Posted on 11/18/2006 5:53:56 AM PST by Wil H
The Christmas shopping season is upon us and it seems that we have won the opening skirmish it the war with secularism to stamp out Christmas. Walmart have agreed to let Christmas back into their stores this year. That is great news but I am sure it is the power of the almighty dollar rather than the Almighty himself that drove them to that decision, but then, God does move in mysterious ways.
This year I am going shopping prepared and I invite you to join me in the campaign.
I am going to carry a number of letters, sealed in envelopes and addressed to the Store Manager. Any time I don't find any evidence of Christmas celebration in a store I will give the manager a letter and leave.
Here is what the letter says:
Dear Sir or Madam,
I came to your store today with the express purpose of spending a significant percentage of my $XXXX (put what you like in here) Christmas shopping budget.
However I note that your store chooses to no longer participate in the celebration of Christmas and therefore you dont qualify to receive my Christmas dollars.
A quintessential part of Christmas is the sharing of the joy of giving and doing so in festive Christmas environment, it is estimated 95% of Americans celebrate the holiday and fortunately for them, and I, there are many other stores that embrace the Christmas spirit.
My Christmas spending, as I am certain many others, will be done with those that wish to share the spirit of holiday. Should you ever decide to participate again I will consider returning as a customer, until that time, ALL my business goes elsewhere.
Sincerely,
XXXXXXXX
Merry Christmas
If a substantial number of people did this, maybe the message that Walmart got would reach the other retail outlets and perhaps we could get our Christmas back into the public square. If the stores all start decorating for Christmas again do you not think think they will pressure the municipality to decorate the streets appropriately?
This year, Prescott AZ has street banners on downtown lamp posts declaring "Prescott, Your Christmas City" I might just take a trip there to do my Christmas shopping.
I like that idea -- only spend your Christmas dollars where Christmas is acknowledged. JUST ACKNOWLEDGED!
Otherwise, leave the note and move on to the next store.
Holiday shipping & mailing guide.Nowhere does it say it is a Christmas guide, or even mention Christmas. It does give dates to
Get your holiday packages there on time.It gives an Express Mail date of December 22. My question for all Jewish Freepers is: If you mail your package on December 22, will it get there for Chanukah as promised by the Post Office?
I understand this, but I suppose that was lost in my post.
I mean to say that even if the atheists and ACLU objected to the term Christmas, they would have to challenge the federal law making it a federal holiday. To refuse to say "Merry Christmas" to folks because you object to the religious aspect ignores the fact that it is also a non-denominational, government-declared holiday, which makes it, de facto and de jure, a secular holiday we consider a HOLY day.
Agreed
Three stores I don't frequent..
Best Buys
Target
Burlington Coat Factory
They have terrible return policies.
The 'Christmas' stance of at least two of them merely adds to my avoidance.
I'm sick of Winter Festival, Holiday Tree and the like.
No 'Christmas', no money.
Table sex isn't necessarily incompatible with Christmas, now. Still, it would be nice if Best Buy could at least acknowledge the holiday (in a different ad, perhaps).
No flames from me. It occured to me last year that it might be said that some folks are trying to re-commericialize Christmas after decades of complaining it was too commericial.
Those who chew out salesfolks for saying "Happy Holidays" are going way too far, IMO.
Still, I agree that merchants need to be called out for calling a Christmas tree a "Holiday Tree." Come on!
That is the thing. For years and years growing up, I heard that Christmas was way too commercialized. It was all about commerce, and business and not about the spirit of christmas. Flash forward to O'Reilly and Gibson, and now we are told that commercial interests aren't supporting Christmas enough.
I actually was in the Christmas is too commercialized camp, so this crusade I don't buy into at all. Christmas is not right after Halloween. In my family, it is celebrated on the 24th and 25th. Period. We might go shopping earlier, but we don't expect clerks to recognize Christmas on Black Friday in November. Come on. I want my religion in my church, not in my SuperMegaMart.
particularly the slut who clears the table for sex when she sees her boyfriend at the door with a "happy holiday" Best Buy package"
Wow, is your mind in the gutter! She clears the table to open the package. Still, it is a stupid ad that actually makes me want to buy fewer gifts.
Why not, isn't that what YOU'RE doing?
"Merry Christmas" has only recently become controversial. And it is a pity.
The Hobby Lobby wasn't too busy, but if I'd driven another half mile, I could have been stuck in traffic all afternoon.
That is exactly the point. It isn't just about the word Christmas, it's about how the left continues to secularize America and marginalize Christians. Thanks for bringing clarity to this issue Sam.
No flames from me, I think some have more overt experiences with how far the secular left wants to go in this regard than others...so, let me share:
The last "Holiday Party" I attended a few years ago actually had a representative from human resources stand with the hired DJ and either accept or reject songs based on whether they mentioned words like "Holy", "Christmas", etc..you get the idea.
Now, I guess it could be the case that one person with "panties up in a twist" (to use your phrase) could have raised some legal argument; but that just reinforces the point as to how times have changed and how weak we seem to be as a culture anymore. Everyone else's holidays are OK to be mentioned by name and even celebrated/recognized...but "Christmas" remains a flashpoint.
Why?
My entire family (wife, parents, kids) has decided this year to almost completely forgo any material recognition of Christmas. We are getting each other exactly one nominal material item and will spend the season in peace, celebrating the season and not worshipping at the foot of Madison Avenue. My children, who are all under 18 and living at home, were displeased at first (sadly, we've *really* gone overboard their entire lives), but are beginning to understand why this is a good thing and I have some level of confidence by the time Christmas is here will be completely with the program.
So, no Best Buy, Target, or what have you this year. I expect that I will be able to complete all of my shopping in an hour or less, hopefully on a lunch break one day when there won't even be crowds to deal with.
What a great idea!
bump
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