This reminds me that I have to put up my holiday tree this weekend.

But most of the respondents use their disposable incomes on ostomy supplies, ribbon candy and payments to The 700 Club so Pat Robertson can talk to Jesus and make Him "forget" all those handjobs they handed out to the boys going off to fight the Kaiser.

a self-survey found that 100% of my very being could not give a sh*t and wonders why the exclusionary nature of xenophobic religious bigots should matter to retailers.

Except that if you asked the vast majority of people that question, they'd sort of blink at you in surprise and keep walking, because they honestly don't give a fark, and that's like being asked to fill out a 4 page survey about they way you fold your socks.

That's because "Merry Christmas" makes it easier for people to forget that they're actually celebrating the mindless consumerism that Jesus would puke on.

Was anybody actually upset at all about stores using "Happy Holidays" until the Right Wing Media Derp Brigade told them they should be?

You know that one friend who gets all verklempt about the way you squeeze the toothpaste out of the tube?

Its kinda like that.

what_now: You know that one friend who gets all verklempt about the way you squeeze the toothpaste out of the tube?

Its kinda like that.

My friends literally got into a conversation watching the game this weekend about happy holidays vs. merry christmas. People literally care about this shiat.

I am shocked someone wasted 30 seconds of their life thinking up the idea of this poll, let alone the time it took to construct and implement it.

Jackson Herring: what_now: You know that one friend who gets all verklempt about the way you squeeze the toothpaste out of the tube?

Its kinda like that.

My friends literally got into a conversation watching the game this weekend about happy holidays vs. merry christmas. People literally care about this shiat.

...really? Why?

Look, I've worked retail and at a grocery store during the holidays. The clerk bagging your shiat? does not want you to have a merry Christmas or a happy holiday season. They want you to get rectal cancer and never ever come into their store again.

what_now: ...really? Why?

fark if I know, I left the room in disgust. Pretty sure it's just the general "libs ruining the country" sentiment that uneducated conservatives are so fond of.

Sweet God in Heaven, I hate Christmas.

Jackson Herring: what_now: ...really? Why?

fark if I know, I left the room in disgust. Pretty sure it's just the general "libs ruining the country" sentiment that uneducated conservatives are so fond of.

That's redundant

Now line that up with what stores are bringing in the most money. They may prefer it, but if Walmart doesn't use Christmas they're still going to bring in brazillions of dollars.

Wow. There are people out there who actually take Rasmussen polls seriously?!?

JerseyTim: This reminds me that I have to put up my find a virgin to sacrifice in front of my holiday tree this weekend, like any good observant pagan

I guess the Christmas season is now officially upon us since we have our first flame war over store decorations. FWIW, I think it's silly for people to get upset over it and I think it's silly for stores to think they can't mention "Christmas" when they are driving so hard to bring in people to buy Christmas gifts, but that's about the extent of my feelings on it.

Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas...whatever.

What a bunch of killjoys you all are.

I'm an agnostic, but I celebrate Christmas (minus the religious stuff). Why? Family traditions, family gatherings, food (mom's sweets), gift-giving, Rudolph, Charlie Brown, the Grinch, A Christmas Story, etc. It's a fun time of year. I don't have a problem with retailers (who profit off the season) calling it what it is...Christmas. Yes, Christians will say it was based on the birth of Jesus, but the holiday has taken on an entirely new meaning to many (and yes, you cynics will say it's mass consumerism but whatever).

Rich Cream: Merry > Happy

Kind of like gay. I think we should wish everyone a Gay Christmas. Just as a compromise.

If they do then these pro-family organizations should shut up and let these Americans frequent those "Merry Christmas" businesses. Then the free market will win as businesses will switch more to Merry Christmas over Happy Holidays in order to attract customers. Yes, let's see this happen. Because it happened the other way around for no reason other than those damn secularist liberals and their secularist liberal ways.

slayer199: Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas...whatever.

What a bunch of killjoys you all are.

I'm an agnostic, but I celebrate Christmas (minus the religious stuff). Why? Family traditions, family gatherings, food (mom's sweets), gift-giving, Rudolph, Charlie Brown, the Grinch, A Christmas Story, etc. It's a fun time of year. I don't have a problem with retailers (who profit off the season) calling it what it is...Christmas. Yes, Christians will say it was based on the birth of Jesus, but the holiday has taken on an entirely new meaning to many (and yes, you cynics will say it's mass consumerism but whatever).

i don't think it's ever been a case of people screaming that retailers shouldn't say christmas. there may have been a few over time. but the loudest voices came from people freaking out when they said holidays instead of christmas.

that's killjoy shiat right there. christmas is a holiday. why be offended, then, when they say happy holidays? oh, because it's inclusive of others and xenophobic religious bigots think they're sky cake is the only sky cake and they will be damned if they have to accede to the joy of those who like sky cookies or sky baklava or sky pie.

Merry Buymethings!

WaltzingMathilda: slayer199: Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas...whatever.

What a bunch of killjoys you all are.

I'm an agnostic, but I celebrate Christmas (minus the religious stuff). Why? Family traditions, family gatherings, food (mom's sweets), gift-giving, Rudolph, Charlie Brown, the Grinch, A Christmas Story, etc. It's a fun time of year. I don't have a problem with retailers (who profit off the season) calling it what it is...Christmas. Yes, Christians will say it was based on the birth of Jesus, but the holiday has taken on an entirely new meaning to many (and yes, you cynics will say it's mass consumerism but whatever).

i don't think it's ever been a case of people screaming that retailers shouldn't say christmas. there may have been a few over time. but the loudest voices came from people freaking out when they said holidays instead of christmas.

that's killjoy shiat right there. christmas is a holiday. why be offended, then, when they say happy holidays? oh, because it's inclusive of others and xenophobic religious bigots think they're their sky cake is the only sky cake and they will be damned if they have to accede to the joy of those who like sky cookies or sky baklava or sky pie.

jesus ... i swear i know the difference. proofing is not my best attribute in fark posting.

Look, Christians, Christmas is fine and all, but the only holiday worth celebrating is Chinese New Year. Food, fireworks, a shiatload of firecrackers, and dragon dances, and older people give you money. None of the shiatty gifts nonsense where Uncle Berthold and Aunt Bertha gives you a metric kiloton of diabetic support socks and a centuries-old fruitcake that's been passed down through the family like an heirloom - I'm talking cold, hard cash.

And did I mention it goes on for 2 weeks?

Remember folks.

It's not the two month frenzy of consumerism that goes against everything Jesus taught and everything Christmas is about that's offensive.

It's what the clerk says when he rings you up.

I love all the "Keep Christ in Christmas!" And "Jesus is the reason for the season!" morons. Devout Christians are ignorant by default, but it still surprises me how little they know about the history of their own religion. December 25th was chosen as the "birthdate" of their copy-pasted Campbellian mono-mythical messiah in order to compete with the Solstice festivals celebrated by the Pagans they were in direct competition with.

That's why whenever I hear Christians bellyaching about "the true meaning of Christmas," I can't help but laugh. Christmas is all ABOUT marketing! It's one of the earliest examples of a head-to-head campaign mounted by a rival brand! So it's nice to see all of the commercialism inadvertently and ironically celebrating its REAL roots. I find no end of vindicated amusement in that.

Every time a Christian asks me where atheists get off observing Christmas even though they don't believe in Christ, I ask them where THEY get off acknowledging Thursday even though they don't believe in Thor. The blank, dull look they always give back is so worth it, and it happens every. Single. Time.

There's no secret to the formula: Religion + Time = Mythology. It's proven true in every single historical case. Some of us just read the answers out of the back of the book a LONG time ago.

Look, can't we just split the difference? Merry Holidays, everyone.

unyon: Look, can't we just split the difference? Merry Holidays, everyone.

Of course we can't. The Christians aren't ever going to be satisfied until everyone bends to THEIR hive-mind. Turn or burn, heathens!

This is why we can't have nice things.

I don't really give a shiat. I'll say either one. I don't have to believe in anything to say "Merry Christmas".

It's a bit of a tempest in a teapot if you ask me, and not at all important in the grand scheme of things. If someone says "Merry Christmas" to me, I return the greeting. If I know someone's a hypersensitive religious type, I might troll them IRL by saying something like "season's greetings" or "happy holidays" just to fark with their heads and make them get all kinds of butthurt over it, but that's just because they've manufactured yet another reason to get butthurt.

When can we finally admit that Kwanzaa is a complete joke?

Sleeping Monkey: That's because "Merry Christmas" makes it easier for people to forget that they're actually celebrating the mindless consumerism that Jesus would puke on.

Sleeping Monkey: That's because "Merry Christmas" makes it easier for people to forget that they're actually celebrating the mindless consumerism that Jesus would puke on.

Sleeping Monkey: That's because "Merry Christmas" makes it easier for people to forget that they're actually celebrating the mindless consumerism that Jesus would puke on.

Sleeping Monkey: That's because "Merry Christmas" makes it easier for people to forget that they're actually celebrating the mindless consumerism that Jesus would puke on.

El Freak: Was anybody actually upset at all about stores using "Happy Holidays" until the Right Wing Media Derp Brigade told them they should be?

Nope. "Happy Holidays" was common in the '60s and '70s, and nobody had a problem with it at all, since it was a hell of a lot easier than saying "Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy New Years, Joyous Boxing Day and whatever else you feel like celebrating."

It wasn't until the noise machine decided that they needed a phony issue to stir morons into an apoplectic frenzy that this became a concern. It's still only a concern to idiots.