# Is this tacky or is it just me ? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 11, 2002, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-tacky-or-is-it-just-me/141991 "2002-12-11T13:40:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ayesha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c0e974/32.png) [@Ayesha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ayesha)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-tacky-or-is-it-just-me/141991/1 "2002-12-11T13:40:56Z")
LIONsob took me to look at Christmas lights last night, I love doing this. We came upon a display that just bugged me. It was a manger scene with SANTA kneeling over the baby Jesus. I cringed but thought heck it’s just one silly dispay. WRONG Ayesha, wrong, there were several houses in that neighbor hood with the thing in the yard. Then I thought maybe I had just forgotten that Santa was there at the time or that I had somehow missed this part in the biblical accounts of the birth of Christ. So when we got home I checked out the story again. Nope, no Santa mentioned. I have no problems with manger scenes at Christmas, in fact I like them. I have no problem with Santa scenes either I like those too , I like almost any thing Christmasy (new word ?). I have no problem with both being in the same yard ( a few feet from each other). I do for some reason have a problem with this. Maybe I’m just too traditional . Or old ::sigh:: ---
**Author:** ![Siemsi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b19c9b/32.png) [@Siemsi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siemsi)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-tacky-or-is-it-just-me/141991/2 "2002-12-11T13:44:15Z")
Ayesha I completely agree with you…that is very tasteless. I mean WTF??? Two completely different stories, people! Come on, now! ---
**Author:** ![Sebhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@Sebhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sebhal)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-tacky-or-is-it-just-me/141991/3 "2002-12-11T13:51:47Z")
I think you’re absolutely right, Santa in the stable, what will they think of next?! ---
**Author:** ![Skeezix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/839c29/32.png) [@Skeezix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skeezix)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-tacky-or-is-it-just-me/141991/4 "2002-12-11T14:03:26Z")
Frosty, Rudolph, and Herbie as the three wise men? Just because you’re the only person I can possibly ask this question, **Ayesha** , how’s your hole? [sub]Actually, no, it’s because I care, but that doesn’t sound nearly as funny in my head.[/sub] 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-tacky-or-is-it-just-me/141991/5 "2002-12-11T14:04:52Z")
I’ve always wanted to combine Hallowe’en and Christmas. The Nativity would be populated by a werewolf, Frankenstein’s monster, and Dracula instead of the Three Wise Men. Either that, or everything is normal except that the baby Jesus would be a vampire. As for the OP, this just came to mind: Santa’s sleigh crashed into the Nativity with the Nativity characters modified into horrified onlookers. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Legomancer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/779978/32.png) [@Legomancer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Legomancer)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-tacky-or-is-it-just-me/141991/6 "2002-12-11T14:07:53Z")
I’ve seen this bit a lot. I suspect it’s an organized protest against the commercialization of Christmas more than an attempt to integrate the Jolly Old Elf into the story. The one I liked best was one near my house where you had a manger and Santa praying and then, for no apparent reason, a raccoon. A plastic raccoon was on the other side of the manger. I have no idea on this one. ---
**Author:** ![Ayesha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c0e974/32.png) [@Ayesha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ayesha)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-tacky-or-is-it-just-me/141991/7 "2002-12-11T14:18:17Z")
Thanks \*\* Siemsi \*\* and \*\* Nerrie \*\* I am glad to see that it isn’t justy me. \*\* Skeezix \*\* Maybe Jack Frost could play Joseph. My hole is fine, the tape the doc used on it came off so we are back to letting it close on it’s own again, the doc says maybe it will be closed by Christmas. Ohhhh new song, All I Want for Christmas is a for my hole to be closed (to the tune of All I Want for Christmas is my two front teeth). Thanks for caring. \*\* JohnnyL.A. \*\* You are sooo twisted ! I like that in a man. ---
**Author:** ![Incubus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c68b51/32.png) [@Incubus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Incubus)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-tacky-or-is-it-just-me/141991/8 "2002-12-11T14:21:31Z")
I have heard that in Japan, Christmas is celebrated much differently; from what I gether its kind of a pseudo-valentines day over there in which people exchange gifts. Methinks they may have just picked up on the commercial aspect of the holiday. Anyway, apparently they got some elements of it ass backwards, because I’ve heard mention that they have displays showing Santa Claus _crucified_ on the cross! :eek: Isn’t cultural differences hilarious? I can imagine an american tourist seeing this and going :eek: and the locals not quite understanding why its so shocking to the tourist. ---
**Author:** ![Ayesha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c0e974/32.png) [@Ayesha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ayesha)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-tacky-or-is-it-just-me/141991/9 "2002-12-11T14:21:44Z")
Hmmmm \*\* Legomancer \*\* you might have a point. But it was still tacky IMHO. re Raccoon - are there raccoons is Isreal ? Google here I come. ---
**Author:** ![Rug\_Burn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a87d85/32.png) [@Rug\_Burn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rug_Burn)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-tacky-or-is-it-just-me/141991/10 "2002-12-11T14:28:15Z")
How about a baby gnome and three wise pink flamingos with santa and reindeer suspended above the manger and coming in for a landing. My neighbors should love that…now how to get the wife to agree? ---
**Author:** ![hawthorne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@hawthorne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawthorne)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-tacky-or-is-it-just-me/141991/11 "2002-12-11T14:42:00Z")
Anyone got anything on the wonderful crucified santa story Incubus told (and I was about to)? UL? ---
**Author:** ![Nenya\_Elizabeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ea5d25/32.png) [@Nenya\_Elizabeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nenya_Elizabeth)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-tacky-or-is-it-just-me/141991/12 "2002-12-11T14:43:04Z")
Yargh, that IS weird. Santa at the manger? That’s just…not right. Ah well. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![lovelyluka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f475e1/32.png) [@lovelyluka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lovelyluka)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-tacky-or-is-it-just-me/141991/13 "2002-12-11T14:48:46Z")
This is why there are so many kids out there who think Santa is the meaning of Christmas. I’m not overly religous myself, but I grew up with a few kids whose parents didn’t “do” Santa because the kids would forget that Christmas was really about the birth of Jesus Christ. Maybe extreme, but with things like this popping up…argh. ---
**Author:** ![Siemsi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b19c9b/32.png) [@Siemsi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siemsi)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-tacky-or-is-it-just-me/141991/14 "2002-12-11T14:53:31Z")
lovelyluka, Yes, it is very sad indeed when children do not know the meaning of Christmas or how it originated. Yes, the commercialism can make you feel all snuggly inside— the hot coco, cookies, snow falling, presents…but parents should at least educate their children about the real meaning…no matter what type of religion you practice. ---
**Author:** ![belladonna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9fc29f/32.png) [@belladonna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/belladonna)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-tacky-or-is-it-just-me/141991/15 "2002-12-11T14:54:20Z")
Okay, I’m going to be the voice of dissent here. My mother has a figurine depicting this scene. It has the infant Jesus in his little trough bed, with Santa kneeling, head bowed, hat in hand. I’ve never thought of it as tacky, but rather as a statement about the secular element of the holiday–Santa–being deferential to the more important religious element–Jesus’s birth. ---
**Author:** ![Tabithina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f04885/32.png) [@Tabithina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabithina)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-tacky-or-is-it-just-me/141991/16 "2002-12-11T15:25:18Z")
I think it’s tacky, but not as tacky as [this!](http://www.onefunsite.com/rednecklights.shtml) 😃 **Hawthorne** according to Snopes, [crucified Santa](http://www.snopes.com/holidays/christmas/cross.htm) is a UL. I was curious. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![DaddyTimesTwo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f07891/32.png) [@DaddyTimesTwo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaddyTimesTwo)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-tacky-or-is-it-just-me/141991/17 "2002-12-11T15:46:09Z")
**Johnny L A** , Tim Burton has what a movie called _The Nightmare Before Christmas_, which has a theme I think you might enjoy. Perhaps you should rent it? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-tacky-or-is-it-just-me/141991/18 "2002-12-11T16:49:39Z")
**DaddyTimesTwo** : Huh? Where is it in the film? I’ve never noticed it. ---
**Author:** ![ultress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/7c8e57/32.png) [@ultress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultress)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-tacky-or-is-it-just-me/141991/19 "2002-12-11T17:11:06Z")
I cannot fathom why someone would even want Santa in a manger scene. I know that it’s probably not meant to be tacky, as belladonna pointed out, but it’s just two totally different things. ---
**Author:** ![Washte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/dc4da7/32.png) [@Washte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washte)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-tacky-or-is-it-just-me/141991/20 "2002-12-11T18:00:28Z")
Combining traditional manger scenes with comercialisms (Santa, Frosty, Rudolf, etc) is a major no-no IMHO. Don’t get me wrong, though. I love Rudolf and Frosty (not keen on Santa, or Christmas in general for that matter, sorry) but for goodness sake, choose one or the other. I went _all out_ a few years back and bought some cute window sticky things… Eeyore with baubles, Tigger with tinsel, etc… Woo-humbug-hoo [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-tacky-or-is-it-just-me/141991.md?page=2)