You are hilariously stupid.
Actually you aren’t, although your anti-christmas view offends me. But this is the pit and I comply with pit culture.
Same to you, and on the 25th of December as well while the rest of us are opening presents, seeing relatives and feasting.
That’s got to suck, except that you’ll probably be sking somewhere. Don’t break a leg. 
The implication of my challenge has simply gone over your head.
I sure hope so. Because the alternative is that you’re a stingy bogartin’ SOB who won’t share his weed, and that’s far worse.
What a classless non-apology.
Most Christian churches don’t hold Mass. AFAIK, the term is only used by Catholics and Anglicans.
However, to address your point, I’ll get back to you now:
http://www.calvin.edu/worship/services/occasion/10_13_03.php
http://www.progress-index.com/articles/2008/11/15/news/church_news/doc491ee511d2030471799587.txt
I could go on for several pages if you like. Google “Thanksgiving Mass” or “Thanksgiving service” or “Thanksgiving sermon”.
I’ll ask you straight out the question I alluded to above: if you don’t think Thanksgiving is a religious holiday, who exactly do you think it’s for giving thanks to?
Perhaps Hallowe’en would be a better comparison: it’s another Christian holiday which almost everyone in America (and I assume you’re American) celebrates - the eve of All Saints’/All Hallows’ Day.
The primary point of 99% of Hallowe’en celebrations is to dress up as something scary or funny (or as a whore if you’re a female between 16-29).
The primary point of 95% of Christmas celebrations is to give people stuff.
Does the extra 4% of observance really make a significant difference?
This is what it takes to get a Canadian upset enough to get all up in your grill? Where’s that reputation for politeness come from, I wonder? 
I mean, it’s a silly example but I think it has bearing here.
I used to smoke a lot of cannabis (said nameless, pulling his laptop in closer as he sits next to his family on the couch during the holidays). When I stopped, my friends were all very, very confused. They’d continue offering me pot that I just didn’t want. And they’d get offended! “What? You don’t want it?” they would say. And I would explain, “Hey guys, I still love you, I just don’t want to smoke.” My friend said, “It’s like we’re offering you this delicious cheeseburger that we bought for you and you’re not taking it!” And I replied, “Dude, it’s like you’re offering a cheeseburger to someone you know is a vegetarian!”
I think this is an exactly analogous situation. Dutchman, you’ve got to get it through your head that some people don’t want what you’re offering. Doesn’t mean they’re assholes or you can’t be friends or even that they’re anti-Christmas! Just play nice with others! Crimeny!
Why do you keep piping up about it then. It must mean something to you. How does saying Merry Christmas fuck you up so badly? I’m not even religious and I like getting Christmas cards. Move on man.
Thankyou Alessan. Somewhat belated or premature, but no one’s ever wish me a happy birthday before on the SDMB and you’ve lifted my spirits somewhat.
I get your point though, but I must ask you if you would be worried if I or anyone else here would be offended if you wished us a Happy Hanukkah.
“Services” then. Point still applies.
I’m not denying that Thanksgiving has religious overtones, or that it’s mentioned in churches. I’m questioning whether or not you realize just how significant a religious holiday Christmas is. Christmas is second only to Easter in importance to Christian religions. It celebrates the birth of the person the religions are named after, and is celebrated by Christians around the world. Thanksgiving is a harvest festival that has Christian religious overtones because it was originally celebrated by Christian settlers. It’s not even celebrated by Christians outside of North America. Trying to compare Christmas to Thanksgiving just obscures the religious significance of Christmas.
Maybe he keeps piping up about it because people keep getting all offended about it.
I think the important aspect is that I’ve never felt excluded from Thanksgiving or Halloween celebrations. I’ve always felt excluded from Christmas celebrations. And I concede that a lot of that comes from my upbringing - as Jews we just didn’t join in on Christmas celebrations but there were no obstacles to T-day or Halloween. Those are my favorite holidays of the year, in fact.
Maybe someone keeps their faith private and doesn’t like having any aspects of someone else’s faith put in their face. Hell, maybe a mall Santa molested someone and that’s what they associate with Christmas–you don’t know! Is it so hard to just attempt to be considerate?
I have a friend who doesn’t like to eat wheat. So when I cook for her, I cook without wheat. I have a friend who hates the Beatles. When we hang out, I don’t put the Beatles on. I think these are all ludicrous aversions and they are in direct contrast to my own tastes. But they’re my friends and I value their company so I make allowances. I suspect the people who insist on saying Merry Christmas to everyone make the same adjustments every day. Why can’t people do the same for this one tiny little thing? Is it that it feels good to play the victim of some cultural oppression?
Wasn’t this whole War on Christmas talking point played out two-years ago? Or are we keeping it alive, and I didn’t get the memo?
Wish me whatever you want; as long as you don’t want to legislate your religion into law, I will accept your Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays or Good Yule as a friendly seasonal greeting which wishes me well. And I will return it in the same spirit in which it is given.
I don’t do Christmas either, so perhaps I can understand some of your feelings of exclusion. But don’t you think this is a little over-the-top.
I went back to your posts to see what threads you were talking about since you didn’t link them and found this post. Not only do I not know who you’re addressing, I also don’t know which other thread you’re talking about. Either way, wow!
If people are really pushing your buttons that badly with this, perhaps you could explain more explicitly why it bothers you or link to where you have, but I’m not seeing the reason for the upset here.
And a question: are the people who are wishing you a Merry Christmas wishing other people the same thing? Are you expecting other people to make exceptions for you and remember to do so when they don’t for others? Do these people that you’re complaining about know you personally and well?
Or rather, nobody showed offense. Not quite the same thing.
Foo foo babba rabba bing!
Hey, monstro.
You know that the answer is different for everybody. I’ll bet this was rhetorical, huh? Some of us want to be friendly more often and just can’t think of anything to say. “Happy Tuesday afternoon!” wears thin after a while and it only has one song that fits.
But “fake happy”? I really do feel happier around Christmas. On Christmas morning, if nothing else, you can wake up and think, “Hey, the days are getting longer.”
We don’t have any packages to open. (We have enough.) Neither of us cooks and the oven doesn’t work anyway. It’s just the two of us and the cat. But we will probably watch Fanny and Alelxander and A Child’s Christmas in Wales. Then after a while, we will fight over whose turn it is at the computer. These are some of our traditions.
Have you ever been to Williamsburg at Christmas? That’s what I want to do a couple of years from now.
Are there people really annoyed by “Happy Holidays”? Back in the 1950s, it was used in cards and songs and no one thought much about it. Perry Como’s song “There’s No Place Like Home for the Holidays” was a big hit. No one thought it was a conspiracy. And “Season’s Greetings” cards were sent by Christians without a second thought. I just hate the paranoia that has been instilled by some Christian leaders. I think most of them know better.
Good grief. It’s not that complicated. Start here. Specifically posts #5 and #9. Note who started the thread. Then go here, to the pit thread you already noticed. Telemark said it bugged him when people who knew he was Jewish wished him Merry Christmas. shallora promptly not only wished him Merry Christmas in response but started a pit thread to satirize the affair. I think Telemark’s response at that point was warranted; shallora was being a dick. If Telemark’s getting pissy at this point, maybe it’s because people keep missing his point and are poking him besides.
(I’ve never seen so many people miss the point so fucking completely. WHY ARE YOU WISHING SOMEONE MERRY CHRISTMAS? For their benefit, or just to make you feel better? This is not supposed to be a selfish act! Why is it so fucking incomprehensible to take another person’s feelings and circumstances into consideration when you’re wishing them goodwill?)