# K-Mart And Walmart Says "Christmas Shopping" In Commercials **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 18, 2009, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/k-mart-and-walmart-says-christmas-shopping-in-commercials/517983 "2009-11-18T01:19:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/k-mart-and-walmart-says-christmas-shopping-in-commercials/517983/21 "2009-11-18T16:07:55Z")
Meh. I’m an atheist Jew and I celebrate Christmas. “The holidays” refers to the whole holiday season, from Thanksgiving to New Year’s. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/k-mart-and-walmart-says-christmas-shopping-in-commercials/517983/22 "2009-11-18T16:09:59Z")
Just put up a Festivus Pole and call it a day. Call me when they have a Festivus sale/special. Kudos to the marketing team at GiantCo who manages to squeeze that one in. They’ll have my business! ---
**Author:** ![dhkendall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a9adbd/32.png) [@dhkendall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dhkendall)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/k-mart-and-walmart-says-christmas-shopping-in-commercials/517983/23 "2009-11-18T16:14:26Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > Well it drives me crazy that a Christian will be offended by the secularization of Christmas, while at the same time celebrating it in a completely secular way. How does it honor Christ by putting a pine tree in your living room and running up your credit card balance buying plastic shit made in China? You obviously haven’t read your Bible closely. From Mark 17: 24 Ye shall honour the occassion of my birth by placing a pine tree in the living room. 25 And thou shalt decorate it with lights, tinsel, and ornaments that your kid made in school, 26 and thou shalt put an angel atop it, for hast thou not heard the joke about the angel with a tree shoved up its ass? 27 Thou shalt place under the tree all manner of gifts, wrapped in carefully chosen paper that will not be noticed. 28 And thou shalt spend ridiculous amounts of money on buying presents for others. (Your Aunt Sally said she wants the latest Stephen King book). 29 This is how My Name will be honoured throughout the ages. > [@Sigmagirl](#): > > What bothers me is when they lump everything together as “the holidays” when you know perfectly well what they mean. Every day some co-worker asks “Are you ready for the holidays?” in a sickly sweet voice. Which holiday, [Wear a Plunger on Your Head Day?](http://browse.postcards.org/postcards/cards/0353/) Yes, that’s December 18, and I no, haven’t decorated my plunger yet. If you mean Christmas, say fucking Christmas. Oh crap, I’m glad you reminded me, I _completely_ forgot! I haven’t bought a single Plunger gift yet! And the sad thing is, I’ve been hearing Plunger carols on the radio for a week now and it still never occurred to me before! :smack: Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/k-mart-and-walmart-says-christmas-shopping-in-commercials/517983/24 "2009-11-18T16:14:33Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > I noticed that K-Mart and Walmart were both saying “Christmas shopping” as in “Your Christmas Shopping needs.” > > I always thought they said “Holiday shopping” in the past. Is this wrong? Or did they actually change it? They can call it Christmas shopping, they can call it holiday shopping, who cares? Both terms are wrong. Everyone knows it’s winter solstice shopping. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/k-mart-and-walmart-says-christmas-shopping-in-commercials/517983/25 "2009-11-18T16:25:58Z")
For all the crew on the HMS Camden Lock Happy Shoe Giving. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/k-mart-and-walmart-says-christmas-shopping-in-commercials/517983/26 "2009-11-18T17:52:27Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > Well it drives me crazy that a Christian will be offended by the secularization of Christmas, while at the same time celebrating it in a completely secular way. How does it honor Christ by putting a pine tree in your living room and running up your credit card balance buying plastic shit made in China? “You will plant the tree of pine in your abode,” says the LORD. And the LORD will be pleased if you decorate it in a shiny fashion. He will destroy those who say the word “holiday”, and make unto them a desolate wasteland, parched like a desert. And gifts shall be given, even unto those who do not want gifts, and say “enough already with the plastic crap from China” (Zephaniah 2:12-15 NLT) eta Shakes fist at **dhkendall** ---
**Author:** ![dhkendall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a9adbd/32.png) [@dhkendall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dhkendall)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/k-mart-and-walmart-says-christmas-shopping-in-commercials/517983/27 "2009-11-18T18:30:34Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > “You will plant the tree of pine in your abode,” says the LORD. And the LORD will be pleased if you decorate it in a shiny fashion. He will destroy those who say the word “holiday”, and make unto them a desolate wasteland, parched like a desert. And gifts shall be given, even unto those who do not want gifts, and say “enough already with the plastic crap from China” (Zephaniah 2:12-15 NLT) > > eta Shakes fist at **dhkendall** 😃 No sweat, I quoted New Testament, you quote Old (and covered the “crap from China” thing) 'Tis all good. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![NinjaChick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@NinjaChick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinjaChick)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/k-mart-and-walmart-says-christmas-shopping-in-commercials/517983/28 "2009-11-19T00:56:17Z")
Call it whatever the hell you want. The honest advertising copy would refer to “the obnoxious, horrible, utterly intolerable dark cold part of the year where you are for some reason obligated to buy people you don’t really like cheap plastic goods made by slave labor, because a long time ago some people spun this story about God getting a woman knocked up and everyone has to celebrate his birthday or else bad things will happen, and to get the pagans on board we decided to do some tree thing and write a ton of really appalling ‘music’, whether you believe this story or not, because Society Says So.” I’m going to go hide in a cave from now until sometime in January. Bah, humbug. (In case it wasn’t obvious, this Jewish-raised, completely irreligious atheist _loathes_ pretty much everything about this time of year no matter what you call it.) ---
**Author:** ![Mindfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindfield/32/19759_2.png) [@Mindfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mindfield)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/k-mart-and-walmart-says-christmas-shopping-in-commercials/517983/29 "2009-11-19T01:29:27Z")
> [@NinjaChick](#): > > Call it whatever the hell you want. The honest advertising copy would refer to “the obnoxious, horrible, utterly intolerable dark cold part of the year where you are for some reason obligated to buy people you don’t really like cheap plastic goods made by slave labor, because a long time ago some people spun this story about God getting a woman knocked up and everyone has to celebrate his birthday or else bad things will happen, and to get the pagans on board we decided to do some tree thing and write a ton of really appalling ‘music’, whether you believe this story or not, because Society Says So.” > > I’m going to go hide in a cave from now until sometime in January. Bah, humbug. > > (In case it wasn’t obvious, this Jewish-raised, completely irreligious atheist _loathes_ pretty much everything about this time of year no matter what you call it.) _Someone’s_ getting coal in their stocking this year. Me, I love Christmas. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/k-mart-and-walmart-says-christmas-shopping-in-commercials/517983/30 "2009-11-19T02:55:03Z")
> [@badbadrubberpiggy](#): > > If I say “I’ll do X after the holidays” I mean I’ll do it after Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years when I actually have time to relax. The phrase “the holidays” wasn’t invented recently by people who don’t want to mention Christmas, it’s been around for quite a long time now. Yep. The whole fuss is so futile and dumb I just can’t stand it. Who the heck cares? (And, I like my Christmases very religious, which is why I stay away from the stores as much as humanly possible, and thus avoid the whole stupid fuss. But I _also_ like as much folklore and tradition-encrusted legend as I can fit in. Only not Santa, he doesn’t count.) ---
**Author:** ![Jamaika\_a\_jamaikaiake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7993a0/32.png) [@Jamaika\_a\_jamaikaiake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jamaika_a_jamaikaiake)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/k-mart-and-walmart-says-christmas-shopping-in-commercials/517983/31 "2009-11-19T03:26:22Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > Well it drives me crazy that a Christian will be offended by the secularization of Christmas, while at the same time celebrating it in a completely secular way. How does it honor Christ by putting a pine tree in your living room and running up your credit card balance buying plastic shit made in China? I know it’s cliche on the dope to be the exception, but I’m a Christian who actually doesn’t like the gift-giving custom\*. It’s a perfectly reasonable family/religious holiday without the consumerism. I also don’t like the Santa Claus myth. But why should a Christian care about seasonal decorations? \*However, everyone around me takes part in the custom, so I’d be the relatively stingy one if I didn’t comply. ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/k-mart-and-walmart-says-christmas-shopping-in-commercials/517983/32 "2009-11-19T03:58:53Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Yeah, but hearing silly things like “holiday tree,” “holiday lights,” and “holiday presents” gets a bit annoying. I never ever hear this outside of War on Christmas discussions. > [@Odesio](#): > > I’m an atheist and I get annoyed with the use of holiday sometimes. It’s not something that really sets me off though and it’s not as if I make a decision based on who uses holiday vs. who uses Christmas. “Holiday” has been used for decades. ---
**Author:** ![Epimetheus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c4cdca/32.png) [@Epimetheus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Epimetheus)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/k-mart-and-walmart-says-christmas-shopping-in-commercials/517983/33 "2009-11-19T04:01:16Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > Thus The War Against Atheism begins! Next I expect that I’ll be required to put a nativity scene in my garden. It isn’t Atheism. There are actual… you know, religions out there other than Christianity. Like Judaism. :rolleyes: (hint: they all celebrate something around this time of year.. hence the “multiple” holidays.) ---
**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:** [November 19, 2009, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/k-mart-and-walmart-says-christmas-shopping-in-commercials/517983/34 "2009-11-19T04:03:36Z")
What about New Years? That’s a holiday. It’s not being “PC” to mention that as in “Happy Holidays” to include New Years! (At least, that’s what I always thought it meant growing up) ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/k-mart-and-walmart-says-christmas-shopping-in-commercials/517983/35 "2009-11-19T13:46:20Z")
Yes, I agree that “the holidays” refer to everything between and including Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day and even through Epiphany, but what I object to, like **Leaffan** , is when people are specifically talking about Christmas and won’t say Christmas. I watch QVC now and then (don’t you judge me! I like to look at jewelry!) and they will sell sweaters with Santa on them and pre-lit trees and _actual manger scenes_ and and they _still won’t say Christmas_. They’ll offer guaranteed delivery for gift-giving by December 24 “for the holiday.” Wink, wink, nudge nudge. ---
**Author:** ![jali](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecae2f/32.png) [@jali](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jali)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/k-mart-and-walmart-says-christmas-shopping-in-commercials/517983/36 "2009-11-19T14:54:59Z")
Song lyric: [http://www.worldofchristmas.net/christmas-carols/the-holiday-season.html](http://www.worldofchristmas.net/christmas-carols/the-holiday-season.html) It was sung in the film \*\*Holiday Inn \*\*in 1942. “Happy Holidays” is nothing new. If I say the phrase, that’s exactly what I mean. I mean Kwanzaa, Christmas, Chanukah, Winter Solstice and Festivus and New Years Day. I"ll say “On Christmas Day” if I mean just one of the many holidays celebrated during the season. Christmas is just one day. Chanukah and Kwanzaa last much longer and by saying “holidays” (plural) I am being all inclusive since my friends and family seem to celebrate all of these it’s easier than sorting out each holiday for each loved one. Jeesh.(heh-heh-heh) ---
**Author:** ![Death\_of\_Rats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a6a055/32.png) [@Death\_of\_Rats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Death_of_Rats)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/k-mart-and-walmart-says-christmas-shopping-in-commercials/517983/37 "2009-11-19T15:01:13Z")
> [@Mindfield](#): > > The whole War on Christmas thing was and is idiotic. I’m an atheist. I’ve _always_ said Christmas. It’s just what it’s always been. Neutering as a bow to so-called political correctness is retarded. The holiday has no religious connotations to me – I choose to celebrate what it means from a social perspective. But I’m not going to start calling it by some neutral name. If an atheist is offended by it, they need to book an appointment with a proctologist for an emergency arborectomy. Anyone who is of a religion that doesn’t celebrate Christmas isn’t going to give a damn. The point was not to take _away_ Christmas, but to _include_ those people who celebrate Chunnakah and Kwannza during the same time period. It is only the petty-minded theocrats who want to force Christian belief on everyone else who frame it the other way. ---
**Author:** ![shiftless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@shiftless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shiftless)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/k-mart-and-walmart-says-christmas-shopping-in-commercials/517983/38 "2009-11-19T15:05:58Z")
I am not a believer and I say “Merry Christmas” all the time - but not until December. On this my faith is very strong. Christmas is only one day, the “holidays” last much longer. The retailers would like for us all to start our “holiday shopping” in early September - it’s a little harder to sell the idea of Christmas shopping when we all know that Christmas is months away. With the word “holiday” the retailers are also trying to get everyone onto the buying train. So I welcome the idea of stores using the phrase “Christmas shopping.” It seems slightly less manipulative. Personally, I like to celebrate Saturnalia in late December but my kids like to celebrate the holiday that involves getting lots and lots of gifts. ---
**Author:** ![Pray\_for\_peace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Pray\_for\_peace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pray_for_peace)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/k-mart-and-walmart-says-christmas-shopping-in-commercials/517983/39 "2009-11-19T16:01:30Z")
In my family, Christmas Eve and Christmas are equally important, and we also have a large family get-together on the day after Christmas. We also celebrate New Year’s Eve and New Year’s day in certain ways. When I refer to the holidays, though, I am trying to be inclusive and not assume that other people celebrate near the end of the year in a particular way. I hope that “holidays” is generic and inclusive enough that it is not an offensive term to those who do not celebrate around the end of the year. ---
**Author:** ![tumbleddown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tumbleddown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tumbleddown)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/k-mart-and-walmart-says-christmas-shopping-in-commercials/517983/40 "2009-11-19T17:27:26Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > Well it drives me crazy that a Christian will be offended by the secularization of Christmas, while at the same time celebrating it in a completely secular way. How does it honor Christ by putting a pine tree in your living room and running up your credit card balance buying plastic shit made in China? Oh dear gracious, don’t confound them with your earth logic. > [@Epimetheus](#): > > It isn’t Atheism. There are actual… you know, religions out there other than Christianity. Like Judaism. :rolleyes: (hint: they all celebrate something around this time of year.. hence the “multiple” holidays.) Bingo, we have a winner! I won’t be going to WalMart (I shouldn’t anyway) any time before January at this point, because I’m done in by the continual Christmas bleating. Points to The Gap (not that I shop there either) for recognizing that not everyone does Christmas in their big ad that’s getting lots of play right now. I don’t understand why people who are so keen to embrace and celebrate diversity every other time of the year suddenly don’t give a damn about minority religions when it’s time for trees and stupid songs about sleigh rides and snowmen. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/k-mart-and-walmart-says-christmas-shopping-in-commercials/517983.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/k-mart-and-walmart-says-christmas-shopping-in-commercials/517983.md?page=3)