LadyJazzer wrote: Oh, here we go... It's time for the annual "put the Christ back in Christmas" / "Happy Holidays" is an assault on .. something.... garbage. "The Libs are out to destroy Christmas"... :Snooze :Snooze :Snooze :Snooze
The meaning of the word is the Mass or festival of Christ. Deny it to yourself all that you wish, the federal government has established a national holiday to commemorate the birth of Christ. So much for the wall of separation between church and state. It is naught but a figment of your imagination, a denial of that which actually exists.
Christmas didn't become a national holiday until 1870, so our Founding Fathers didn't think that much of Christmas when they started our great country. It took almost 100 years for it to finally be officially recognized.
Most Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus of Nazareth on December 25. Before the 19th century, many Americans worked on Christmas, but in the industrial era the holiday also began to honor universal values such as home, children and family life, and to incorporate secular customs like exchanging gifts and cards, and the decoration of evergreen trees.
On December 6, 1999, the verdict for Ganulin v. United States (1999) declared that "the establishment of Christmas Day as a legal public holiday does not violate the Establishment Clause because it has a valid secular purpose." This decision was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court on December 19, 2000.
It seems to happen a little earlier every year... Kind of like the first snowfall brings the climate-change deniers out of the woodwork: "See! It's snowing! That PROVES there's no 'global warming.'"
No, you idiots, it's called "Winter"...
So, every year, we start into the "Happy Holidays" vs. "Merry Christmas" crap a little earlier... I bet next year they can shoot for October 31st, and see if they can't crank it up around Halloween....
LadyJazzer wrote: Oh, here we go... It's time for the annual "put the Christ back in Christmas" / "Happy Holidays" is an assault on .. something.... garbage. "The Libs are out to destroy Christmas"... :Snooze :Snooze :Snooze :Snooze
The meaning of the word is the Mass or festival of Christ. Deny it to yourself all that you wish, the federal government has established a national holiday to commemorate the birth of Christ. So much for the wall of separation between church and state. It is naught but a figment of your imagination, a denial of that which actually exists.
Christmas has a basis in other pagan rituals as well as "christian", and could just as well be called Saturnalia, Mithras, Druidism, Bacchanalia or any other of the myriad rituals celebrated on that date. In fact, the Yule tree probably carries more symbolism to most than Christ and was celebrated to worship the sun god and Druidism. And yes, there is definitely a wall between church and state as the Constitution provides and the founding fathers intended. I believe it is safe to say that most of the wars and disruptions in society occur primarily when religion attempts to interfere with government.
"Remember to always be yourself. Unless you can be batman. Then always be batman." Unknown
Pineguy wrote: Christmas didn't become a national holiday until 1870, so our Founding Fathers didn't think that much of Christmas when they started our great country. It took almost 100 years for it to finally be officially recognized.
Most Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus of Nazareth on December 25. Before the 19th century, many Americans worked on Christmas, but in the industrial era the holiday also began to honor universal values such as home, children and family life, and to incorporate secular customs like exchanging gifts and cards, and the decoration of evergreen trees.
On December 6, 1999, the verdict for Ganulin v. United States (1999) declared that "the establishment of Christmas Day as a legal public holiday does not violate the Establishment Clause because it has a valid secular purpose." This decision was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court on December 19, 2000.
Santa Claus will not be visiting some liberals this year either. They either don't believe believe or have been naughty.
LadyJazzer wrote: It seems to happen a little earlier every year... Kind of like the first snowfall brings the climate-change deniers out of the woodwork: "See! It's snowing! That PROVES there's no 'global warming.'"
No, you idiots, it's called "Winter"...
So, every year, we start into the "Happy Holidays" vs. "Merry Christmas" crap a little earlier... I bet next year they can shoot for October 31st, and see if they can't crank it up around Halloween....
Nope I don't wish for snow on your holiday. We all know how important Halloween is for Looney Jerk. Snow thwarts broom flight ...or fright.
The Romans honored Saturn, the ancient god of agriculture, each year beginning on December 17 in a festival called the Saturnalia. This festival lasted for seven days and included the winter solstice, which at that time fell on December 25 (today, following calendar reform, it falls on December 21). During Saturnalia the Romans feasted, postponed all business and warfare, exchanged gifts, and temporarily freed their slaves. With the lengthening of daylight, these and other winter festivities continued through January 1, the festival of Kalends, when Romans marked the day of the new moon and the first day of the month and religious year (the secular year began in March).
By the 4th century another factor was also at work. Many Romans also celebrated the solstice on December 25 with festivities in honor of the rebirth of Sol Invictus, the "Invincible Sun God," or with rituals to glorify Mithra, the ancient Persian god of light... Now we once again find ourselves in the midst of battle. Seemingly overnight, "Merry Christmas" has transformed from a genuine greeting of goodwill to a public proclamation of faith. Even in the most religiously diverse country on Earth, the Unites States, Christians are screaming for the elimination of all alternative celebrations. Indeed, they seem to be advocating the elimination of all differences.
In 350, Pope Julius I declared that Christ’s birth would be celebrated on December 25. There is little doubt that he was trying to make it as painless as possible for pagan Romans (who remained the majority at that time) to convert to Christianity. The new religion went down a bit easier, knowing that their feasts would not be taken away from them.
It's become a "holiday tradition" for me as well... Every year the crusade about "public displays of nativity scenes", "taking the 'Christ' out of 'Christmas'", "'Happy Holidays' vs. 'Merry Christmas'", ad nauseum, starts up...And every year I get to post the pieces on the origins of the Christmas celebrations and the FACTS about how much of the dogma and traditions have no basis in anything other than co-opting of pagan celebrations.
Personally, I don't care one way or another. I enjoy the Christmas holidays as much as anyone... I enjoy the lights, the music, the decorations, the whole trees-and-celebration thing, and I'll wish someone a 'Merry Christmas' as easily as I will wish them 'Happy Holidays.' I'm just fed up with 'Christians screaming for the elimination of anything that doesn't fit their paradigm.'
That was easy! Hit a 'hot' button for a liberal and they will bring out all of the same old diatribe and post about it for many pages of pixels. I can understand how trolling can be quite an entertaining passtime.
It must be terrible to be a liberal, and then find that you have been used. All of the pseudo intellectual verbage, condescension, and arrogance is humor to most of the world.
