Wal-Mart faces boycott for 'banning' Christmas

WorldNetDaily ^ | Nov. 10, 2005 | Joe Kovacs

[News Hunter]

A Catholic advocacy group has launched a national boycott against Wal-Mart, claiming the world's No. 1 retailer has in effect "banned" Christmas, while promoting other seasonal holidays such as Hanukkah and Kwanzaa.

But Wal-Mart tells WorldNetDaily it has "absolutely not" banned Christmas, but is just "trying to serve all our customers for the holiday season."

[Gabz]

The claim of "Happy Holidays" does not pass the smell test.

Today is the 10th of November...........no one is using that this early.

[CodeToad]

"Honesty apparently means noting to you."

If you think Wal-Mart is an honest company...well, one can only guess if you are a Wal-Mart employee.

[red irish]

That is the problem we as christians have, we have traded the birth of Christ for walmart shopping. A few years back I decided to make Christmas about Christ. The gift giving is next to nothing. I try when I can to give to those truly less fortunate. At that time I would try to send money to the Marian Helpers for their vocations program. My tree is all about angels, stars the nativity, baby Jesus. I am trying to make it more special for me and my family. What is it about Christmas that everyone has to go out and spend thousands of dollars to give gifts to people who really don't need them. So we and the retailers have changed what Christmas is all about. I tried to get a door decoration and all I could find was Santa, or a reindeer. That is what the truth is we have changed what Christmas means to us and the retailers have done their part as well. You see they want us to celebrate Christmas because it is good for business, but they are in it for themselves and could care less if it is a religious holiday. But have you ever heard of a Hanukkah day after sale. Or how many stores close December 25 which just happens to be Christmas. If the retailers want to make money off Christmas fine but lets not pretend that is is about seasons greetings, its December 25 Christmas. And it belongs to the christians. And we need to put Christmas back to what it truly means.Then maybe others will take it more than just a day to go out and buy stuff they don't even need. God knows there are many people in need all across the country.

[Gabz]

You will be guessing wrong.

My financial interests in WalMart have always been clearly indicated in this and many other threads. I save money when I shop there. That's it.

[evets]

I just returned from Walmart, there was no sign of Christmas.
The only decoration was this huge balloon outside.

These two customer engineers wished me a 'happy festivus'.

This cashier (I think her name was Beth) said "Have a blessed day in Jesus Christ."

When I said "Thanks" she replied "No problem"...
Other than that, everything was okay.

[flashbunny]

I just had a friend go to walmart. He's what they reported:

The greeter was wearing a santa outfit and yelling 'merry christmas' while doing cartwheels.

The cashiers were dressed as elves.

At the cafeteria, they had set up a manger scene, and the cashiers there were dressed as the three wise men.

And every 15 seconds, a voice came across the PA wishing everyone a merry christmas!!

[TChris]

I personally have no problem with the support of Jewish holidays. The US is a Judeo/Christian country. People need to just accept that fact.

Kwanzaa is a holiday founded on lies, created by a murderous thug. Blacks should look to create a holiday with some legitimacy, if they insist on preserving their "culture". (How is African culture really their culture when the vast majority of blacks were born and raised in the USA for generations back?)

Besides that, Kwanzaa is the only "other" holiday which isn't even associated with a religion. Care to guess how many you'll be trying to please if you jump on both the "all regligions" and the "all cultures" bandwagon? Where do you draw the line? I suggest the line in America should be at Judeo/Christian holidays.

The real hypocrisy of the demands of multiculturalism is that they aren't reciprocal. Where are the concerned, feeling Arab intellectuals calling for Saudi Arabia to celebrate Christmas? It ain't gonna happen.

[Gabz]

I'm not sure how to take your post :)

[evets]

I was just being silly. I see no reason to bash Walmart.
They are part of our community, and provide a great service.
Lots of decent folks work for them and with them.
If they don't want to say the word 'Christmas', that's their problem.
There's more to the Holidays than gift shopping.
May the joy of the Christmas season remain with you.

[Palisades]

Besides that, Kwanzaa is the only "other" holiday which isn't even associated with a religion. Care to guess how many you'll be trying to please if you jump on both the "all regligions" and the "all cultures" bandwagon? Where do you draw the line? I suggest the line in America should be at Judeo/Christian holidays.

Companies don't care about the historical or religious backgrounds of certain holidays.

They're just interested in selling whatever stuff happens to be associated with such holidays.

I have no idea what people buy for Kwanzaa, but I'm sure Wal-Mart does, and I'm sure Wal-Mart makes sure to have such items in stock.

[TKDietz]

This article is ridiculous b.s. Walmart has banned Christmas because they hung some "Happy Holidays" signs? What a load of poop. Whoever comes up with this sort of crap needs to get a life.

[TKDietz]

"I like Walmart--I own their stock--my parents owned their stock. But they are demeaning Christmas as a holiday in order to satisfy the policial correctness movement."

As an act of protest to Walmart's horrible assault on Christmas and Christians everywhere, I think you should boycott Walmart and give all of your stock to me.

[Gabz]

ROFLMSS!!!!!!!!

This all so very amusing .

[discostu]

That's funny, half the people in the country complain when stores put up a bunch of Christmas stuff in early November and here you are 2 weeks before Thanksgiving complaining about the lack of it. More proof that often for corporations they're damned if they do and damned if they don't.

In most departments stores that small corner near the Garden Center is the "seasonal" area where they cycle stuff that has a limited window of demand. That's where the Haloween stuff is in October, where the Valentines stuff is in January, where the back to school stuff is in August.

Funny you'd find Holidays Trees in the store since they're Christmas Trees on the website. As for the Batman ornaments welcome to the post HalMark fake collectible world, there's "Christmas" ornaments built on almost every marketable thing imaginable, every year my brother-in-law has his tree overladen with ornaments of every comicbook/ sci-fi/ nerd thing imaginable. Christmas trees have turned into another place to hang stupid tchotchkes.

[Protagoras]

Urban legend alert.

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

This probably has its roots with Wal-Mart's hiring of ex-Clinton aide Lesilie Dach for their new War Room.

[Gabz]

Thanks, I was hoping that was how you meant it :)

I also see no reason to bash WM, and so find all the bashing to be rather amusing.

I find WM to not only be a part of the community, but to be a good neighbor. We have numerous RV/camper type "campgrounds in this area and in 2003, when we were being threatened by Hurricane Isabel the local WM purchased time on local radio stations to inform campers the parking lot at WM was available to them for sitting out the storm. I learned from an ad salesman at one of the stations that WM was offered the air time as a public service annoncement, yet they insisted on paying for it.

Seasons Greetings and Happy Holidays have been as common to me as Merry Christmas and Happy Hannukah all of my life. I do not understand what the big to do is all about.

However, when the joy of the Christmas season is wished for me, I always return the wishes in kind.

[VeniVidiVici]

That's funny, half the people in the country complain when stores put up a bunch of Christmas stuff in early November and here you are 2 weeks before Thanksgiving complaining about the lack of it.

Macys and Target have had Christmas stuff up since the end of September. For better or worse. I guess WalMart is behind.

If WalMart chooses to sell their Christmas stuff in the seasaonal section of the store, where they market Halloween and Valentines merchandise, then more power to them. I only said that it certainly killed off my shopping spirit.

And instead of bitching at me that Christmas trees on the website are called Holiday trees in the store, why don't you get off your dead ass and go look for yourself.

[Gabz]

Personally I don't care where it is rooted - I think the entire issue is just so much overblown bunk that it is laughable.

[Vinnie]

If you tell me the name of one retailer(besides a Christian bookstore) that promotes embraces Christmas, I'll do my shopping there. I don't think wal-mart is alone.

You re correct. Until a few yrs. ago it was Merry Christmas, Christmas Tree, etc.
Suddenly it's Holiday, Holiday Season, Holiday tree.
My shopping is Christmas shopping not Holiday shopping .
I erect a Christmas tree, not the other thing.

I'll spend my money where the merchant says Merry Christmas.
Cabela's and LL Bean's catalog have Merry Christmas on the front and just might get all my business.