Ain't that the truth

I say Happy Holidays because I don't celebrate Christmas. This time of year is a celebration of the Winter Solstice for many different cultures, and it's been around a helluva lot longer than Christmas.

I don't blanch if someone says Merry Christmas to me and if someone I know is a Christian, I'll say Merry Christmas to them. If they're Jewish, Happy Hannuka.

It's called respect and tolerance and that is one of the things this country was allegedly founded on. My people have had no choice but to tolerate the traditions brought to this country over the last few centuries and people here should remember that our land is a melting pot of cultures, religions, traditions, and races.

Even though I have every reason to despise Christianity and it's "holidays" I try to respect it as well as other religions, and be tolerant and accepting of their beliefs, rituals, celebrations, and holidays.

I expect the same from them and even if they can't be respecful and tolerant of my beliefs, traditions, religion, culture, and race... that doesn't mean that I can't respect and tolerate theirs.

I look at it as a time of family and friends.....another excuse to get drunk , but that is a side issue at this point in time...lol


You get drunk on the Holy night?


Drunk with the sacrificial wine.....usually I wait until new years to get plastered.....

Christmas is more of my Parent's thing. im not a HUGE Beliver in it. I dont mind saying "Happy Holidays" but . . . yeah.. christmas.. not so much.

When growing up, if I knew a family was Christian, I said "Merry Christmas". If I knew a family was Jewish, I said "Happy Chanukah". If I didn't know what practice someone celebrated, I would say, "Happy Holidays". Sometimes, even NOW, I'll ask what a person celebrates and wish them a good Ramadan or Kwanza or WHATEVER!! It certainly makes for good learning, sharing and caring!!!

So are you saying athiest beleif isnt american? cause america is land of the free. thats america is about its about being able to have your own choice.

A huge part of these people you refer to are american too. So what the hell tradition are you referring to?

You get drunk on the Holy night?


Drunk with the sacrificial wine.....usually I wait until new years to get plastered.....
or st. pattys day <which is irish>

Here here. Not everyone in this country are "good christians". I'll be an athiest until i die. *shrugs* if i'm going to your version of "hell" for it then so be it. ANYWAY Already started religious battle. My bad. *Goes to make dinner*

Hence the reason I said this is America.....with American Traditions.....more American Tradition believers then not........so, IN America....it should be AMERICAN......in Japan.....I respect their ways....China...respect their ways.....IF I were in their country.....but this is America.....so America should be respected as such.

I look at it as a time of family and friends.....another excuse to get drunk , but that is a side issue at this point in time...lol


You get drunk on the Holy night?


Drunk with the sacrificial wine.....usually I wait until new years to get plastered.....
or st. pattys day <which is irish>


It's too late to explain now...I'm telling your pastor.

Barack Obama will uinite us all for Christmas.

I am of the Lakota faith, which IS the original faith (Native!!)We respect ALL religions, America is not just a Christion nation, so what is wrong with respecting ALL religions and cultures?

Am I the only one reading this CRAP this guy is spouting?

Im reading it.

ps I'm not athiest..I'm christian. but christian or atiest or jewish doesnt make you an american.Living in America does and acceptance of all kinds of religion and culture makes you American.

I respect them......not changing the AMERICAN WAY for them to feel more comfortable......I am well aware that they have their beliefs.....it is not an AMERICAN TRADITION....hanukkah....it is Jewish.....If I am at a Jewish persons house....I respect what they believe....as long as they do the same for me...

No one knows what day Jesus Christ was born on. From the biblical description, most historians believe that his birth probably occurred in September, approximately six months after Passover. One thing they agree on is that it is very unlikely that Jesus was born in December, since the bible records shepherds tending their sheep in the fields on that night. This is quite unlikely to have happened during a cold Judean winter. So why do we celebrate Christ’s birthday as Christmas, on December the 25th?

The answer lies in the pagan origins of Christmas. In ancient Babylon, the feast of the Son of Isis (Goddess of Nature) was celebrated on December 25. Raucous partying, gluttonous eating and drinking, and gift-giving were traditions of this feast.

In Rome, the Winter Solstice was celebrated many years before the birth of Christ. The Romans called their winter holiday Saturnalia, honoring Saturn, the God of Agriculture. In January, they observed the Kalends of January, which represented the triumph of life over death. This whole season was called Dies Natalis Invicti Solis, the Birthday of the Unconquered Sun. The festival season was marked by much merrymaking. It is in ancient Rome that the tradition of the Mummers was born. The Mummers were groups of costumed singers and dancers who traveled from house to house entertaining their neighbors. From this, the Christmas tradition of caroling was born.

In northern Europe, many other traditions that we now consider part of Christian worship were begun long before the participants had ever heard of Christ. The pagans of northern Europe celebrated the their own winter solstice, known as Yule. Yule was symbolic of the pagan Sun God, Mithras, being born, and was observed on the shortest day of the year. As the Sun God grew and matured, the days became longer and warmer. It was customary to light a candle to encourage Mithras, and the sun, to reappear next year.

Huge Yule logs were burned in honor of the sun. The word Yule itself means “wheel,” the wheel being a pagan symbol for the sun. Mistletoe was considered a sacred plant, and the custom of kissing under the mistletoe began as a fertility ritual. Hollyberries were thought to be a food of the gods.

The tree is the one symbol that unites almost all the northern European winter solstices. Live evergreen trees were often brought into homes during the harsh winters as a reminder to inhabitants that soon their crops would grow again. Evergreen boughs were sometimes carried as totems of good luck and were often present at weddings, representing fertility. The Druids used the tree as a religious symbol, holding their sacred ceremonies while surrounding and worshipping huge trees.

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 a 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.

Christmas (Christ-Mass) as we know it today, most historians agree, began in Germany, though Catholics and Lutherans still disagree about which church celebrated it first. The earliest record of an evergreen being decorated in a Christian celebration was in 1521 in the Alsace region of Germany. A prominent Lutheran minister of the day cried blasphemy: “Better that they should look to the true tree of life, Christ.”

The controversy continues even today in some fundamentalist sects.

well merry christmas all you americans, from yur fellow canadian.!!