Happy Holidays

[MaryMagdaline]

I used to like sending holiday cards and until recent years I would carefully divide the cards:
1. Observant catholic friends - or Lutheran friends send beautiful nativity or annunciation scene rendered by famous artist. My favorite cards: Caspari
2. Non-observant tasteful friends: beautiful holley or Christmas tree theme (Caspari again)
3. Santa Clause crazy friends - the hardest to get for ... usually grouped those in with 3 because a lot of Santa clause stuff is just tacky
4 observant Jewish friends: skyline of Jerusalem; Menorahs. Dredels if desperate.
5 Non observant Jewish friends: happy holiday cards, wintery season ... not too goyishy but will sometimes send a card with holley or something almost to the line of Christmas

Growing up in Georgia I was well aware that Baptists and Evangelicals disdained highly religious themes that looked too Catholic. That was in the days when only Catholics would wear crosses. Evangelicals and Catholics are so mixed now that I see baptists trying to outdo Catholics with the tacky blow up nativity scenes.

It has occurred to me over the years that it does not take that much effort to customize the holiday greetings in order to please your friends and it actually feels good to do so. That's the good holiday feeling.

The evil holiday thought occurs to me that all these Evangelical sects were hellbent on killing Christmas for generations and at one time it was illegal in the colonies. Catholics Lutherans and orthodox kept it alive. As I found out when spending Christmas in north Georgia, many Protestants don't even go to church on Christmas Day. Next time someone says "keep Christ in Christmas, ask them what time services are held at their church on christmas morning so you can join them.

[Angry Dragon]

1. Happy Birthday and Drunken Brawl

[BigmanPigman]

2. "Happy Festivus" covers everyone on my holiday card list.

[MaryMagdaline]

3. That works!

[guillaumeb]

4. Most of the colonies were intolerant of Catholics.

My own holiday practice is to repeat back whatever holiday greeting I receive from people.

[MaryMagdaline]

5. Good practice

I just received a card from one of my RW cousins, whom I had to block on Facebook. His wife addressed it with "Merry Christ(oops)mas," just to make a case for how persecuted they are. He is one of my older cousins; we did not grow up together; I have NEVER received a Christmas card from him; and it was a tacky winter scene you might get from your dentist. The "oops" thing managed to sting me because I revere Christ as a prophet and it is like defacing the Lincoln Memorial. Going to get the most kickass Annunciation card, Italian-style with biblical verse and send to them.
I love Christian iconography and if they want CHRIST, I will definitely bring it.

[guillaumeb]

6. That is looking for an argument on their part.

And it is pointless.

[Mariana]

7. Imagine if everyone did that.

No one would ever give a holiday greeting to a stranger again. Everyone would be waiting for everyone else to mention some holiday first.