Re: Chinese Daily Photos, Videos & News of 2013!!!
I am not Christian nor do I live in the United States of America. Can you please tell me how it is offended when wishing people "Merry Christmas"?
Steel, in the United States, December 25th has been established as a National Holiday. It happened under President Ulysses S. Grant and he signed it into law when the Congress of that time passed it, designating that date by law as Christmas Day. It has been so ever since.
It is certainly based on the celebration of Jesus Christ's birth, because a very large majority of American are Christian. But it does not mean He was actually historically born on that date. We just celebrate it then.
So, it is a National Holiday and people say "Merry Christmas," to wish people a good day and conveys Christ's teachings to them in a very short form.
Now, in our culture there is also the story of Saint Nicholas, who I believe was a Greek monk who lived in Turkey a few hundred years after Christ and who was ultimately recognized by the Catholic Church as a Saint. He was an historical figure, and he went about doing good, and particularly giving to others who were in need per Christ's teachings and per the story of the Wise Men who gave gifts to Jesus on His birth.
One of the legends of Saint Nicholas' service is that he one time dropped some gold down a chimney to three children who had very little. From that, and that story intermingling with other legends, Santa Clause came into being as a mythical figure who lives at the North Pole and visits children all over the world on Christmas Eve and early Christmas morning and gives gifts to the children all over the world, including coming down their chimney to do so.
But the true meaning of Christmas is to celebrate Christ's birth, and particularly His message of Peace on Earth and Goodwill to all men, and as Popeye wrote, His message to love one another.
As such, there is nothing at all offensive about wishing someone a Merry Christmas. You may not believe in Christ...but the message of Peace on Earth and Goodwill to Man is universal. It is a good thing to wish to any person, and cuts across political, religious, and even cultural bounds.
Sadly there are some who reject Christmas solely because of its Christian heritage and want to change things into a much more secular, Winter Solstice type Holiday where the term "Happy Holidays," supplants, "Merry Christmas."
For those who feel that way, I say, fine. I have no problem with anyone wishing anyone else Happy Holidays. I sometimes say that too. But more often I say, "Merry Christmas," for the reason I mentioned above...and meaning no disrespect or offense in so doing because I am really wishing them Peace and Goodwill.
Sorry for the length...but MERRY CHRISTMAS! from the bottom of my heart.
