Been waiting for a Target thread. I guess this is as close as it is going to get, tonight:')
Posted on 12/22/2004 7:07:03 PM PST by nypokerface
NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. retailers are shrugging off critics who accuse them of snubbing the word Christmas for the sake of political correctness -- and sales.
The jolly cry of "happy holidays" from an overgrown, green-clad elf directing the line waiting to visit Santa at New York's largest department store, Macy's, has irked some shoppers who want stores to put Christ back into Christmas.
A California-based group called the Committee to Save Merry Christmas has urged shoppers to boycott stores owned by Federated Department Stores Inc., such as Macy's and Bloomingdale's, for omitting any reference to Christmas.
Meanwhile, Pastor Patrick Wooden from Raleigh, North Carolina, paid $7,600 for a full-page advertisement calling on Christians to shop only at stores that used "Merry Christmas" in promotions.
But U.S. retailers, who are cutting prices and keeping stores open longer this year to bolster ho-hum sales, have defended themselves against accusations of excessive political correctness by saying they must cater to a diverse population and a variety of cultural celebrations in December.
U.S. stores stock merchandise for the Jewish Hanukkah holiday and for Kwanzaa, an African-American celebration set up in 1966 as a counter to Christmas, alongside evergreen trees and plastic snowmen -- but Jesus is hard to find.
Federated said it has no set policy over the use of specific references to Christmas but "Season's Greetings" and "Happy Holidays" take in all cultures.
ELUSIVE JESUS
"Because these expressions of goodwill are more reflective of the multicultural society in which we live today, they tend to be used more and more frequently across all segments of society," the retailer said in a statement.
"In fact few, if any, national retailers or businesses now take a different approach to celebrating the season."
The No. 1 U.S. retailer, Wal-Mart Stores Inc., said it had not received any complaints, but a few "curious questions" about its approach to the holiday season.
But the retailer said it needed to cater to the variety of holidays celebrated at this time of year by the 138 million customers that passed through its stores every week.
A survey released in July by the University of Chicago found 77 percent of the U.S. population in 2002 was either Protestant or Catholic; 7 percent was of Eastern, Islamic, orthodox or interdenominational Christian, or native American faith; just under 2 percent was Jewish; and 14 percent had no religion.
"Happy holidays is the pleasant greeting that applies to everyone in every celebration," said Wal-Mart spokeswoman Sharon Weber.
Not all Christians, however, think it is such a bad thing for Christ to be evicted from Christmas, with many youngsters too focused on Santa and his goodies to think of Jesus.
Commentator and author John Boykin, a Christian, argued on National Public Radio that celebrating Jesus' birth was not as important as his life and teachings, suggesting Easter was the proper holiday for Christians and Christmas should become a gift-giving secular holiday.
Espousing the motto "Keep Christ from Christmas," Boykin said Jesus "was not born to be the patron saint of fourth-quarter earnings."
The date needs to be changed IMO. Jan or Feb maybe. Take kids out of school for a "Holy" week. Shop after the 25th.
I actually agree with this. Easter is a far more powerful holiday for me than Christmas.
At the supermarket today, three people thanked me for wishing them a Merry Christmas instead of saying happy holidays. Yesterday at Sam's club I wished the butcher a Merry Christmas and he said "boy does that sound good for a change." Merry Christmas is catching on! LOL ;^)
I agree as well. Christmas has become so commercialized I actually have come to detest the whole thing. Easter, along with Holy Thursday and Good Friday, are the defining moments for Christianity.
***I actually agree with this. Easter is a far more powerful holiday for me than Christmas.***
Yes, it is, but i don't see the stores putting up Happy Easter day signs.
"Put Christ back in Christmas" goes way back as a protest against "commercialization".
What drives me crazy is the inappropriateness of this motto for a protest of the movement to abandon the very term, "Christmas".
How can someone stand they and say "Christmas isn't just for Christians" when he won't even recognize Christmas? I'm goin' nuts I tell ya! Nuts!
Almost everything we bought this year came from Family Christian Stores. I support these folks. They have fair prices,good incentives, and they support missions.
http://www.familychristian.com/
HEY....I'm with you......since we're NOT celebrating CHRIST'S birth anylonger....then WHY the heck am I buying ALL these presents! I think I'll seriously consider this....actually, January 6th might be an option, too.....it's Epiphany....and when all the sales are!
Been waiting for a Target thread. I guess this is as close as it is going to get, tonight:')
The "retailers" have completely removed Christ and Christmas from the public view. I have completely removed the retailers from my life.
I have have stopped buying. I will not be a pawn to this soul-less amoral materialism.
And I am increasingly not alone.
So the 77 percent need to accommodate the sensibilities of the 9 percent ... Sounds like the majority needs protection from the tyranny of the minority.
Let the leftists get away with this, and see how long it is before they start the assault on any celebration of Easter.
I do not disagree with you. But you are missing the point! Think!
Using your logic, let's just the PC Islamic crowd ban any Christian holiday. Got it? Even the Jews respect Christmas and Easter.
If anyone from the ACLU gets your address, you will be receiving phone calls, letters and postcards.
A couple of days ago, a cluck wrote an editorial to the local rag, whining about intolerant conservatives raising a ruckus about taking the Christ out of Christmas. She happens to be an Episcopal priest(ess).
I agree. There are too many folks on this planet that cannot see what's going on in the radar screen. They characterize a day as their most important religious artifact, instead of looking at the overall picture. It's sad ther are so many people that have logical reasoning power to see the trend of what is happening on this planet.
Then what is the freakin point? I can make anyday a "gift-giving secular holiday".
One week, over a five day period of time who was the Vice President. None could answer the question.
Retailers are blowing smoke because they must be feeling the pressure. what happened to "seasons greetings"? That was generic but why the uber generic "happy holidays"?
The message given by retailers is that christmas is for everyone but Christians.
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