Why do conservatives get so Grinchy around Christmas?

[progressive85]

Every year, I hear the same thing...this "war on Christmas" nonsense.  I'm not seeing any war on Christmas at all.... Can't they stop politicizing this holiday?

"Happy Holidays" and "Seasons Greetings" have been used since I could remember.  I was born in 1985 so I guess the secular progressives destroyed Christmas by the time I was born, but weren't these expressions used before the 90s?  Still, I don't see what's so bad about saying this.... Get over it, Bill O'Reilly.

This year its the "White Santa" controversy.  Of course Santa's white... I have yet to see a black or Asian Santa...but why make this into a big thing?

[anvi]

They're conservatives...so, same reason as always. 

I've seen lots of Black and Asian Santas. 

[Link]

Why do conservatives get so Grinchy around Christmas?

When you are fuming about people saying "Happy Holidays" you aren't paying attention to Congressmen and Senators giving tax breaks to millionaires like O'Reilly.

[minionofmidas]

Santa is Middle Eastern.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Santa is Middle Eastern.

[minionofmidas]

Santa is Middle Eastern.

But (very probably) unlike his ancestors and (fairly probably) unlike his descendants, he spoke your language and worshipped the Byzantine Emperor. I guess it's something.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Because I'm home for the holidays and not used to being around my immediate family this much or being as bored as I am right now.

But that answer's only relevant to this year. It's largely the media alarmists that want folks upset and cantankerous on my side that either are Grinchy or are making others Grinchy. For the record, I think Black Santa sounds like a cool guy--Asian Santa might too--and I fully support a Festivus Pole on government lawns. I'm trying to convince my family to get one, though I think my mother will put the kabash on that. People making a big deal about Santa's ethnicity don't seem to realize the commonplaceness of adapting cultural figures to the ethnic terrain. Of course there are going to be Black Santas and Korean Jesuses. That said, is it an objectively good thing? Who know? I certainly am not going to begrudge different sections of the world their own Jesus. I don't have the time or the money to go down to Africa and complain how their Jesus is black when mine is white.

[Link]

I don't have the time or the money to go down to Africa and complain how their Jesus is black when mine is white.

Is "black Jesus" an African thing? I've never seen a "black Jesus" in Africa... or anywhere outside of America.

Honestly I really wonder why anyone would care what color Jesus or Santa is.  If someone wants to change it around a bit I don't care.  After all most European and American pictures of Jesus are 100% contradictory to the scripture that they claim they hold so dear.

[Mr. Illini]

They fear that they will be persecuted as our society secularizes. While it is a genuine concern, they are, as they do on many things, acting irrationally and reactionary.

I am a practicing Catholic who celebrates Christmas as the birth of Christ, and I do not feel threatened by the secularized in our society at all. In fact, I even say "Have a happy holiday" because I have the common decency to realize that not everyone practices my religion and may be celebrating something different.

[Cassius]

They fear that they will be persecuted as our society secularizes. While it is a genuine concern, they are, as they do on many things, acting irrationally and reactionary.

I am a practicing Catholic who celebrates Christmas as the birth of Christ, and I do not feel threatened by the secularized in our society at all. In fact, I even say "Have a happy holiday" because I have the common decency to realize that not everyone practices my religion and may be celebrating something different.

So, by recognising that everybody is different, you come to the conclusion that it is wrong for you to express your difference by saying 'merry Christmas'.

[Edu]

Is this just an american thing?
Here we alternately say "Felices Fiestas" (the equivalent of Happy Holidays) and "Feliz Navidad" (Merry Christmas) and no one seems to make a fuss about it.

[old timey villain]

Is this just an american thing?
Here we alternately say "Felices Fiestas" (the equivalent of Happy Holidays) and "Feliz Navidad" (Merry Christmas) and no one seems to make a fuss about it.

I think Argentina is more homogenous in terms of religion. Isn't almost everyone Roman Catholic in practice or culture? America has more religious diversity, and many of those faiths celebrate different holidays around the same time.

But still, the majority of Americans are Christian and celebrate Christmas. And even those who don't probably wouldn't care if you said "Merry Christmas" to them. It's really not a big deal. People like Bill O'Reilly find a few isolated incidents where people complain about overt Christian overtones in a public setting and turn it into a "war on Christmas. " It's just a way to get ratings.

[IceSpear]

FOX News/Limbaugh manipulation. "War on Christmas" gets viewers/listeners.

[Edu]

Is this just an american thing?
Here we alternately say "Felices Fiestas" (the equivalent of Happy Holidays) and "Feliz Navidad" (Merry Christmas) and no one seems to make a fuss about it.

I think Argentina is more homogenous in terms of religion. Isn't almost everyone Roman Catholic in practice or culture? America has more religious diversity, and many of those faiths celebrate different holidays around the same time.

But still, the majority of Americans are Christian and celebrate Christmas. And even those who don't probably wouldn't care if you said "Merry Christmas" to them. It's really not a big deal. People like Bill O'Reilly find a few isolated incidents where people complain about overt Christian overtones in a public setting and turn it into a "war on Christmas. " It's just a way to get ratings.

I'm looking at Wikipedia, so correct me if I'm wrong, but it appears that the USA has a larger nominally christian population than Argentina. of course since a huge majority of the people here don't really practice religion, it's pretty hard to make estimates. Yeah, lots of people identify as culturally catholic (whatever that means) while never going to church in their lives.

Yes, I know that most people aren't probably complaining about it in their daily lives, but around this time there appears to be some sort of media fueled frenzy about it, or maybe you are correct and that extremely small minority that complains about this just shouts louder
Anyway, I was just curious.

[Nhoj]

Santa is Middle Eastern.

But (very probably) unlike his ancestors and (fairly probably) unlike his descendants, he spoke your language and worshipped the Byzantine Emperor. I guess it's something.

Well his descendants would probably also be offended at being called middle eastern. even if they are.