I like how Americans have taken such festivity to Christmas, it means we are all excited about something in common, it represents unity, hope, joviality and jubilee. But I dislike how Christmas has become two things:
1: Liberal: Christmas has become way to liberal. "We cant offend anyone" they whine. I DONT CARE!!!! Christmas should be what it is, CHRISTMAS not Happy holidays not an Atheistic holiday, because its not! If they dont like it then they dont have to celebrate it.
2:Commercial: I also dislike how the industries take such advantage of Christmas and have assisted the Media in making Christmas a holiday about shopping, cookies and fat men. I am totally for all the add-ons (or most anyways) that Christmas has, but I believe they should be made by the culture and society. By the hearts and minds of the people. Not the Avarice and Greed of the Corporates and the Governments.
Thanks for listening to my little rant, feel free to comment, and Most of all. Merry Christmas ^_^
One question I thought of last night, why is that people are afraid to say "Merry Christmas", but not "Happy Easter?" Both terms have a biblical basis, but stores have no problem advertising with the word Easter. Maybe I'm missing something.
ReplyDeleteDon't get me wrong, I don't mind it when people tell me Happy Holidays. Mainly because there are multiple holidays celebrated this time of year and the generic phrase is ok in my book for marketing purposes or if you don't me well. If that is the phrase people want to use, than they have every right to. As for me, I say Merry Christmas because I am a christain. Where I have the problem is when people tell me that I shouldn't say it, because others may be offended. When political correctnes starts infringing upon my personal rights, that's when I have a problem with it.
I also share your pain with your second point as well. I think we would be much better off if there were no presents on Christmas and we all just celebrated it for the true meaning. I think the whole Santa Claus thing actually has a negative effect on the kids. I know when I was little, Christmas meant I was going to get presents. It was all about me and what I gained out of it. I didn't really care about Jesus and completely ignored him that day as I was opening all of my presents and playing with the toys. Even though the whole Santa thing has good intentions, I don't think it can effectively co-exist on the same day with religion. Santa is all about what we get, while religion on Christmas day should be all about thanksgiving and honoring God. The two are on opposite ends of the spectrum.
(By the way, Victor, I wrote this a couple of years ago)
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, they originated as religious events in the Bible (Christmas - Jesus being born in a manger in Bethlehem; Easter - Jesus was resurrected from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion, and he then later ascended into Heaven). But, as times have become more modern, society is stupid enough to even add a guy who gives gifts and a bunny who does the same thing. Logically, them coming into your home is breaking and entering, which is a misdemeanor.
It drives me nuts that people make up that crap and parents lie to their own children about there being a Santa and an Easter Bunny when they're not real. The parents are also the ones who act as Santa and the Easter Bunny and give gifts. How can they possibly keep up those lies while their kids are growing up? The kids would know by the age of 12, so lying for all those 12 years were all for naught, really. Besides, the kids will have no idea about the Jesus part, and would only know about it by the songs (if they listen well enough).
The Santa Claus legend, which originated from a Nicholas in Germany who did the practice of giving gifts, has nothing to do with Jesus and his birth! The Easter Bunny has nothing to do with the resurrection of Jesus!
What pisses me off even more is that Christmas has been over-commercialized with tiring, exhausting, overblown, and overridiculous shopping sales, advertisements, candy, caroling, and all that brouhaha! The same problem goes with Easter (though Easter isn't as bad and as chaotic). "All the insanity! Insanity! INSANITY!" People abbreviat Christmas with X-Mas! URG! A plus flipped over in an angle forms an X, not a cross!
Thankfully, Easter's celebrated on a Sunday, and it's celebrated religiously. So, kids can know both parts to the story [but alas there's no connection between the two] during Easter (especially Catholics). Christmas is on December 25, but with no religious practices, like masses. Whoever sugar and candy-coated Christmas into an occassion with just reindeer, a fat guy in a red suit, and stockings is a fool. I'm going to go Grinch and stab them with a sharpened candy cane [if possible]. If not possible, I'll go Grinch anyways and argue and debate with him.
Whoever filled Easter with eggs, bunnies, and those purple/green/yellow baskets is not a very smart person. I'll argue and debate with him, too.
Hopefully, with those guys, I'll come up with conclusions to make it so that kids everywhere won't be confused if the one who's the celebrity of Christmas is Jesus or Santa without having to pit them together into a fight, like the creators of South Park did.
Respond, if you may. Call me stupid, if you may, but I was expressing my feelings about it. The deal with it just drives me nuts.
Hey! Thats Really good there!!! Mi Gusta!
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