Friday, December 28, 2012

Happy Upcoming Winter/Spring/Summer/Fall

The Bag Lady has been ignoring her blog a little - she has no real excuse except to say that she's been a little busy (or lazy, take your pick.)

She hopes everyone had a lovely holiday, whether you celebrate Christmas or something else. The controversy over whether to wish people Merry Christmas has been annoying her a little this season. A man in Saskatchewan created a tempest over the "Merry Christmas" greeting displayed on buses in Saskatoon. The Bag Lady thinks he just wanted to get his name in the news, but wonders how many people actually think it's a valid argument. He says that municipal taxes should not pay for the greeting. Says that he is an atheist and does not believe in Christmas, and also that other holidays belonging to other faiths should be given equal time.

The Bag Lady has given this much thought. Her response to this man goes something like this:

If you take into account the fact that the majority of the people who settled this country were Christians, and that their descendants are still living in this country, and that "Christmas" is the holiday that falls on December 25th, and that that is the reason you don't have to go to work on that day, shut the hell up and, if you don't like the idea of the Christmas season in this country, go elsewhere.

Hmmm, the Bag Lady needs to work on her diplomacy skills.

She also wonders how long it will be before someone complains about saying Happy New Year.

In other news, it has been extremely cold in the Bag Lady's neck of the woods, which may be contributing to her crankiness. But it is supposed to warm up today, so she is thinking seriously of venturing further than the barn and pasture (where her chores take her on a daily basis). She may even make it as far as the post office to see if there is anything exciting there!

She hopes your holiday season was filled with joy, and that the new year will bring you much happiness and prosperity.

8 comments:

Leah J. Utas said...

Diplomacy is overrated. I never use it myself.
I figure if you don't like Christmas go to work on Dec. 25th.

I wish you the most bestliest of the season and an uncompromisingly fascinating New Year.

Reb said...

I am sure that he never volunteers to work on Christmas day or through any of the Christian holidays at his job. He probably figures that if others get the day off, so should he.

Wishing you the best of everything in the New Year.

solarity said...

I'll complain about Happy New Year, if you like. To me, it's so obviously not the time that the year changes, that when I was four I simply refused to believe my mother when she tried to explain the calendar to me, and later, in school, when I found out when the Jewish new year is, I said to her "I told you so!"

The social predominance of "Merry Christmas" reminds me of a time when I, a non-Christian theist, and my Hebrew teacher, not only a Jew but an Israeli, rather hesitantly wished each other Merry Christmas, since it was two weeks too late to say Happy Hanukah.

Mary Anne in Kentucky

the Bag Lady said...

Thank you cousin - right back atcha!

Reb - you're probably right! And the same to you.

Mary Anne - I understand your reasoning. Why does the year change right in the middle of the nasty season?
As far as non-Christian's wishing each other Merry Christmas - I see nothing wrong with that. We have some friends who are of a different faith, but they put up a tree, buy gifts for their child, have her picture taken with Santa - they are trying to assimilate into our culture. It takes nothing away from either religion, as far as I can see.

messymimi said...

Some people celebrate a totally secular Christmas -- it has everything to do with the made up Santa Claus. So you can view it however you wish.

Enjoy the holidays, whatever you celebrate, and you can thank Julius Caesar for moving the New Year from March, when it used to be, logically, at the spring and new growth, to January for the two-faced god Janus, who looks forward into the future and back into the past at the same time.

the Bag Lady said...

That danged Caesar!
On the other hand, if we had stuck with the Roman calendar, we would never know the date!

Geosomin said...

yeah, the guy here in Saskatoon pretty much got mocked out for the whole not wanting the city buses to say merry christmas. He seemed to be the only one bothered by it. The city offered to put hanukah and other holidays on the buses too...that shut him up pretty quick.
I work in a multicultural place where most of the people are not from north america and probably only a third celebrate christmas, but everyone is fine with the holiday wishes. Everyone still gets the day off. Noone there minds. It's not like saying merry christmas is offensive...if you don't believe in it, you simply take the good wishes as they're meant by someone who does, or at least celebrates the day.

I went on a rant a while ago after a local person wrote an article and complained that coming out to their family before holidays about being athiest was so hard and oppressive and they compared being an athiest in the holiday season it to coming out as a gay or bisexual person...and...yeah. I ranted. Then I calmed down.
In the end -mutual respect. That's what it comes down to if you ask me. Don't insult others for their beliefs and just get on with it. You can worship charlie the festivus chicken man in January if you want to. More power to ya. If there's cake involved all the better :)

Merry Christmas :)

MIzCarla said...

BACK AT YOU BL
Back at you.