(December 13, 2012 at 1:41 pm)Rayaan Wrote: The Christmas bit in the OP reminded me of some Muslims who devise fatwas on why Muslims shouldn't say "Merry Christmas" to anyone. But to me, it's almost the same as saying "Happy Birthday," "Happy Mother's Day," "Happy New Year" and so on.
The important thing to understand is that people have different reasons for celebrating Christmas and the same applies to saying "Merry Christmas" (depending on whatever their beliefs are). Some atheists, for example, I think celebrate Christmas only as a cultural/social part of their lives, i.e. as a chance to meet each other, have parties, drink, dance, go outside, etc. That's why they are not against saying the phrase "Merry Christmas" either.
Today, Christmas is not exclusively a religious holiday although I do believe that it was originally a religious (and possibly a pagan) holiday as opposed to a cultural one.
Most importent of all, everyone defines what is "christmasy" for themselves. To me it sounds not just intrusive and rude but almoust authoritarian to tell people who they should name their holiday, how they should great people on that holiday and how to celebrate their holiday.
When I hear this people speak it remindes me of a german comedy scetch from the 1950s in which the east german way of "in a friendly way" forcing it`s people to celebrate the first of may (workers day) is parodied.
