Another Christmas-free “Winter Holiday Season” seems to be shaping up nicely. Even the non-denominational Jolly White-Bearded Fat Man in a Red Suit has to watch his speech carefully lest he inadvertently let slip the dread C-word. Employees who greet the public with “Happy Holidays” do so using that brittle smile that says they’re wary of the PC Sensitivity Police concealed behind the nearby potted poinsettias.But not here at Gates of Vienna.
Last year during the Kwanzaa and Hanukkah season I was suffering from a dearth of Christmas. After completing a transaction in the post office I forgot myself for a moment and wished the clerk a merry Christmas. Her eyes lit up, she smiled broadly, and wished me a vigorous merry Christmas in return.
It made me realize that there are plenty of people out there who are hungry for the old ways. So live dangerously: go out on a limb and say the forbidden word. Who but the truly Grinchy could take offense?
In aid of this endeavor I made the little logo shown above. Borrow it if you want to put on your own blog.
Merry Christmas, y’all!
9 comments:
Happy Hanukkah!
Shanah -- Happy Hanukkah to you, too! (if it's OK for a goy to say that.)
Bill -- Yes, I saw that Foamy video last year and this year too. Very amusing.
I'm glad someone came on and put in a good word for Hanukkah since you listed it in with that made-up "holiday" Kwanzaa, a word I'm sure you're permitted to use without all of the pc gendarmes coming after you.
I love Hanukkah. For one thing, I love blue. For another, the miracle of the oil lamps moves me...and who can resist a dreidel??
Not being Jewish (so far), Hanukkah represents faith over the cold darkness about to descend...Christmas has become so sad for me that Hanukkah is a welcome alternative.
Might have to go find a menorah...
Will do...if I can figure out how.
I'm putting it up, too. Thanks!
A so-called "moderate" Muslim in Australia has this to say about the subject:
But the Islamic-relations forum director, Kuranda Seyit, told The Sunday Mail it was time for Australia to fall in line with places such as the UK, where councils have renamed Christmas "Winterval" and replaced references to Christmas on signage with the words "Festive" and "Winter".
Anger over attack on Christmas
Winterval?
I was looking over the history behind the Hanukkah rememberence and the realization struck me that if there had been no Hanukkah there would have been no Christmas. Because it wasn't just the Temple that was restored, it was in fact the Jewish faith, culture and world that was restored back then too.
As I've thought about it more, the Jewish world around 200BC resembles ours today in the politically correct(read Hellenistic) influences that were destroying the Jewish culture at that time.
I'm putting it on my site- thanks :-)
(no "ritual winter observances," and no "wintervals" for moi !!!)
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