Do you suppport calls in some countries to replace expressions like “Christmas tree” and “merry Christmas” with “holiday tree” and “happy holiday” in an effort to include the many beliefs of a diverse population?

Monday 01st December, 05:00 AM JST

› Login to comment

Latest 15 of 73 Total Comments Show All

realist at 03:33 AM JST - 6th December

Justice punk I really have no idea what you are on about, but your facts about Christmas and the Birth of the Saviour are slightly wonky. You are almost right about one thing, though, and the wording is slightly wrong, too. "Thats all "Christianity" has ever done, to get more people into christianity." So you said. Now, I do not like the term "Christianity" because it implies that the Christian Faith is just another "religion." It is not. The thing which people refer to as "Christianity" in the true sense is a personal relationship with God, through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. The business of true "Christianity" is on fact to preach the Gospel, or Good News, about the Christ, the Messiah, to the whole world, since God made all the peoples of the world, and the Christ died on a wooden cross for the sins of the whole world. Its the responsibility of the Church of Christ to do that, and we make no apology for it. Its His Command that we do it. It was indeed a wooden "stake" with a crossbar near the top. His Hands and His Feet were nailed to the Cross for our sins. As to your assertion that Jesus was born in October. Ive hear similar stuff before, but there really is no evidence for that. The calendar of course changed many centuries ago from the Julian to the Gregorian one, and there was a change of about 12 days as a result. The real exact date is not really important anyway - the Event, the Incarnation of the Son of God is the really important bit. That what Christians will be celebrating either on December 25th or twelve days later on January 6th, formerly known in Western countries as "Old Christmas Day."
Taka313 at 04:51 AM JST - 6th December

Instead of a Christmas tree, I suggest everyone put up a lamp:

http://www.redriderleglamps.com/Store.cfm;jsessionid=4a3033c22c58403f3191TR?category=13&position=1&CFID=714478&CFTOKEN=18561769

If you have no idea what that's about, you have my sympathies.

Taka
bushlover at 01:16 PM JST - 6th December

I have no problem with "Merry Christmas" even though I'm an atheist. I have no problem with "Happy Birthday" either despite many women not liking that they are getting older and hate to have birthdays. Whoever thought up that "not offending anyone" with these expressions in nothing but a real tight oss.
tokyotom at 06:15 AM JST - 7th December

lowest common denominator isn't it? every holiday will become "happy holiday" in order to not offend
Good_Jorb at 06:25 AM JST - 7th December

lowest common denominator isn't it? every holiday will become "happy holiday" in order to not offend

Nah, it will be placed by, happy shopping or thank you for shopping at X. To more accurately reflect the legacy being left by baby boomers and their complete inability to do anything in moderation or manage their finances.
RakishGadfly at 06:29 AM JST - 7th December

84% said No? Jesus Christ!
RakishGadfly at 06:32 AM JST - 7th December

I think the biggest losers in this are the poor pagans who had their solstice festival appropriated and bastardized by the christians, therefor wish a Merry Yule to all.
RakishGadfly at 06:40 AM JST - 7th December

...but at the end of the day it's still a Christmas tree. I asked a co-worker recently when the office Christmas lunch was and she said "You mean the holiday lunch?" to which I said No. I'm a devout atheist but have no problem with the word Christmas because I see it as a cultural tradition, not a religious one. Christians can still do their religious shtick, while the rest of us can enjoy the presents and parties.
donkusai at 10:43 AM JST - 7th December

Happy "generic holiday based on a religion that we shouldn't mention incase someone might get offended" day! Oh, and we should really change that day that comes a week later, on January 1st. The Chinese don't celebrate the new year on that day, so we wouldn't want to offend them either. Let's call January 1st "Happy start of a new phase of the western calendar day"! I'm sure everyone would be happy with that! Oh, and I think politicians shouldn't mention what political party they belong to, incase they offend people who support the other side...

Where does it end? If it's a religious celebration, wouldn't it be better that people know it so people can choose to celebrate it or not? It's general knowledge that aspects of Christmas like the tree and such relate more to the pagan solstice than to Christianity. Should Christian's be offended at that? This is all very silly. If you want a more accepting society, you accept things for what they are, and not by hiding them behind generic pretend names so people are deceived.
TooFarGone at 10:45 AM JST - 7th December

I support Festivus.
Seiharinokaze at 02:13 PM JST - 7th December

I'm sorry to say that the phrase "Merry Christmas" we see and hear at this season in Japan is not a seasonal greeting or anything related to religious feelings but more often than not a mere catch-phrase to promote seasonal sales. Carols are also mood music for it. Merchants become instant quasi-Christians at this season through Dec. 24 and quickly turn back into Japanese in time to urge us to buy more in preparation for A Happy New Year. This is a culture of polytheism and there is no only one absolute anything. So not necessary to replace "Merry Christmas" with anything else.
jeancolmar at 12:23 AM JST - 8th December

Tis the season to shove the logo (Jesus) down people throats and bash the Jews if they complain about public space being for Christian adverts. It is also the season to complain about "PC,' : being fair to non-Christians who almost never get equal time.

I'm thinking primarily of the US which transformed Christmas into a hard sell theological and commercial holiday. In Japan Christmas is wonderfully secular. Couples have Christmas dinner and then have a whoopie-doo in a posh hotel.

I this very un-PC, but most Christmas songs are dismal. Not the music but the words. They are just about the logo and nothing else. Pagan seasonal songs are about good fellowship and enjoying life.

I have no objections about a Christmas tree being called a Christmas Tree. I don't mind being wished Merry Christmas. I do mind having Christianity forced on me at every turn. (I did spend a fair amount of time in the US.) This is why I like Christmas in Japan. There is just enough to feel festive but not so much as to feel assaulted.

Noel in France is nice in that way too. Though France is predominantly Catholic, there is very little Jesus selling on the streets or in the media.
Kanadjin at 12:28 AM JST - 8th December

Well, since the decorated tree and wreaths and most of the other "Christmas" decorations have absolutely nothing to do with Christ, but instead have been stolen from the Yule holiday. I don't see why are called "Christmas" decorations at all. Christians are entitled to celebrate the birth of Christ, just as those who celebrate Hanukkah are entitled to celebrate the oil miracle. But as to why Christians seem so defensive about Yule trees no longer being called Christmas trees, part of me is confused as to how they ever got that term in the first place.

However I do home that those who celebrate Hanukkah or Kwanzaa or Yule don't start seeing Christnoras, Christnaras, or heaven forbid Christ logs!
Terrikus at 12:36 AM JST - 8th December

I have no objections about a Christmas tree being called a Christmas Tree. I don't mind being wished Merry Christmas. I do mind having Christianity forced on me at every turn. (I did spend a fair amount of time in the US.) This is why I like Christmas in Japan. There is just enough to feel festive but not so much as to feel assaulted.

It's. A. Christian. Holiday.
Balefire at 02:03 PM JST - 8th December

I don't see that excluding words like "Christmas" does anything positive to include others' beliefs, and I think it's absurd to be offended by the expressions. If one wants more recognition of one's favorite holiday, one must find a way to publicize it more. To me that seems a waste of time and the entire issue a tempest in a teacup, but that's the PC reality, isn't it?

I like Roger Zelazny's take on prayer, myself...The Agnostic's Prayer: Insofar as I may be heard by anything, which may or may not care what I say, I ask, if it matters, that you be forgiven for anything you may have done or failed to do which requires forgiveness. Conversely, if not forgiveness but something else may be required to ensure any possible benefit for which you may be eligible after the destruction of your body, I ask that this, whatever it may be, be granted or withheld, as the case may be, in such a manner as to insure your receiving said benefit. I ask this in my capacity as your elected intermediary between yourself and that which may not be yourself, but which may have an interest in the matter of your receiving as much as it is possible for you to receive of this thing, and which may in some way be influenced by this ceremony. Amen.