Christmas

[tower912]

I am looking forward to a quiet, small family celebration of the birth of Jesus.   It will make me appreciate large gatherings more next year.

[The Sultan]

never liked the abbreviation for Christmas.  i believe it should be respected as such.  we don't refer to hanukkah as xukka or kwanzaa as xzaa.  there is a Christ in there for good reason whether you believe or not

Rocket the Xmas abbreviation dates back to the 1500s and was used because the Greek letter X is the first letter in their word for Christ.  It's use was never meant as a sign of disrespect, or secularization of the Holiday.

But logic and history doesn't get the Christmas Warriors outraged.

[The Sultan]

Sorry to interrupt y'all's circle jerk.  Please resume the biscuit game.

Right.  There is nothing circle jerky about the letter writing, underboard posting, meat eaters.

[MU82]

Happy Thanksgiving!

From the Charlotte Observer ...

Officials at a Charlotte-area charter school blame out-of-town Thanksgiving family gatherings for a spike in COVID-19 cases at the school's Lake Norman campus.

"Unfortunately, I believe Thanksgiving break traveling to see family members is a key factor in what we're experiencing," Jonathan Bryant, chief administrator at Lincoln Charter School told his school board at a Dec. 11 emergency meeting, according to a recording of the meeting on the school website.

Lincoln Charter is a public K-12 school that draws students from 13 counties, its website says.

On Dec. 11 alone, Bryant said, 20 teachers and teacher assistants at the Denver campus stayed home due to COVID-19 positive tests either in their children or themselves.

"I'm very concerned about the safety of our Denver campus," Bryant said on the recording.

The entire fifth grade on the Denver campus previously was quarantined due to COVID-19, as was a kindergarten class, he said.

Both campuses are in Lincoln County, whose COVID-19 chart shows a spike in cases and positive COVID-19 test results since Thanksgiving.

About 13% of COVID-19 tests in the county were positive over two weeks in late November and early December, officials said, a 35% increase in percent positives from the county's previous update. That's well above the 5% target set by health officials.

Bryant told the board the school has had COVID-19 cases throughout the pandemic, but nothing like the post-Thanksgiving Day holiday spike.

In neighboring Mecklenburg County on Friday, the health department reported COVID-19 clusters at Davidson Day School and Francis Bradley Middle School in Huntersville.

Unfortunately, we no doubt will get a repeat after Xmas. And then folks can complain when schools are closed and kids have to learn remotely.

Because ... freedom!

[Uncle Rico]

I say Happy Holidays to trigger cultists.

  No large gatherings in my world this year. 

[Skatastrophy]

We had a pipe burst about 6 floors up from us that flooded the condo Friday morning. With the number of workers we've had here the past few days and into next week there's not enough time to quarantine before the holiday. We are going to have to push our small gathering back a week I guess

[rocky_warrior]

We had a pipe burst about 6 floors up from us that flooded the condo Friday morning. With the number of workers we've had here the past few days and into next week there's not enough time to quarantine before the holiday. We are going to have to push our small gathering back a week I guess

Ugh.  Water damage sux - especially this time of year.  Sounds like it was caught quickly though (and I know...it's never quick enough to still cause damage).

[4everwarriors]

We had a pipe burst about 6 floors up from us that flooded the condo Friday morning. With the number of workers we've had here the past few days and into next week there's not enough time to quarantine before the holiday. We are going to have to push our small gathering back a week I guess

Ya must live in Atlanta, aina?

[Jockey]

I say Happy Holidays to trigger cultists.

  No large gatherings in my world this year.

I can't help but do the same. I say Merry Christmas to most people. If it's a Fox Newser, it is "Happy Holidays".

[tower912]

If they are REALLY obviously easily triggered, I will wish them a happy Hanukkah or a festive Kwanzaa.

[WI inferiority Complexes]

All Holidays Matter.

[rocket surgeon]

Rocket the Xmas abbreviation dates back to the 1500s and was used because the Greek letter X is the first letter in their word for Christ.  It's use was never meant as a sign of disrespect, or secularization of the Holiday.

But logic and history doesn't get the Christmas Warriors outraged.

thank you for that info fluff!  didn't know that as i'm pretty sure many others didn't either, but...i prefer the Christ part in Christmas.  just a silly little quirk i guess

[Galway Eagle]

Given that Christmas doesn't actually celebrate Christ's birth and was simply an adopted pagan holiday to make conversions easier. I don't understand the obsession with ignoring what Christmas actually is (let alone ignoring other religion's traditions as well) to act like Jesus was born on that day.

Bottom line is technically we should all be engaged in a week long booze filled affair of depravity to celebrate Christmas since that's the festival that it initially was.

Happy Festival of the Rebirth of the Sun to you all!

[The Sultan]

Given that Christmas doesn't actually celebrate Christ's birth and was simply an adopted pagan holiday to make conversions easier. I don't understand the obsession with ignoring what Christmas actually is (let alone ignoring other religion's traditions as well) to act like Jesus was born on that day.

Bottom line is technically we should all be engaged in a week long booze filled affair of depravity to celebrate Christmas since that's the festival that it initially was.

Happy Festival of the Rebirth of the Sun to you all!

Just because he wasn't born on that specific day doesn't mean that his birth can't be recognized on that day.

[rocky_warrior]

Just because he wasn't born on that specific day doesn't mean that his birth can't be recognized on that day.

I shouldn't speak for people, but I don't think he disagrees.  I read it as we should call it:
'Take some time off to celebrate the birth of your particular god'-mas

[Galway Eagle]

Just because he wasn't born on that specific day doesn't mean that his birth can't be recognized on that day.

Well wasn't quite what I was getting at (more what rocky was getting at) but since you are of that opinion then I'm choosing to recognize my birthday as today because apparently we can choose?

Christianity didn't traditionally celebrate birthdays either. That was a pagan custom they were against. There is no reason the "super religious" should be all up in arms about Christmas

[The Sultan]

Well wasn't quite what I was getting at (more what rocky was getting at) but since you are of that opinion then I'm choosing to recognize my birthday as today because apparently we can choose?

Christianity didn't traditionally celebrate birthdays either. That was a pagan custom they were against. There is no reason the "super religious" should be all up in arms about Christmas

Gotcha. I mean no one cares that Christ isn't in the name of Easter right?

[JWags85]

I'm not one to downplay Christmas, it's significance, what it stands for religiously, etc... but I do find it hilarious that the Puritans, who played a major part in the founding of America, banned Christmas cause it was too rowdy and associated with drunkenness and mischief. The Puritans sucked and England brought it back officially years later, but given the prominence of Christmas in this country, it's ironic

[Hards Alumni]

I didn't know we were going to get into Theological combat in this thread!

Anyone ever hear of Sargon of Akkad?

[MU82]

Like everybody else, I get wished Merry Xmas several times a day - by check-out people at stores, by customer service representatives on the phone, by neighbors, etc. Being in the South, many go to the extreme, wishing folks a "blessed" Xmas.

It's all good. I know it doesn't dawn on them that the person they are wishing a blessed Xmas to might be Jewish or Muslim or atheist. I know they simply assume that, like them, everybody celebrates Xmas. And I know they don't mean anything bad by it (99.9% of them don't, anyway).

I just smile and say, "Thanks, you too," and go on with my business. Life is too short to get my undies in a bundle over something so trivial.

I hope all Scoopers who celebrate Xmas have as wonderful a day as possible given what's going on around us all ... and I hope all of us have a great ending to 2020, and a happy, healthy, rewarding 2021.

[Hards Alumni]

Like everybody else, I get wished Merry Xmas several times a day - by check-out people at stores, by customer service representatives on the phone, by neighbors, etc. Being in the South, many go to the extreme, wishing folks a "blessed" Xmas.

It's all good. I know it doesn't dawn on them that the person they are wishing a blessed Xmas to might be Jewish or Muslim or atheist. I know they simply assume that, like them, everybody celebrates Xmas. And I know they don't mean anything bad by it (99.9% of them don't, anyway).

I just smile and say, "Thanks, you too," and go on with my business. Life is too short to get my undies in a bundle over something so trivial.

I hope all Scoopers who celebrate Xmas have as wonderful a day as possible given what's going on around us all ... and I hope all of us have a great ending to 2020, and a happy, healthy, rewarding 2021.

"You as well" is the correct way to handle it.  No reason to go out of your way to upset people who are genuinely wishing you happiness.  Especially, since it costs nothing to be nice.

[pacearrow02]

Like everybody else, I get wished Merry Xmas several times a day - by check-out people at stores, by customer service representatives on the phone, by neighbors, etc. Being in the South, many go to the extreme, wishing folks a "blessed" Xmas.

It's all good. I know it doesn't dawn on them that the person they are wishing a blessed Xmas to might be Jewish or Muslim or atheist. I know they simply assume that, like them, everybody celebrates Xmas. And I know they don't mean anything bad by it (99.9% of them don't, anyway).

I just smile and say, "Thanks, you too," and go on with my business. Life is too short to get my undies in a bundle over something so trivial.

I hope all Scoopers who celebrate Xmas have as wonderful a day as possible given what's going on around us all ... and I hope all of us have a great ending to 2020, and a happy, healthy, rewarding 2021.

👏👏

[TSmith34, Inc.]

Bottom line is technically we should all be engaged in a week long booze filled affair of depravity to celebrate Christmas since that's the festival that it initially was.

Happy Festival of the Rebirth of the Sun to you all!

You had me at "depravity". unnatural carnal knowledge social distancing, I'm coming over to your house for the holidays.

[tower912]

The friggin cold front about to sweep through and half foot of blowing, drifting, lake effect that is about to sweep through lower Michigan has shrunk my Christmas celebration even more.    Older parents unwilling to make the drive.   

  Damn you, weather, and your war on Christmas.   

[Galway Eagle]

You had me at "depravity". unnatural carnal knowledge social distancing, I'm coming over to your house for the holidays.

Hope you like whiskey and barrel aged beers. That and wine is all that I stock