Posted on 12/24/2004 1:07:22 AM PST by Cornpone
Shoppers in the US are being urged to boycott some of the country's most famous stores because they do not say "Merry Christmas". The California-based Committee to Save Merry Christmas wants consumers to avoid shops such as Macy's because they avoid any association with Jesus.
A number of retailers instead stick to non-faith based phrases such as "happy holidays" or "season's greetings".
Macy's said such greetings were more reflective of a multicultural US.
'Catering for all'
Federated Department Stores, the owner of Macy's, said it had no set policy over the use of specific references to Christmas, but added that greetings such as "happy holidays" took in all cultures.
Happy holidays is the pleasant greeting that applies to everyone in every celebration
Wal-Mart
"In fact few, if any, national retailers or businesses now take a different approach to the holiday season," it said.
Wal-Mart, the largest retailer in the US, also avoids mentioning the C-word.
It said it had not received any complaints, only a few "curious questions".
Parallel festivals
The company added that it needed to cater to the variety of holidays celebrated at this time of the year by the 138 million US consumers that passed through its doors every week.
These other celebrations include the Jewish Hanukkah festival and Kwanzaa, an African-American event.
"Happy holidays is the pleasant greeting that applies to everyone in every celebration," Wal-Mart said.
The Committee to Save Merry Christmas says on its website that its primary goal is to "preserve the culture and tradition of the vast majority of Americans that celebrate and honour Christmas."
"Holidays" is actually "Holy Days."
I'm just grateful for people wishing each other good tidings at any time of year.
I stopped. I walked back to be sure of what I saw. I thought to myself, "So, there is now is such a thing as a Hannukah Tree and a Kwanzaa Tree?...It's a CHRISTMAS TREE!"
I left the store and drove the extra 2 miles to the auto parts store and piad a buck more for the oil filter. Screw the PC idiots.
I'm not Anglo-Saxon nor a Protestant and still I celebrate Christmas. Is that unusual where you come from?
It will be interesting to see what happens NEXT Christmas, since this Christmas backlash caught everyone by surprise this year.
As for me and my house, we serve the Lord. If I feel He is no longer welcome, we will not buy ANY gifts from any retailer who wants to ignore 80% of its customers. Let them make their money off the Jews, Kwanzans, and Festivus celebrants next year.
I say 'Merry Christmas', including at my job at a very large insurance company.
Anybody that can't tolerate it is, by definition, intolerant.
'Happy Holidays' still makes some kind of sense, because we have New Years and Christmas so close together.
But Jesus *wasn't* here to spur retailers' sales. So, frankly, I can't get that excited about how retailers acknowledge or don't acknowledge Christ.
-- Joe
I agree with you on that, but when Hannity makes such a big deal out of it and then whimps out on the TV promo I can't resist tweaking him just a little.
This is ridiculous.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone.
Christmas is only a Protestant holiday?
Somebody better tell the Pope.
I noticed the same thing on his radio show.
I don't know which retailer you work for, but the last three that I worked for sent memos to the stores specifying that employees say "Happy Holidays" or "Seasons Greetings." I've been in retail for many years and I noticed this change about 10 years ago. I always thought it was kind of hypocritical since we still put up Christmas trees and other decorations. I've yet to have corporate send a Menorah or anything for Ramadan or Kwanzaa to display.
Tell that to the to the thousands of Christians in the Sudan that are have been murdered the past year... Maybe you have a misunderstanding of what Christianity is? Christianity is NOT a race...
Where exactly did I refer to christians as a race? I referred to them as 'protestants.' It isn't my fault that they are predominantly Anglo-Saxon.
I don't even know that statement to be valid... You believe the Majority of Christians in the ENTIRE world combined are Anglo's? I don't think so...
I like boycotts. Sometimes it brings the price down for me to get a deal. ; )
Too difficult for you to even capitalize His name???
SOB
"Isn't Jesus the one who is supposed to be receiving presents?"
I believe that He was the present to us.
Odd(NOT) that the Macys ad today had no trouble advertising for "After Christmas sales" today. I refuse to give this company who was loathe to use the Christmas word before Christmas any of my money.
Well, they do have the Cheeses of Nazareth:
http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/601-8081024-3017760?_encoding=UTF8&frombrowse=1&asin=B0002AJ8O2
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