# And a very shitty Ramakwahannumas to you too! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 6, 2005, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-a-very-shitty-ramakwahannumas-to-you-too/334291 "2005-12-06T03:15:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2005, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-a-very-shitty-ramakwahannumas-to-you-too/334291/61 "2005-12-06T21:03:49Z")
> [@BluePitbull](#): > > I never understood the controversy over Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays. > You would think there are better things to worry about than whether someone said either phrase to you. Yeah, I seriously wonder about a culture where we are encouraged to have aneurysms over worrying whether or not we will offend the over-sensitive. > [@5que](#): > > Screw You! It was my birthday first! December 25, 1955. > > But keep working to pay my social security, you punk, and turn your hat around the correct way and pull up your pants. No one wants to see your drawers. And get the hell off my lawn. I’ll share it with you, unless you die 22 years earlier. At least you were born on a multiple of 11 year as well. 😉 We’ll see if you make the immortality cut or not. ;p Erek ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2005, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-a-very-shitty-ramakwahannumas-to-you-too/334291/62 "2005-12-06T21:04:07Z")
People who complain about “Happy Holidays” have forgotten the true meaning of Christmas. ---
**Author:** ![MelCthefirst](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eada6e/32.png) [@MelCthefirst](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MelCthefirst)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2005, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-a-very-shitty-ramakwahannumas-to-you-too/334291/63 "2005-12-06T21:20:01Z")
I’ve been in the US over Christmas on a number of occasions and whilst I understand it is meant to be polite and kind, I find the whole ‘Happy Holidays’ on a par with ‘have a nice day!’. It is for the most part very insincere and automatic, unless said to loved ones and friends. How about sticking to just ‘hello’ ‘morning’ etc as a greating - reserve ‘Merry Christmas’ ‘Happy New Year’ etc for the day they fall on only. ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2005, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-a-very-shitty-ramakwahannumas-to-you-too/334291/64 "2005-12-06T22:49:39Z")
> [@mswas](#): > > Yeah, I seriously wonder about a culture where we are encouraged to have aneurysms over worrying whether or not we will offend the over-sensitive. I worked in retail for way too many years, and during the month of December we were to answer the phone, “Happy Holidays, thank you for calling Retail Hell, how may I help you?” It was the same at every place I worked over the years; we were told specifically _not_ to say ‘Merry Christmas’ but ‘Happy Holidays’ instead, lest we offend any non-Christmas-celebrating customers. (The rest of the year it was just, “Hi, thank you for calling…”) ---
**Author:** ![MelCthefirst](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eada6e/32.png) [@MelCthefirst](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MelCthefirst)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2005, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-a-very-shitty-ramakwahannumas-to-you-too/334291/65 "2005-12-06T23:02:43Z")
> [@BiblioCat](#): > > I worked in retail for way too many years, and during the month of December we were to answer the phone, “Happy Holidays, thank you for calling Retail Hell, how may I help you?” > It was the same at every place I worked over the years; we were told specifically _not_ to say ‘Merry Christmas’ but ‘Happy Holidays’ instead, lest we offend any non-Christmas-celebrating customers. > > (The rest of the year it was just, “Hi, thank you for calling…”) My point exactly - why say it when it is entirely insincere? ---
**Author:** ![Syntropy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/65b543/32.png) [@Syntropy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Syntropy)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2005, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-a-very-shitty-ramakwahannumas-to-you-too/334291/66 "2005-12-06T23:10:24Z")
> [@Pochacco](#): > > People who complain about “Happy Holidays” have forgotten the true meaning of Christmas. Yes, but how many people in this country actually know about Mithraism and the whole Coel Coeth thing, really? ---
**Author:** ![Excalibre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Excalibre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Excalibre)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2005, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-a-very-shitty-ramakwahannumas-to-you-too/334291/67 "2005-12-06T23:50:00Z")
> [@MelCthefirst](#): > > My point exactly - why say it when it is entirely insincere? I’ve never understood why people get offended by routine well-wishes. When I worked retail, I would quite sincerely wish every single customer a good day (except for the jerks. I would say it with flat inflection and no smile, while looking straight into their eyes. Funny how we can quite deliberately communicate the exact opposite of what we’re saying, but I digress . . . .) That doesn’t mean that the customer’s day was the absolute topmost thing on my mind, but sure - why _wouldn’t_ I hope that everyone I saw had a good day? Hope you had a nice day today, incidentally . . . ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2005, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-a-very-shitty-ramakwahannumas-to-you-too/334291/68 "2005-12-07T01:42:43Z")
> [@Pochacco](#): > > People who complain about “Happy Holidays” have forgotten the true meaning of Christmas. Oh, they haven’t forgotten about it – they (or at least a sizable number of the complainers) just think that the true meaning is mandatory Christmas Morning Church Services Where Everyone Can Sing the Glory of Jeebus Whether They Want To Or Not™. Then afterwards they gather around the cafeteria for coffee cakes and pride themselves on not living in a religious theocracy like the Taliban… ---
**Author:** ![DoctorJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctorj/32/2904_2.png) [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2005, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-a-very-shitty-ramakwahannumas-to-you-too/334291/69 "2005-12-07T02:26:37Z")
> [@rjung](#): > > Oh, they haven’t forgotten about it – they (or at least a sizable number of the complainers) just think that the true meaning is mandatory Christmas Morning Church Services Where Everyone Can Sing the Glory of Jeebus Whether They Want To Or Not™. Funny you should mention that… > **[Lexington KY Breaking News & Sports | Lexington Herald Leader](https://www.kentucky.com/)** > [@](#): > > This Christmas, no prayers will be said in several megachurches around the country. > > Even though the holiday falls this year on a Sunday, when churches normally host thousands for worship, pastors are canceling services, anticipating low attendance on what they call a family day. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2005, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-a-very-shitty-ramakwahannumas-to-you-too/334291/70 "2005-12-07T02:36:00Z")
Re: Happy Honda-days – there DOES exist a seasonal song that goes _“Happy holidaaays, happy holidaaays…etc.”_, that **had been around for _decades_** (IIRC, since at least c. 1950) and the song does mention Xmas in the verse, anyway. In any case, my cards for this year say “Season’s Greetings”, which I’ve been hearing and reading since the all my life, as well. Or maybe I’ll just go for _Felices Pascuas_, a somawhat quaintly archaic usage I remember from growing up in PR, that seemed to encompass everything from Advent to the Octave of Epiphany. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2005, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-a-very-shitty-ramakwahannumas-to-you-too/334291/71 "2005-12-07T02:48:44Z")
[Invader Zim] Bow down Bow down Before the power of Santa. Or be crushed be crushed by his jolly boots of doom [/Zim] ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2005, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-a-very-shitty-ramakwahannumas-to-you-too/334291/72 "2005-12-07T05:04:42Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > Pfft. My great grandmother was born 12/25/92. Beat that! > > It may be only Christians complaining, but they’re not all fundies. My GF is Christian, but about as anti-fundie as one can get. And she was a bit bothered about Holiday Trees. It’s OK, I straightened her out. 😃 Your great-grandma is 13? 😛😃 I always interpret “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Hanuhkah” or whatever as “Have a nice day on the day that is Christmas/Hanuhkah” or whatever. I’ve found it makes my life a hell of a lot easier than worrying over saying the wrong thing. Besides, when I was working in retail, the LAST thing the holiday was was “happy”. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![MelCthefirst](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eada6e/32.png) [@MelCthefirst](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MelCthefirst)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2005, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-a-very-shitty-ramakwahannumas-to-you-too/334291/73 "2005-12-07T05:12:45Z")
> [@Excalibre](#): > > I’ve never understood why people get offended by routine well-wishes. When I worked retail, I would quite sincerely wish every single customer a good day (except for the jerks. I would say it with flat inflection and no smile, while looking straight into their eyes. Funny how we can quite deliberately communicate the exact opposite of what we’re saying, but I digress . . . .) That doesn’t mean that the customer’s day was the absolute topmost thing on my mind, but sure - why _wouldn’t_ I hope that everyone I saw had a good day? > > Hope you had a nice day today, incidentally . . . You may very well truely wish people a good day, but I refuse to believe the majority of people who say ‘happy holiday’ or whatever, truely wish it. ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2005, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-a-very-shitty-ramakwahannumas-to-you-too/334291/74 "2005-12-07T05:14:18Z")
> [@Scott Plaid](#): > > Greet me however you like. Just be prepared to hear me say “Bah Humbug!” in reply. 😛 Amen! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Siege](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@Siege](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siege)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2005, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-a-very-shitty-ramakwahannumas-to-you-too/334291/75 "2005-12-07T10:19:59Z")
**mswas** , I’ll make a deal with you. You see, yesterday was _my_ birthday and all I got for it was a thread in MPSIMS about a man who thought women like me should die, so he killed 14 of them. I promise that on Christmas morning, when I come on-line at the crack of dawn to post, I’ll wish you a Happy Birthday, if you’ll wish me one today. As for the churches in Kentucky, I’m now thoroughly confused. I mean, isn’t one supposed to attend church with one’s family? Also, for some families, Christmas morning is when you go to church to celebrate Christmas. (I’m more of a midnight mass type, myself.) CJ ---
**Author:** ![slaphead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9bcb4/32.png) [@slaphead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slaphead)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2005, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-a-very-shitty-ramakwahannumas-to-you-too/334291/76 "2005-12-07T12:40:14Z")
Hmmmm… If people are going to sanitize Christmas trees to Holiday trees, what on earth are they going to do about Wednesday? Having a day named after Woden/Odin is blatantly favouring a particular religion. How soon before it starts showing on calendars as “PersonalChoiceofSpiritualBeliefDay”? Anyhow - I’m with **Scott Plaid**. My ears tend to magically translate all and any greetings into “Happy OverCommercializedRetailFrenzy” unless they come from my friends, in which case I hear “Happy TimeOffWorkandEnjoyingYourself” ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2005, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-a-very-shitty-ramakwahannumas-to-you-too/334291/77 "2005-12-07T13:55:03Z")
From now on, my response will be ME…bursting into song. “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Had a very shiny nose…” That’ll teach 'em. ---
**Author:** ![abbeytxs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@abbeytxs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/abbeytxs)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2005, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-a-very-shitty-ramakwahannumas-to-you-too/334291/78 "2005-12-07T15:02:32Z")
Oops, seems someone forgot to tell the President about the war on Christmas. [www.au.org/site/News2?abbr=pr&page=NewsArticle&id=7675&security=1002&news\_iv\_ctrl=1241](http://www.au.org/site/News2?abbr=pr&page=NewsArticle&id=7675&security=1002&news_iv_ctrl=1241) ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2005, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-a-very-shitty-ramakwahannumas-to-you-too/334291/79 "2005-12-07T16:02:27Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Your great-grandma is 13? :rolleyes: She died in 1980. At the age of negative 12. Duh. ---
**Author:** ![5que](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/3bc359/32.png) [@5que](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5que)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2005, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-a-very-shitty-ramakwahannumas-to-you-too/334291/80 "2005-12-07T16:29:17Z")
> [@mswas](#): > > I’ll share it with you, unless you die 22 years earlier. At least you were born on a multiple of 11 year as well. 😉 We’ll see if you make the immortality cut or not. ;p Erek Well, considering tomorrow I get to drink about 2 gallons of Barium and then get pictures taken of my insides from nipple to bunghole, I feel like I’ve definitely missed the immortality cut, and instead got in the “funky things happening to your insides” line. But don’t let my suffering stop any of you from having a Merry Fawking Christmas. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-a-very-shitty-ramakwahannumas-to-you-too/334291.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-a-very-shitty-ramakwahannumas-to-you-too/334291.md?page=5)