, we are learning to be more sensitive to others. I think it is a good thing, honestly.

When I was a kid, we still had Christmas parties in school...there was one child in my class (1st through 5th grade) who had to go home every year in the afternoon, on the day of the Christmas party...due to their beliefs. Because the school didn't make the celebration general, or include other faiths in it, he had to go home. I always felt bad for him...and I think situations like that is why they call them "holiday" parties now, so that one or two children in the class are not singled out.

In a similar situation-

My kids are Native American (and it is obvious) and the teachers all know this. Yet, last year, my son came home from school before Thanksgiving break dressed in a brown grocery sack and fake war paint, feathers, and the whole nine yards...I was upset about it.
I think that if the teacher had thought about it, that it might have been a better idea maybe to ask my husband to come in and talk about the "Indians" rather than dress my son up like that, without asking us about it, or anything like that. If she had been sensitive and talked with me, I could have sent my child to school in REAL Native American items, so that it could be a learning experience for the children instead of the fake stereotypical thing that they did. It was unfortunate, because those children could have really learned something, you know?

I think that for extracurricular events, etc. that promoting Christmas and singing about it, and doing whatever you want to is perfectly fine...but
I think that in school, that being PC is a good thing, just because you don't want to make someone feel left out. These kids don't have a choice in the matter of their religion, and what school they go to, etc. They have to be there. If they sang all Christmas songs, and you have a Muslim and a Jewish kid in the choir class, then it would only be fair to sing some songs from other religions at the same concert.

Honestly, I think that making it multi-cultural, and doing that exact thing-would be the best, and more of a learning experience for everyone. Unfortunately, rather than doing that...schools just tend to take the name Christmas out of it, rather than doing something educational for each holiday instead. I would have loved it as a child, to learn what different people did and how they celebrated. My kids would love it, as well.

Merry Christmas to all who celebrate...

and happy holidays to all else..

enjoy your time with family and friends and loved ones.

freiamaya, I'll be sure to wish you a Happy Losar when the time rolls around...

Jay

And to Jay and all of you, a very happy Mahayana New Year (when the time comes!)!!!
Maya