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Re: Merry Christmas !

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In article <rqi4b9den4a74e5jjk653vosh00u4208uq@4ax.com>, John
<Man@the.keyboard> wrote:

> >When someone wishes me a Merry Christmas, they're making an erroneous
> >assumption about me.
> 
>  Sorry but I'm not.

Yes, you are.

<snip>

> Wishing you a "Merry Christmas" says I was born and have lived in a
> culture that calls the Winter Festival of Returning Light "Christmas".
> It says *nothing* at all about you.

It assumes that I celebrate or observe Christmas.  If I said "Happy
Chanukkah" to you, it would mean that I assumed that you were Jewish.

> I know and assume nothing of your culture, your creeds if any or your
> nature.

By saying "Merry Christmas" to me, you are assuming that I celebrate or
observe Christmas.

>  It is seasonal shorthand for "I hope I find you well and happy and
> you have my compassion if not and an offer of aid - such as I am able
> to give - should you need and want it from such as me". 

"Happy holidays" conveys the same message without the assumption about
which holiday I might be celebrating or observing.

All that said, I'd rather someone wish me a Merry Christmas than ignore
me, but if someone does, I'll know that person is assuming that I'm
Christian.  In the normal course of events, with the majority of people
who do that, I'll not make an issue of it, but with a select few, I'll
politely explain that I'm not Christian and that Christmas is not my
Holy Day.

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Merry Christmas ! JF Mezei <jfmezei.spamnot@vaxination.ca> - 2013-12-17 23:45 -0500
  Re: Merry Christmas ! John <Man@the.keyboard> - 2013-12-18 06:04 +0000
    Re: Merry Christmas ! John <Man@the.keyboard> - 2013-12-18 06:20 +0000
      Re: Merry Christmas ! JF Mezei <jfmezei.spamnot@vaxination.ca> - 2013-12-18 01:44 -0500
        Re: Merry Christmas ! George Kerby <ghost_topper@hotmail.com> - 2013-12-18 08:29 -0600
          Re: Merry Christmas ! Michelle Steiner <michelle@michelle.org> - 2013-12-18 08:07 -0700
            Re: Merry Christmas ! Warren Oates <warren.oates@gmail.com> - 2013-12-18 11:23 -0500
            Re: Merry Christmas ! George Kerby <ghost_topper@hotmail.com> - 2013-12-18 11:33 -0600
              Re: Merry Christmas ! Michelle Steiner <michelle@michelle.org> - 2013-12-18 11:26 -0700
                Re: Merry Christmas ! George Kerby <ghost_topper@hotmail.com> - 2013-12-18 12:53 -0600
                Re: Merry Christmas ! Michelle Steiner <michelle@michelle.org> - 2013-12-18 12:27 -0700
                Re: Merry Christmas ! George Kerby <ghost_topper@hotmail.com> - 2013-12-19 10:38 -0600
                Re: Merry Christmas ! Lewis <g.kreme@gmail.com.dontsendmecopies> - 2013-12-18 21:19 +0000
                Re: Merry Christmas ! nospam <nospam@nospam.invalid> - 2013-12-18 17:59 -0500
                Re: Merry Christmas ! dempson@actrix.gen.nz (David Empson) - 2013-12-19 12:00 +1300
                Re: Merry Christmas ! Michelle Steiner <michelle@michelle.org> - 2013-12-18 17:45 -0700
                Re: Merry Christmas ! Jim Gibson <jimsgibson@gmail.com> - 2013-12-19 10:22 -0800
          Re: Merry Christmas ! John <Man@the.keyboard> - 2013-12-19 00:13 +0000
        Re: Merry Christmas ! Warren Oates <warren.oates@gmail.com> - 2013-12-18 11:20 -0500
          Re: Merry Christmas ! George Kerby <ghost_topper@hotmail.com> - 2013-12-18 11:39 -0600
            Re: Merry Christmas ! Warren Oates <warren.oates@gmail.com> - 2013-12-18 14:35 -0500
              Re: Merry Christmas ! JF Mezei <jfmezei.spamnot@vaxination.ca> - 2013-12-18 16:32 -0500
                Re: Merry Christmas ! Fred Moore <fmoore@gcfn.org> - 2013-12-19 11:35 -0500
                Re: Merry Christmas ! JF Mezei <jfmezei.spamnot@vaxination.ca> - 2013-12-19 15:16 -0500
                Re: Merry Christmas ! George Kerby <ghost_topper@hotmail.com> - 2013-12-19 10:41 -0600
              Re: Merry Christmas ! John <Man@the.keyboard> - 2013-12-19 00:17 +0000
                Re: Merry Christmas ! Warren Oates <warren.oates@gmail.com> - 2013-12-19 08:54 -0500
                Re: Merry Christmas ! Michelle Steiner <michelle@michelle.org> - 2013-12-19 08:00 -0700
                Re: Merry Christmas ! Jolly Roger <jollyroger@pobox.com> - 2013-12-19 16:41 +0000
              Re: Merry Christmas ! Fred Moore <fmoore@gcfn.org> - 2013-12-19 11:33 -0500
                Re: Merry Christmas ! Warren Oates <warren.oates@gmail.com> - 2013-12-20 12:57 -0500
                Re: Merry Christmas ! Fred Moore <fmoore@gcfn.org> - 2013-12-20 13:09 -0500
                Re: Merry Christmas ! JF Mezei <jfmezei.spamnot@vaxination.ca> - 2013-12-20 13:23 -0500
                Re: Merry Christmas ! Kurt Ullman <kurtullman@yahoo.com> - 2013-12-20 14:09 -0500
                Re: Merry Christmas ! Michelle Steiner <michelle@michelle.org> - 2013-12-20 17:49 -0700
                Re: Merry Christmas ! Warren Oates <warren.oates@gmail.com> - 2013-12-22 16:43 -0500
                Re: Merry Christmas ! JF Mezei <jfmezei.spamnot@vaxination.ca> - 2013-12-22 17:12 -0500
                Re: Merry Christmas ! Your Name <YourName@YourISP.com> - 2013-12-23 13:32 +1300
                Re: Merry Christmas ! gtr <xxx@yyy.zzz> - 2013-12-23 09:33 -0800
                Re: Merry Christmas ! Lewis <g.kreme@gmail.com.dontsendmecopies> - 2013-12-23 18:57 +0000
                Re: Merry Christmas ! gtr <xxx@yyy.zzz> - 2013-12-23 11:20 -0800
                Re: Merry Christmas ! Lewis <g.kreme@gmail.com.dontsendmecopies> - 2013-12-23 21:00 +0000
                Re: Merry Christmas ! Wes Groleau <Usenet@Grolea.us> - 2013-12-23 21:13 -0500
                Re: Merry Christmas ! gtr <xxx@yyy.zzz> - 2013-12-23 18:34 -0800
              Re: Merry Christmas ! George Kerby <ghost_topper@hotmail.com> - 2013-12-19 10:40 -0600
                Re: Merry Christmas ! Wes Groleau <Usenet@Grolea.us> - 2013-12-19 23:46 -0500
        Re: Merry Christmas ! John <Man@the.keyboard> - 2013-12-19 00:11 +0000
          Re: Merry Christmas ! Warren Oates <warren.oates@gmail.com> - 2013-12-19 08:52 -0500
    Re: Merry Christmas ! Lewis <g.kreme@gmail.com.dontsendmecopies> - 2013-12-18 13:08 +0000
      Re: Merry Christmas ! Michelle Steiner <michelle@michelle.org> - 2013-12-18 08:11 -0700
      Re: Merry Christmas ! J Burns <burns4@nowhere.com> - 2013-12-18 10:16 -0500
      Re: Merry Christmas ! Fred Moore <fmoore@gcfn.org> - 2013-12-18 11:18 -0500
        Re: Merry Christmas ! John <Man@the.keyboard> - 2013-12-19 00:35 +0000
          Re: Merry Christmas ! Warren Oates <warren.oates@gmail.com> - 2013-12-19 09:00 -0500
            Re: Merry Christmas ! Davoud <star@sky.net> - 2013-12-19 13:03 -0500
              Re: Merry Christmas ! Tim Streater <timstreater@greenbee.net> - 2013-12-19 18:58 +0000
            Re: Merry Christmas ! John <Man@the.keyboard> - 2013-12-19 21:07 +0000
              Re: Merry Christmas ! Tim Streater <timstreater@greenbee.net> - 2013-12-19 21:54 +0000
              Re: Merry Christmas ! Warren Oates <warren.oates@gmail.com> - 2013-12-20 12:30 -0500
        Re: Merry Christmas ! Wes Groleau <Usenet@Grolea.us> - 2013-12-18 20:27 -0500
          Re: Merry Christmas ! Fred Moore <fmoore@gcfn.org> - 2013-12-19 11:23 -0500
    Re: Merry Christmas ! Davoud <star@sky.net> - 2013-12-18 11:50 -0500
    Re: Merry Christmas ! "D.F. Manno" <dfmanno@mail.com> - 2013-12-18 18:03 -0500
      Re: Merry Christmas ! Davoud <star@sky.net> - 2013-12-18 19:11 -0500
        Re: Merry Christmas ! John <Man@the.keyboard> - 2013-12-19 01:55 +0000
          Re: Merry Christmas ! Davoud <star@sky.net> - 2013-12-21 00:24 -0500
            Re: Merry Christmas ! John <Man@the.keyboard> - 2013-12-21 07:48 +0000
              Re: Merry Christmas ! Davoud <star@sky.net> - 2013-12-22 13:20 -0500
      Re: Merry Christmas ! John <Man@the.keyboard> - 2013-12-19 01:09 +0000
        Re: Merry Christmas ! Michelle Steiner <michelle@michelle.org> - 2013-12-18 18:13 -0700
          Re: Merry Christmas ! John <Man@the.keyboard> - 2013-12-19 01:43 +0000
            Re: Merry Christmas ! Michelle Steiner <michelle@michelle.org> - 2013-12-18 19:45 -0700
              Re: Merry Christmas ! John <Man@the.keyboard> - 2013-12-19 20:46 +0000
                Re: Merry Christmas ! Your Name <YourName@YourISP.com> - 2013-12-20 12:36 +1300
                Re: Merry Christmas ! Tom Stiller <clusterfux.upmon@gmail.com> - 2013-12-20 01:15 +0000
                Re: Merry Christmas ! Your Name <YourName@YourISP.com> - 2013-12-20 19:14 +1300
                Re: Merry Christmas ! JF Mezei <jfmezei.spamnot@vaxination.ca> - 2013-12-20 02:53 -0500
                Re: Merry Christmas ! George Kerby <ghost_topper@hotmail.com> - 2013-12-20 09:04 -0600
                Re: Merry Christmas ! Tim Streater <timstreater@greenbee.net> - 2013-12-20 15:23 +0000
                Re: Merry Christmas ! George Kerby <ghost_topper@hotmail.com> - 2013-12-21 11:11 -0600
                Re: Merry Christmas ! Wes Groleau <Usenet@Grolea.us> - 2013-12-20 21:52 -0500
                Re: Merry Christmas ! Lewis <g.kreme@gmail.com.dontsendmecopies> - 2013-12-21 06:07 +0000
                Re: Merry Christmas ! befr@eaglesoft.de (Bernd Fröhlich) - 2013-12-20 09:25 +0100
                Re: Merry Christmas ! Kurt Ullman <kurtullman@yahoo.com> - 2013-12-20 07:06 -0500
                Re: Merry Christmas ! Fred Moore <fmoore@gcfn.org> - 2013-12-20 13:23 -0500
                Re: Merry Christmas ! Tom Stiller <clusterfux.upmon@gmail.com> - 2013-12-21 04:14 +0000
                Re: Merry Christmas ! Kurt Ullman <kurtullman@yahoo.com> - 2013-12-21 07:13 -0500
                Re: Merry Christmas ! Your Name <YourName@YourISP.com> - 2013-12-24 09:20 +1300
                Re: Merry Christmas ! Tom Stiller <clusterfux.upmon@gmail.com> - 2013-12-23 22:58 +0000
              Re: Merry Christmas ! John <Man@the.keyboard> - 2013-12-19 20:55 +0000
                Re: Merry Christmas ! Michelle Steiner <michelle@michelle.org> - 2013-12-19 20:43 -0700
          Re: Merry Christmas ! Lewis <g.kreme@gmail.com.dontsendmecopies> - 2013-12-19 15:15 +0000
            Re: Merry Christmas ! Jim Gibson <jimsgibson@gmail.com> - 2013-12-19 10:26 -0800
      Re: Merry Christmas ! Wes Groleau <Usenet@Grolea.us> - 2013-12-18 20:28 -0500
        Re: Merry Christmas ! John <Man@the.keyboard> - 2013-12-19 01:46 +0000
  Re: Merry Christmas ! Warren Oates <warren.oates@gmail.com> - 2013-12-18 11:11 -0500
    Re: Merry Christmas ! George Kerby <ghost_topper@hotmail.com> - 2013-12-18 11:37 -0600
    Re: Merry Christmas ! John <Man@the.keyboard> - 2013-12-19 00:37 +0000

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