The "Reason for the Season"

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Does anyone else ever get annoyed by those "Jesus is the Reason for the Season" signs? As a Religious Studies major I always want to go around putting my own signs next to them pointing out that "The Cult of Mythra and the Emperor Constantine are the Reason for the Season."

Maybe it's just a Religious Studies major thing, but it seems like the wanting to correct incorrect bits of trivia is probably an aspie thing.

I think that there's a lot more to the Season that just Jesus. There's also Peace on Earth and Goodwill to all Mankind.

I agree - I think religion is facinating and if you look at the way that Christianity is set up - especially the holidays - it is clearly to accomodate paganism when attempting to convert pagans - that is why all the major holidays are right around solstices . . .

I don't say this as a bad thing - I really think all religions are equally valid since they all say the same thing . . .

According to historians Christ was born in June or July so He clearly isn't the reason for the season . . .

Eventually people will not like, "Merry Christmas" signs
Let people have their signs and eat them too.
It is called religious freedom.

Mmmm. Mythology-flavored.

All of those people who complain that Jesus is being taken out of Christmas make me angry. For all of those people, I only have one statement for you: Get your Jesus out of my Yule!

It doesnt bother me. They can rant and rave all they want but Christmas has been completely secularized now. I could tell that the way people look at it now is vastly then even 10 years ago.

I dont see why we all cant enjoy it in our own ways?

And at some stores employees are not allowed to say "Merry Christmas".

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/fun/mallard.asp?date=20051212

That is not really a violation of religious freedom. Employers and store owners want a certain image for their stores. Employees have to follow this image, or find work elsewhere.

For example, my father is a store owner. He can decide what image he wants his employees to have even if it might violate their personal rights. He had an employee who had a piercing on her bottom lip. When she worked in the store, she had to take it out.

Part of the image is a code of behaviour that employers hold to their employees. If a store owner/employer wants to put up a sign saying 'Merry Christmas', that is his or her right. When an employee is on the job, he or she must follow the rules, standards, and procedures established by the employer, even if this includes not saying 'Merry Christmas'.

Though I understand their decision to not say "Merry Xmas", I still find "Happy Holidays" to be too conspicuously empty a statement to appreciate.

Agreed. I will state however, that Christ will remain in Christmas no matter how hard people attempt to remove Him.

People assume that saying 'Happy Holidays' is an attempt to remove religious aspects of Christmas, or is, in extreme cases, an attack on Christianity. That is not true. These people fail to realise that there are many holidays celebrated this time of year besides Christmas, and that not everyone celebrates Christmas.

Saying 'Happy Holidays' includes Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, New Year's, Winter Solstice, Boxing Day, Festivus (for-the-rest-of-us) etc. 'Happy Holidays' is more of an inclusive greeting to wish everyone happiness no matter what they celebrate rather than an exclusive one.

Happy Chanukah/hanukkah, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays.

Who cares what you say, and why should I care?
I like all the sayings and greatings.
Why see negativity where people give none?

There is difference between preaching and being nice.

BTW, I heard that Chanukah starts on Christmas day, why is that?

Last night on the Daily Show, there was a clip of Bill O'Reilly saying that non-Christians should not be offended by 'Merry Christmas', and if they are, they are crazy. Then they showed a clip of O'Reilly a few days prior to that clip saying that Christians are very offended by hearing 'Happy Holidays'. He's such a hypocrite.

Jews use the lunar calendar, which has a different cycle than the solar calendar. Hannukah is always on the same day on the lunar calendar, the 25th of Kislev. That is why it always falls on a different day on our (solar) calendar each year.

I've never heard of winter solstice being a holiday, and kwanzaa is a pile of BS created by some wannabe intellectual black militants in the '60s, so that shortens the list enough to name each holiday by name.