Happy "Holidays"

This post is 100% fueled by the latest going on in Philly, where the annual "Christmas Village" kept changing names in the past week from "Christmas" to "Holiday" and then executive mayoral order back to "Christmas." For more info, click here.

It's no secret that our country loves to find problems and be offended, and to consequently make everyone else suffer for their offense. People file lawsuits because their coffee is "too hot" or because "eating McDonald's made them fat." I'm sure someone has been offended by my blog, and if I had a job/any money/real success, I'd see some kind of a lawsuit or some group like PETA would make some ridiculous claim about how my blog kills insects.

I choose not to keep up on all of the absurdity of these claims because it makes me angry at what our country has become. Everyone's trying to make a buck off of somebody else for something SO stupid and claiming "psychological damage".

I couldn't ignore this whole "Village" incident however because it happened right in my backyard. I've been to the "Village" before, and it's really not THAT cool, but it's part of the true "holiday season" and has been happening in Philly for the past 3 years. To have to change it because the MINUSCULE minority of people who walk by it everyday is truly "offended" and needs it changed to prevent anymore psychological damage or whatever nonsense they claim. What about the Christmas show in JCPenny Center City? Or the one in the Comcast Center?

Full disclosure: I'm white, Catholic, spent something like 14 years in Catholic school, which if you know anything about kids who go to Catholic school, it means that I'm pretty non-religious because I'm tired of it being beat into me everyday. Or maybe I'm just young. I've got some other thoughts on religion, but I don't think they'll make it to the blog. Ask me in person sometime. Regardless, I celebrate Christmas, so I guess that makes me in the "majority" for this arguments sake.

Christmas is recognized as a national holiday in our country. We're not a Catholic country, but we were founded on their ideals along with religious toleration of everyone. Sure, Christmas does have religious connotations, but, if we are going to be SO extreme, find other holidays that are Catholic related: Valentine's Day (St. Valentine), St. Patrick's Day (founded after Saint Pat Wentling), Fat Tuesday/Marti Gras happens the day before Ash Wednesday leading into Lent. Those are just the three I easily came up with. Okay, so they aren't national holidays, but 2 out of the 3 are seriously acknowledged. Let's quickly look at what these holidays are: a reason to buy chocolate/be with a loved one/be depressed there is no love one in your life, get drunk, and get drunk/dance.

Again, I typically ignore these type of stories, but is anyone's religion really offended by these holidays? No, because they don't make the connection. We've neutralized the religious aspect of them and instead attached another meaning to it. Call it the Americanization of them.

So, in a similar sense, haven't we Americanized Christmas? No matter what anyone says, it really isn't about the religious connotations anymore. People don't celebrate it as their believed day of the birth of their Savior. It's gifts. It's buying gifts, giving gifts, seeing family, and getting off of school/work/life. It's Santa, Salvation Army, Snow, Reindeer, etc. Something to make the cold seem less brutal. After Christmas, every can be a grouch about the snow.

Don't get it twisted, I'm sure there are some devout people who honor the day from a religious standpoint, but I'd argue that a incredibly large majority do not. The joke among Catholics is they only go to Church twice a year - Christmas and Easter. I'm less than that.

Regardless of what religion an American celebrates, they still get a day off (or overtime pay). That really isn't SO bad, is it?

I understand being offended by certain things, but I think Christmas is bigger than the small minority that is offended. Santa Claus isn't going anywhere. The radio stations that play nothing but Christmas music starting November 1 aren't going anywhere (although maybe they should wait until Black Friday).

Our country is really starting to crack under the principles under-which it was founded. In God We Trust? Can't say that, people don't share the same God. God Bless America? Ditto. Our country was founded on religious toleration yet the religions we tolerate can't tolerate the ideals of our nation. Read that sentence again, make sure you understand my point. Isn't it backwards?

I'm not suggesting everyone should be assimilated into "our" way of thinking/acting/religious faith, but at least tolerate it like we tolerate yours. So you don't celebrate Christmas, no big deal, don't ruin the fun for everyone else.

Replace Christmas with any other holiday in our country. I'll name a few that don't really relate to me, yet I don't find myself offended: Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Black History Month, Cinco de Mayo, the several Jewish holidays in October that I don't really know, Ramadan. Okay, so the easy response to that is that I'm not Black/Mexican/Jewish/Muslim. You're right. And I'm not offended that people do things in public for them or that it affects my day.

I'm surprised it took this long for this kind of a stupid controversy. I'm surprised we haven't had more. Like people who are offended by Veterans Day because American soldiers killed their ancestors. Or people who are offended by Labor Day because they are unemployed (I'M SO MAD). I'm sure the Indians are offended that we celebrate Thanksgiving because we stole their land.

Just quickly because I'm starting to ramble - Where are we really headed? Are we getting to the point where we can't do anything in public? Where we can only acknowledge our own ideals in the private sanctity of our home? I think it's a bit extreme and will hopefully never happen, but it's getting beyond ridiculous. We can't let them win.

So anyways, hope everyone has a good "holiday" season!