Unfiltered Smoke

Christmas vs. “Xmas”: The Ho-Ho-Holocaust
(or, since this is much ado about nothing, it could be the Ho-Ho-Hoo-raw!)
(or, How the loudest-portions-of-the-largest-minority think we should greet each other.) by Matt Jones

The debate over the proper holiday greeting has gone on for some time now. “Merry Christmas,” or “Happy Holidays?” Is one exclusionist? Is the other un-American (in the larger North American sense) in a largely Christian part of the world?

I’ve heard some rumblings about this: the odd article here, and an overheard conversation there. Of course, one of the most vocal and hilarious proponents is Stephen Colbert, who wishes PC death on anyone who says “Happy Holidays.” However, as with most things Colbert says, there’s a good chance that in his heart he means the complete opposite.

I got a good chuckle out of this recent installment of Shortpacked, a webcomic about people who work in a toy store. (click to enlarge)

My chuckles stopped when I thought: wait a minute, is that a real website? I typed in www.standforchristmas.com, and what do you know — it is real. If we secular atheists can deign to look at it, it’s a fascinating read.

For our purposes here, let’s look specifically at Wal-Mart. The first thing we can determine is that either Wal-Mart’s corporate rules and regulations are, at best, poorly enforced across their various locations, or these people are liars. After numerous entries complaining that Wal-Mart had no nativity scenes, no Christian-themed cards, and the clerks did not say, “Merry Christmas,” I came across this comment:

I saw nativity scenes available in the store in Edgewood, NM. Also, the Christmas cards they stocked are the most Christ-friendly I have ever seen. (”May your Christmas center around the fact that Jesus was born” said one) – also employees said Merry Christmas. They even had a little lighted Christmas Walmart-building with a salvation army bell ringer in the front of the building on sale for $12. Definitely Christmas friendly.

Compare that to the experience of this person, who seems to have discovered a few additional soap boxes under his or her feet:

I recently was shopping in the local Wal-Mart and noticed the absence of Christmas music while they eagerly sought out my shopping dollars. I was told by an associate that corporate would not allow it because it “offended” certain people. I can only assume it offended atheists and the ACLU who are the usual culprits in this debate.

Those evil ACLU bastards! How dare they! Nonetheless, it seems that there’s no consistency (or effectiveness) in how Wal-Mart applies its corporate decisions. Not every comment is as much a non-sequitur as that one, though. Some are downright, well, logical and Christian:

While the clerks were friendly, no one wished us a Merry Christmas and there are no Chistmas decorations or other indications of this holiday showing in No. Attlrboro, MA. We will continue to greet the staff at Wal-Mart with Merry Christmas and hope that the spirit of this holy holiday will come to Wal-mart.

I think this next one is being facetious, though:

[My] Wal-Mart had the nerve to have “Chanukah” stuff for sale and a sign that said “Happy Chanukah.” How Rude!!

Of course, others will use the forum to make non-related, but still valid points:

There is nothing Christmasy about smothering small businesses and contributing to domestic unemployment by encouraging overseas manufacturing.

I think that this is the most telling one of all:

It’s just business as usual for Wal-Mart. This giant retailer should set an example and show reverence and respect for this HOLY season as it is the core reason for their prosperity in this time.

Now we’re getting somewhere. Wal-Mart should celebrate Christianity during the holidays because of how much money it makes from it? Seems logical. Why has this logic not been applied to the fact that Christmas (the annual celebration of the birth of Christ) and, let’s call it Xmas (the annual tradition of buying yourself into debt and eating yourself into some cardiac excitement) have nothing to do with each other?

I don’t recall any Bible verses encouraging commercialism in celebration of the birth of Jesus. If anyone should be getting presents, it’s he. Trying to combine Christmas and Xmas might just lead to a mental disconnect in those kids you’re trying to raise “right.”

I know that for me, everything seemed to be geared toward presents; hearing about Jesus being born was just an irritation to deal with while at mass on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning. I didn’t have anything against Jesus, but for a five-year-old kid, toys were (and are) far more interesting and important than uncomfortable church clothes and sitting quietly.

But that’s not even the real issue here. The real issue is the idea many people seem to have — that Christmas, as the seasonal holiday celebrated by the largest minority, should be monolithic. It is the idea that other religious celebrations around this time of year (among them Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, occasionally roaming celebrations such as Ramadan, and my personal favourites, Festivus and the Feast of Alvis) are irrelevant in the grand scheme of things because they aren’t celebrated by the largest group (or, more destructively, aren’t celebrated because what those people believe is wrong). In essence, it’s the idea that the inclusive “Happy Holidays” greeting is a slap in the face of baby Jesus.

The fact is (and I know that I’m getting into dangerous territory here), the dominance of Christianity (not necessarily the religion itself, but what people have used it for) is offensive to a lot of people. Christian values (the Ten Commandments, for example) are a fine system on which to base one’s life; I don’t believe that anyone has a problem with that. The trouble comes when the richest landowners in the entire world use their moral and political influence to discourage the use of condoms to prevent the spread of AIDS in Africa, or quietly relocate child molesters who’ve abused their position of moral authority. Or how about those, believers or not, who take advantage of the faithful in order to sell garbage such as this? Christianity, like anything else, has proven very destructive when in the wrong hands.

But I’m just one guy (who, admittedly, cared more as a child about He-Man than Jesus). What do you think? How should we greet one another this time of year? Should nativity scenes be displayed publicly? Can the other religions hash it out in hell for all eternity? You tell me.

Herry Christadays!