OK - Can't Santa even say

[TrepMan]

OK with all our "adult" discussions about religion, ethinicity and such, I just HAD to tell you about something that completely CONFUSED me this week. Remember i'm down in Disney with the family (yes, brought my PC had to do one conf. call this morning, but was OK as they presented me and a team with a small cash award!!). Monday night we were at MGM Studios and the kids wanted to watch the "Holiday" parade. Cool, no problems. Fully expected to see all the disney characters in christmas gear, come on the parks are ALL done up with HUGE Christmas trees, carrolers singing REAL Christmas songs... But not to leave out those of us of non-Christmas persuation they did at each park have Kwanza and Hannukah stories, presentations, items.... and so on....



Well, they keep at MGM announcing before and during the Holiday parade that there would be a "SPECIAL VISITOR" at the end of the parade...Now doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out they'd have Santa. Sure enough there he comes down the road after all the usual characters ( in christmas colors and such, and I am waiting as Santa starts speaking through his microphone and says "Happy Holidays to all!!"...WHAT??? Did I hear that right??? Santa Claus saying "Happy Holidays???" NOT a SINGLE "Merry Christmas!!"???? OK that I think went WAY too far left for me. If they are having Santa he MUST say Merry Christmas, I mean Hannukah does NOT have a Santa and neither does Kwanza, so why??? OK I know, to be "politicaly correct" and respect the "feelings" of folks who do not celebrate Christmas...BUT then do NOT put Santa in there!!!



OK got that off my chest, now having a cold beer and some chili! Heading back to Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom with the family tomorrow.



Oh, and best evening show so far - MGM Fantasmic!! It ROCKS!! And took the kids to Gator land today, they had a 1/2 day great time and we met Bubba Claus, Santa's Cousin!!! LOL



Trep

 

[William H. (Bill) Barham]

Trep, So Santa says, "Ho Ho Ho, Happy Holidays?" instead of "Ho Ho Ho, Merry Christmas"?

 

[Mark Hofman]

Just remember....



there are only three more shopping days until Holiday.



(from Saturday Night Live)

 

[Rich D]

Yeah, that is a bit extreme. I guess he is no longer Father Christmas, but Father Holiday...



Rich D

 

[Bruce Freeman]

I think being PC is BS. I stopped half way through. That is BS, If you are going to have a Santa then he should say Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year or happy holidays. Not to exclude anybody, fine. But if you have a Santa?? If you must shoot me for this I just ask you let Carlos take the first shot.................

BF

P.S Where is that troll I need something to hit....again and again and again

 

[Tim m]

Glad you and your family made it back safely Trep...Going to install the JP this coming week.but going to do some serious lineside fishing this week also

 

[JR F]

HO HO HO...Now are you happy..Be careful where you say that .....could get you knived or busted....JR

 

[Rusty Williams]

Ho Ho Ho Merry Holiday and a Happy Holiday Year...

RW

 

[TOMMY RICH]

hehe...he said,"HO"!:lol:

 

[Bill McElroy]

"Hoe, Hoe, HOE!!,....Foe-tay Dolla??!!...What you 'talkin' Bout Hoe??!"

 

[TOMMY RICH]

I know Darla knows the word, "Dictate"

 

[Tony Payne]

1) Santa is not 'Real'... repeat... Santa is not real. He is, and has been for the most recent history a marketing enigma associated with the holiday season. As such, he is free to say what he sees fit.... After all, it's just an actor in a suit doing the lines taht he has been told to do.



2) Saint Nicholaus, on whom Santa is based, was real (atleast as far as we know)... but since the legend has it that his gifts showed up "un-announced"... probably didn't say much of anything at all. And while his gift giving is legendary, I somehow missed the part that the gifts were on "Christmas Day" other than in the recent tellings... my bet is that they were 'all the time'.



3) Christmas was origninally "Christ's Mass" where the crhistians all went to church to prey and worship... no gifts, no trees, no nothing... just resepectful prayer and worship. As time went on, they incorporated other 'Pagan' traditions into the festivities so as to get more converts... or more correctly, so that the converts could still do the things they wanted to do. It's even moreso thought that the Christ child was born sometime around October vs the currently traditionalized date of Dec. 25th.



So...



"Merry Christmas" is an abombination in and of itself as to the original intent of the holiday, as is Santa Claus, The Tree and all the rest of the trimmings.



However,



Just like the other traditions were 'wrapped' into Christ's Mass so that MORE folks could celebrate and still hold onto thier traditions, today we have people trying to be more inclusive of those that may not (specifically) see it as a "holy day" but as a 'Holliday" in general.



Face it... Christ's Mass is all about Religion and church, while 'Christmas' is all about family and gift giving... they are not incompatible, but they are not all inclusive either.



I'll be waiting for bubba at recess.....

 

[Christopher Laurencio]

I'll be waiting for bubba at recess..... LMAO @ SIM, that's pretty funny.



Just my point of view, but I think Christmas is / was a Holy day of obligation, then shortly after Christmas comes another Holy Day, which is referred to as the Little Nativity or Three Kings day, I believe that's how gift giving came into place on or around Christmas, Three Kings day is the day when the Three Kings visited Baby Jesus and gave him gifts, that's how the tradition of gift giving started, then somehow or another becuase of the close proximity in time to both days, the gift giving transformed into one day Christmas, most likely to consolidate Holidays. But form what I have been told, the true gift giving day would be the Three Kings day.



I got Sim's back @ recess bubba.



CJL

 

[TOMMY RICH]

The hard truth it's about the Benjamens....has been for about the last 50 years:huh:

 

[Christopher Laurencio]

"Benjamens" HEHE Tee talks like a Jerzey Boy. :lol:

 

[TOMMY RICH]

I thought it was Joyzy

 

[Ken Neeley]

Merry Christmas.



Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit our best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low stress, non-addictive, gender neutral, celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasions and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all . . . . . and a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling, and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2006, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great, (not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country or is the only "AMERICA" in the western hemisphere), and without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith, choice of computer platform, or sexual preference of the wishee.

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[Steve Rizza]

Ken should work for Hallmark.

 

[Aaron Scott2]

Actually, I think Ken writes for the White House.

 

[Jim Brone]

As far as I think I know-

December 25th is the winter solstace for the European country,can't remember which one, that showed their defiance to the harsh winters that kept them indoors until the spring. They had huge indoor celebrations and brought in evergreen trees, which never fade as another sign of their resilliance to the unforgiving winter. (Christmas tree)

Also, during this time, which was called YULE, they burned an enormous log which is said to have burned for 12 days as part of their tradition as well. (Yule Tide,Yule Log)

Santa Claus is a symbol that we use to identify with and convey our gift giving tradition to one another. During this Yule season, they would give gifts to young children too. In celebration of their youth and their newness I believe.

Someone mentioned that the Christians sort of merged with these folks as a way of almost converting them to Christians by using their december 25th day of celebration as their own celebration of rebirth and accepting the date as the date of their saviors birthday. There's not much about our holidays and traditions that remain very close to their origins and purposes. Absolutely, things have been manipulated to benefit merchants and economies and such. But there's nothing wrong with Christmas the way we've always known it. It's a magical time for kids. Atleast those fortunate enough to be able to receive gifts or something their heart desires.

So for me, in a nutshell, Christmas is for kids and I am Santa Claus. But they won't know that until they find out on their own.

To all of you, Christian,Jew,Buddhist,Muslim,Hindu,Native American ,atheist etc. Merry Christmas. It's good to be free in America!

 

[TrepMan]

Bill B - Yup he said "Ho Ho Ho Happy Holidays!"



Tim - Not home yet, one more day in Kissimmee area and driving back on Sat am.



It just surprised me something fierce, they didn't change any of the christmas music/songs or the carolers songs to be anything but Christmas, it was just "Holiday Claus" that was out of character.



Oh and the BEST part is the Sweat Shirt I wear this time of year, I get a LOT of great High Fives and "GREAT SHIRT" for it, been wearing it all over disney this week "OY to the World Happy Hannukah!"

 

[Dan J.]

Trep - Have a great time and be careful coming home with all the "mishugenas" on the highway!! :wacko::lol::wacko: