# SOCAS purists: should Christmas be a public holiday? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [December 25, 2002, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/socas-purists-should-christmas-be-a-public-holiday/144814 "2002-12-25T04:12:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 2\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![David\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/51bf81/32.png) [@David\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_B)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2002, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/socas-purists-should-christmas-be-a-public-holiday/144814/21 "2002-12-27T03:01:41Z")
sqweels asked: > [@](#): > > How is it “crap”, David that Christmas is becoming seularized? That statement was, of course, part of a larger message (yes, I know, I was the one who took it out of my own context). The main point was, as I said above, that Christmas “is governmental recognition of a specific religious holiday.” The big about secularization was only a pre-emptive statement for those who would claim that it’s not really governmental recognition of a religious holiday because it’s “becoming secularized.” That is the part that is crap. CHRISTmas is about the birthday of Christ. If it weren’t, it never would have been made a holiday. It wasn’t made a holiday to give presents, or to observe the solstice, or to celebrate Santa. It was made a holiday in honor of Christ. It is a religious holiday and it is unconstitutionally recognized by the government. But, as I also indicated, there are bigger battles to be fought right now… Incidentally, in reference to another statement you made: > [@](#): > > The fact that it is increasingly referred to generically as “holiday” shows that this process continues. You have it wrong. The reason people generically refer to “holiday” is because these days you never know what somebody celebrates and you don’t want to offend people (the generic “you,” of course). So rather than saying “Merry Christmas” to somebody who might not celebrate Christmas, you say “Happy Holidays” instead. But often when people say “holiday,” it’s just putting a mask over the true issue. For example, at my work they have a “holiday party.” But anybody who is looking at it can see it’s a Christmas party. They just say “Holiday” instead of “Christmas” to be a bit more politically correct – even though they don’t really mean it. ---
**Author:** ![Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2002, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/socas-purists-should-christmas-be-a-public-holiday/144814/22 "2002-12-27T04:05:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Diogenes the Cynic \* > \*\*I think Xmas should not be a federal holiday and that “In God we trust” should be taken off the currency. \*\* I agree. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/socas-purists-should-christmas-be-a-public-holiday/144814.md?page=1)