Happy Holidays, My Arse

[shanmonster]

So we've got a whole wack of folks who are pissed right the hell off because people who work with the public are saying "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas." They claim it is discrimination against Christians.

I say bollocks, and not because of the usual reasons. Yeah, yeah. I know about Yule and Kwanzaa and Hanukkah and all that jazz. What does holiday mean, anyhow? It's simple. "Holiday" is naught but a short form for Holy Day, of course. So when someone says "Happy Holidays," they're assuming you have some sort of reverence for this time of year.

As an agnostic/secular humanist, I object to referring to this time of year as being holy. It's not holy. It's just fucking cold (unless you're in Australia, in which case it's too fucking hot)!

Really, wouldn't we be better off saying, "Happy end of December?"

But then, I have problems with that, too. Why is this month called December when it's the twelfth month rather than the tenth one? Someone ought to get onto renaming this month, stat.

Comments

[sageincave.livejournal.com]

I say "have a good Christmas", because hopefully everyone has that day off and can enjoy it, whether they are Christian or not.

I make a point of saying "Happy Yule/Solstice" to huffy, and not-so-huffy pagans of my acquaintance.

[shmuel.livejournal.com]

But then, I have problems with that, too. Why is this month called December when it's the twelfth month rather than the tenth one? Someone ought to get onto renaming this month, stat.

The Roman calendar originally had only ten months, starting with March--spring traditionally being the start of the year--and ending in December. The winter simply wasn't counted. Eventually, the winter period was included, becoming January and February. The names of the existing months remained the same, which is why September through December are now off by two.

Not that the question wasn't rhetorical. :-)

Huh...I heard different.

[abraxasrutrem.livejournal.com]

The months used to be longer than they are now. 36 days long. (Originally the Romans divided the year into ten equal months)

Julius Ceasar stole a few days from each month and created a month for himself and set it in the prettiest time of the year (July) and then his nephew, Augustas (August), did the same during his reign a few years later.

Huh...something to look into.

Re: Huh...I heard different.

[shmuel.livejournal.com]

Nope. The months now known as July and August -- which were indeed named for Julius and Augustus -- had previously been known as Quintilis and Sextilis, or months 5 & 6. See the footnote at Infoplease (http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0002067.html) (confession of bias: I work at that site), or the essay at the Encyclopedia Romana (http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/calendar/romancalendar.html) , or the relevant entry at Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_calendar).

(Month lengths have generally originated with the lunar cycle, though later adjustments were made to bring them in line with the solar year; a 36-day month wouldn't have any particular natural basis.)

Far out

[abraxasrutrem.livejournal.com]

lol...I had JUST gotten to wikipedia when your reply came in.

I rememebr my teacher in Junior High telling me this (RE: my reply) and I always took it at face value even though I knew about lunar cycle calenders.

Thank you!

[starsorstreet.livejournal.com]

Ah, the hilarity. Happy 12th-month-o-the-year.

I usually say nothing unless someone says it first. Then I respond with whatever holiday/lack thereof they have specified. If I say anything however it's usually happy holidays.

[chadnfrood.livejournal.com]

I'm OK with anyone wishing me a happy whatever. I need all the well-wishing I can get. And here's to fewer blackouts, creepy backrubs, and STDs in 2007!

[redlyra.livejournal.com]

See, I agree with you on the December thing. I also think that OCTOBER should be the eight month..which, apparently, it once was...so, why are January and February 11, and 12?????

Gree...

[thebluestar98.livejournal.com]

*giggle*

we shouldn't call it a "day" either, what about "when the sun is in the sky"?!?!

i am ambivalent to which preference people hold in wishing you well, as long as they wish you well sincerely.

I tell you, no matter what you do, or how nice and politically correct you try to be, you are ALWAYS going to piss SOMEONE [or some group] off. it is impossible to win at that.

screw everyone! and i mean that sincerely! ;)

[phil-in-a-box.livejournal.com]

I'm glad someone else brought up the fact that "holiday" means "holy day." For a while now it's bothered me that we have "national holidays" related to events or historical figures in the US. I don't think there's anything holy about our government's doings, past or present.

[sorceror.livejournal.com]

Really, wouldn't we be better off saying, "Happy end of December?"

Butif we did that, next year the World Serpent might actually eat the sun.

And then where would we be?

[daughty.livejournal.com]

Phew. I am waiting for the über-political correctness to hit Europe...