Gap, Old Navy censor 'Christmas,' replace it with 'Holiday'

American Family Association ^ | 12.05.06

[Coleus]

Gap, which owns Old Navy, Banana Republic, Forth & Towne and Piperlime, has become the latest politically correct retailer, intentionally censoring the use of "Christmas" in their in-store, online and printed advertising.

Instead of referring to the season as Christmas, Gap instead uses the word "holiday." As hard as we tried, AFA could not find a single instance in which Gap-owned stores use the term "Christmas." Not a single time!

When one Old Navy store manager was asked by AFA if the word Christmas was in his store, he answered, "We have a lot of Christmas gifts in our stores, but the word Christmas is not used here. Everything is 'holiday.'"

Gap wants you to do your Christmas shopping with them, but they don't want to mention the Reason for the season. Gap doesn't want to offend non-Christians by using Christmas. The fact that their censoring the use of Christmas might offend Christians seems to be of no importance.

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Don Fisher, Chairman
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[Arm_Bears]

I just censored Gap and Old Navy from my Christmas shopping list.

[NeoCaveman]

Once they find out that Holiday means Holy Day they'll have to change the Holidays to the "Winter Consumerism Festival"

[RightWhale]

I said Merry Christmas to the checkout clerk at the supermarket today, and it was amazing how fast that old lady brightened up.

[af_vet_rr]

All about the money - they could use Christmas in their advertising, except they are more concerned about losing money from non-Christians who they think they might perceive.

What do you expect from a corporation these days....

[NC28203]

>>>Instead of referring to the season as Christmas, Gap instead uses the word "holiday." As hard as we tried, AFA could not find a single instance in which Gap-owned stores use the term "Christmas." Not a single time!

Actually, shouldn't that read "instead of referring to the Season as Advent". We are not in the Christmas Season. The Christmas Season extends for 12 days beginning on December 25th.

A hope fiiled Advent to you all!

[Battle Hymn of the Republic]

they don't care...

their theme for this "holiday season" is the peace symbol...

all the stores here in the bay area have giant peace symbols in their windows.

[Borges]

[Dallas59]

I guess I can buy my gifts at other stores. Goodbye old Navy.

[gdani]

As hard as we tried, AFA could not find a single instance in which Gap-owned stores use the term "Christmas." Not a single time!

There was a time when a seemingly small but vocal number of Christians criticized retail stores & companies for turning Christmas into a holiday of overconsumption & greed.

These days, we become angry when those same corporations don't wish us a "Merry Christmas".

Whatever.

[dmz]

Yup. Heaps of criticism for companies that refuse to crassly commercialize the Christmas season by disingenuously wishing us a Merry Christmas, choosing instead to crassly commercialize the holiday season by disingenuously wishing us a happy holiday. How dare they crassly commercialize this season in any other way than I want it crassly commercialized?

Have I set a record for using the phrase "crassly commercialize" as often as I did in just a few short sentences?

[Dallas59]

The Northern Hemisphere Winter Holiday Season Main article: Winter holiday season

In many Western countries, the winter holiday season is known as a period of time surrounding Christmas that was formed in order to embrace all cultural and religious celebration rather than only Christian celebrations. Usually, this period begins near the end of November and ends with New Year's Day on January 1. The holiday season is usually commercially referred to with a broad interpretation, avoiding the reference of specific holidays like Hanukkah or Christmas. Traditional "holiday season" festivities are usually associated with winter, including snowflakes and wintry songs. In some Christian countries, the end of the festive season is considered to be after the feast of Epiphany, although this has only symbolic value.

Holidays traditionally in the winter holiday season Thanksgiving - (second Monday in October in Canada, fourth Thursday in November in USA) — Holiday generally observed as an expression of gratitude, traditionally to God, for the autumn harvest. It is traditionally celebrated with a meal shared among friends and family in which turkey is eaten. It is celebrated by many as a secular holiday, and in the USA marks the beginning of the "holiday season". Yule - (Winter Solstice, around 21-22 December) — a Pagan celebration of the winter solstice. One of the eight sabbats.

Hanukkah - (26 Kislev - 2/3 Tevet - almost always in December) — Jewish holiday celebrating the defeat of Seleucid forces who had tried to prevent Israel from practising Judaism, and also celebrating the miracle of the Menorah lights burning for eight days with only enough (olive) oil for one day.

Christmas Day - (25 December) — Christian holiday commemorating the traditional birth-date of Jesus. Christmas is also celebrated as a secular gift-giving holiday; other observances include the decoration of trees and houses. A secular, "politically-correct" euphemism for Christmas is "Winter holiday".

Kwanzaa (USA) - (26 December - 1 January) — Holiday observance held from December 26 to January 1 honoring African-American heritage, primarily in the United States. It was made in 1966.

Boxing Day (26 December or 27 December) — Holiday observed in many Commonwealth countries on the first non-Sunday after Christmas.

St Stephen's Day or Second Day of Christmas (26 December) — Holiday observed in many European countries.

New Year's Day - (1 January) — Holiday observing the first day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. Preceded by New Year's Eve on 31 December, which is celebrated with festivities in anticipation of New Year's Day.

[TheBigB]

As hard as we tried, AFA could not find a single instance in which Gap-owned stores use the term "Christmas." Not a single time! We tapped phones! We sent spies into the ladies' rooms! (Rev. Wildmon handled that himself) We bugged break rooms! We ambushed employees in the parking lots and beat them with sticks, but still they didn't say Merry Christmas!!

[agrace]

LOL

Goes right along with the article today about a town that took Jesus, Mary and Joseph out of a nativity scene in the spirit of separation of church and state...and the name of the town is St. Albans.

[atlaw]

Gap wants you to do your Christmas shopping with them, but they don't want to mention the Reason for the season.

So your point is that the "Reason for the season" is shopping?

[Evie Munchkin]

I don't shop at any of those stores. Gap is too expensive and Old Navy has really cheaply made junk.

[gidget7]

I have noticed both stores use only "Love" songs in their commercials, not even generic Christmas songs.

The gap has a rapper singing that they "gonna give it to the world, peace love the gap. Ok not bad wording, but it isn't Christmas! Could be used any time of the year. Same with Macy's and Old Navy.

[CindyDawg]

There was a time when a seemingly small but vocal number of Christians criticized retail stores & companies for turning Christmas into a holiday of overconsumption & greed.

I keep seeing this comparison pop up, lately. I think a lot of us Christians still feel we need to get back to more basics. It isn't about saying "merry Christmas" though. That should be an individual choice and come from the heart. What bothers me is a clerk being told he/she can't and stores deliberately removing the Reason for the season. It is their right but they shouldn't do so and hold out their hand , expecting my money.

[pissant]

If they had one stitch of clothes made in America, it would also help. Just one more reason to avoid the liberal, maggot infested retailers like the Gap.