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Source: (consider it)
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Thread: McD's and tiresome non-use of the word Christmas
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Crœsos
Shipmate
# 238
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Fr Weber:
Having said that, though, for retailers it's probably best to go on wishing customers a happy holiday, since they generally have no idea which holiday (if any) the customer celebrates.
In a similar vein, it's probably a lot easier to sell a "Winter Warmer Burger" than a "Jesus Burger". Most non-Christians (and a fairly sizable chunk of Christians) would feel uncomfortable eating something called that, though there is precedent.
[ 07. December 2012, 17:31: Message edited by: Crœsos ]
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Humani nil a me alienum puto
Posts: 10706 | From: Sardis, Lydia | Registered: May 2001
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Ceannaideach
Shipmate
# 12007
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by somebody further upstream:
Jesus is the reason for the season.
Axial tilt is the reason for the season.
What?
Oh not the literal season? Carry on.
quote:
Originally posted by Spiffy:
I was roused from my retail hell haze just enough to look that patron right in the eye and state, "I'm a traditional Christian, and it's still just Advent."
![[Overused]](graemlins/notworthy.gif)
And did you get any response or just incoherent splutterings?
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"I dream of the day when I will learn to stop asking questions for which I will regret learning the answers." - Roy Greenhilt OOTS
Posts: 199 | From: Shakespeare's County | Registered: Nov 2006
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Hairy Biker
Shipmate
# 12086
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Hawking Dawkins:
Honest Ron, you've Americanised yourself lol.
Americanization should read Americanisation
Patronizes should read Patronises.
Just saying ![[Smile]](smile.gif)
No actually!
The ize and ise endings are both perfectly acceptable in British (i.e. real) English. The Yanks mostly use ize, not because they dumbed it down - like most of their misspelling - but because the British complicated it after the Yanks had left. The ise form comes from a French affectation
"Just sayin' ![[Biased]](wink.gif)
[ 07. December 2012, 17:55: Message edited by: Hairy Biker ]
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there [are] four important things in life: religion, love, art and science. At their best, they’re all just tools to help you find a path through the darkness. None of them really work that well, but they help.
Damien Hirst
Posts: 683 | From: This Sceptred Isle | Registered: Nov 2006
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deano
princess
# 12063
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Posted
The word "tiresome" in the thread title was meant to be representative of those genuinely tiresome threads that we see every year moaning about Christmas being secularised!
I forgot about the Americans, and assorted others without a British, or indeed any, sense of humour.
The American comedies I watch are The Big Bang Theory, Family Guy and American Dad, so I just assumed that irony was now used in America. Not so much, it seems.
It hasn't precluded serious debate though. People are debating. Mostly about my sense of humour I must admit, but whatever.
I wanted a debate about how as Christians we really shouldn't worry about the secular side because we of all people know what the Truth is.
It didn't work. Sorry.
Annoyingly I'm writing this waiting in a queue at the Tescos click and collect counter to pick up a Christmas prezzy!
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"The moral high ground is slowly being bombed to oblivion. " - Supermatelot
Posts: 2118 | From: Chesterfield | Registered: Nov 2006
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Lyda*Rose
Ship's broken porthole
# 4544
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Posted
deano: quote:
I forgot about the Americans, and assorted others without a British, or indeed any, sense of humour.
Or maybe your writing in a "humorous" vein isn't quite as good as you think it is. Note the liar quotes.
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"Dear God, whose name I do not know - thank you for my life. I forgot how BIG... thank you. Thank you for my life." ~from Joe Vs the Volcano
Posts: 21377 | From: CA | Registered: May 2003
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RuthW
liberal "peace first" hankie squeezer
# 13
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Posted
deano, as soon as you're funny, we'll let you know.
Posts: 24453 | From: La La Land | Registered: Apr 2001
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Mere Nick
Shipmate
# 11827
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Crœsos:
quote:
Originally posted by Mere Nick:
When I'm in a place this time of year I always tell them "Merry Christmas", regardless of what someone hung on the wall.
quote:
Originally posted by Mere Nick:
What is it, The Holiday that Dare Not Speak its Name?
In any of the stores I go into it is Christmas decorations. There's no confusion as to what they are saying in their decorations so they might as well say it with their mouths.
Wait a sec. What difference does it make what kind of decorations are out? You claim you say "Merry Christmas" regardless of what kind of decorations (menorah) are present. Or are you saying that you won't go into stores that don't have Christmas decorations out? I guess that's another possible interpretation of "any of the stores I go into".
What I'm saying is that the one or two stores I go into have Christmas decorations up and I say "Merry Christmas" back to their "Merry Christmas", "Happy Holidays", "Season's Greetings", "Oh no, its you", or whatever.
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"Well that's it, boys. I've been redeemed. The preacher's done warshed away all my sins and transgressions. It's the straight and narrow from here on out, and heaven everlasting's my reward."
Delmar O'Donnell
Posts: 2797 | From: West Carolina | Registered: Sep 2006
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Spike
Mostly Harmless
# 36
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by deano:
If you can’t face going into a McD’s to check them out, then at least look through one of their windows and you will see what I mean. Again caveat that with UK-centric point of view.
I was in one earlier (I needed to use the toilet) and they were playing quite a lot of music that included the word "Christmas".
But why are you singling out Mickey D's for criticism? I can think of a lot of places that don't have the word Christmas displayed anywhere.
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"May you get to heaven before the devil knows you're dead" - Irish blessing
Posts: 12860 | From: The Valley of Crocuses | Registered: May 2001
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Cod
Shipmate
# 2643
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by lilBuddha:
Yea, its the annual Help, Help Christmas is being Repressed thread. Funny how this is felt in countries where Christianity enjoys dominance as a religion.
Come on - even fifteen years ago, shops generally had decorations with something of a religious theme. Now they studiously don't. Why is it so hard to accept that it does reflect the de-Christianising of society? Why is it so hard to accept that some Christians might reasonably think this a bad thing?
Instead, the polite position seems to be that it's always been this way, nothing has really changed, and - most of all - one mustn't be rude just as one oughtn't to mention the war when Germans are around. Come on - don't get upset about it if you don't want to, but at least accept that it's happening.
Posts: 4229 | From: New Zealand | Registered: Apr 2002
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lilBuddha
Shipmate
# 14333
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Posted
I would not call it so much the de-Christianing so much as the recognition that society is made up of others as well. And that others have traditions at the same time of year. Acknowledging the traditions of others does nothing to diminish your traditions.
It is not a zero sum equation.
Also, the celebration of Christmas that many Christians claim as traditional isn't really. Or, more accurately, the level of decoration and celebration has waxed and waned over the centuries and some of the most ardent suppressors have been Christians themselves.
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I put on my rockin' shoes in the morning
Hallellou, hallellou
Posts: 17627 | From: the round earth's imagined corners | Registered: Dec 2008
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Vulpior
Foxier than Thou
# 12744
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Crœsos:
quote:
Originally posted by Fr Weber:
Having said that, though, for retailers it's probably best to go on wishing customers a happy holiday, since they generally have no idea which holiday (if any) the customer celebrates.
In a similar vein, it's probably a lot easier to sell a "Winter Warmer Burger" than a "Jesus Burger". Most non-Christians (and a fairly sizable chunk of Christians) would feel uncomfortable eating something called that, though there is precedent.
Maybe we could rename Dagwood dogs/corn dogs as "Jesus-on-a-stick" for the season.
I'll get my coat.
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I've started blogging. I don't promise you'll find anything to interest you at uncleconrad
Posts: 946 | From: Mount Fairy, NSW | Registered: Jun 2007
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deano
princess
# 12063
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Spike:
quote:
Originally posted by deano:
If you can’t face going into a McD’s to check them out, then at least look through one of their windows and you will see what I mean. Again caveat that with UK-centric point of view.
I was in one earlier (I needed to use the toilet) and they were playing quite a lot of music that included the word "Christmas".
But why are you singling out Mickey D's for criticism? I can think of a lot of places that don't have the word Christmas displayed anywhere.
'cos that's where I was last night when I noticed it. Haven't been into shops much recently. Working/Internet Shopping/Dad's taxi/visiting have pretty much acocunted for most of my waking hours.
Okay, knock yourselves out with the humour stuff. Sometimes you miss the target! To paraphrase the great Stewie Griffin...
"that, that.. [joke] was flawed from the ground up, it was too wordy, not funny and just didn't get going at all, but we'll work on it and get back to you!"
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"The moral high ground is slowly being bombed to oblivion. " - Supermatelot
Posts: 2118 | From: Chesterfield | Registered: Nov 2006
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deano
princess
# 12063
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Vulpior:
quote:
Originally posted by Crœsos:
quote:
Originally posted by Fr Weber:
Having said that, though, for retailers it's probably best to go on wishing customers a happy holiday, since they generally have no idea which holiday (if any) the customer celebrates.
In a similar vein, it's probably a lot easier to sell a "Winter Warmer Burger" than a "Jesus Burger". Most non-Christians (and a fairly sizable chunk of Christians) would feel uncomfortable eating something called that, though there is precedent.
Maybe we could rename Dagwood dogs/corn dogs as "Jesus-on-a-stick" for the season.
I'll get my coat.
Oh I agree, but the fact that once I'd noticed that it never said the word "Christmas" anywhere, it just stood out. They've probably always done it, but I've just never noticed before.
It serves me right, I suppose, for having the brass neck to sit their looking round instead of spending more money on something to eat!
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"The moral high ground is slowly being bombed to oblivion. " - Supermatelot
Posts: 2118 | From: Chesterfield | Registered: Nov 2006
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Spiffy
Ship's WonderSheep
# 5267
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Ceannaideach:
quote:
Originally posted by Spiffy:
I was roused from my retail hell haze just enough to look that patron right in the eye and state, "I'm a traditional Christian, and it's still just Advent."
And did you get any response or just incoherent splutterings?
The latter, of course.
My point, which was so subtly ironic in its humor that it seems Deano missed when he went Capslock Rage of Doom, is to get off your goddamn high horse regarding decorations in retail areas. This was a decision made by someone so far up the pay scale that they make before lunch what the facetime workers make in a year.
I loved December at IKEA because the sprigs of tinsel and paper cutouts changed the view from the unending acres of polished concrete and industrial shelving and self-centered, self-righteous customers. I was spat upon, I have a permanent dent in my shin from a car slamming into it, I repeatedly had crates upwards of 25kg dropped on my head, and twice someone threatened to report me to their Congressperson for infringing their Constitutional rights to have a plastic bag for free-- and you begrudge me a little sparkly light for a major festival season, no matter what I call it?
Obviously someone needs to change their screen name to Ebenezer.
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Looking for a simple solution to all life's problems? We are proud to present obstinate denial. Accept no substitute. Accept nothing.
--Night Vale Radio Twitter Account
Posts: 10281 | From: Beervana | Registered: Dec 2003
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mousethief
Ship's Thieving Rodent
# 953
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Sioni Sais:
deano, McD's call their gaffs "restaurants". Do you expect them to get the name of the season right?
Actually they call them "stores."
quote:
Originally posted by tclune:
quote:
Originally posted by Mere Nick:
What is it, The Holiday that Dare Not Speak its Name?
Seems to me more like the holiday that can't shut up.
--Tom Clune
![[Killing me]](graemlins/killingme.gif) Quotes file (if it's not already there).
quote:
Originally posted by Spiffy:
I was roused from my retail hell haze just enough to look that patron right in the eye and state, "I'm a traditional Christian, and it's still just Advent."
You rock.
quote:
Originally posted by Fr Weber:
What irks me about that is not any War On Krissmuss nonsense, but the oh-so-culturally-sensitive pretense that there are other major holidays this month which feature the exchange of gifts.
(Yes, I know that people exchange gifts for Hanukkah & Kwanzaa. The gift exchange is expressly in imitation of Christmas, and everybody knows that)
??? You say it's a pretense that other holidays feature exchange of gifts, then immediately admit there are other holidays that feature an exchange of gifts. Whether or not it's in imitation of Christmas doesn't change the fact that they're holidays that feature exchange of gifts, and thus "holiday gift-giving" is not exclusively a reference to Christmas.
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This is the last sig I'll ever write for you...
Posts: 63536 | From: Washington | Registered: Jul 2001
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bib
Shipmate
# 13074
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Posted
Just as long as I don't get wished a Merry Crimbo this year. Who on earth came up with that awful variation of Christmas, which is literally 'birth of Christ'.
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"My Lord, my Life, my Way, my End, accept the praise I bring"
Posts: 1307 | From: Australia | Registered: Oct 2007
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mousethief
Ship's Thieving Rodent
# 953
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by bib:
Just as long as I don't get wished a Merry Crimbo this year. Who on earth came up with that awful variation of Christmas, which is literally 'birth of Christ'.
No. To quote The Repository of All Knowledge, "Christmas" is a compound word originating in the term "Christ's Mass".
quote:
Originally posted by deano:
The word "tiresome" in the thread title was meant to be representative of those genuinely tiresome threads that we see every year moaning about Christmas being secularised!
I forgot about the Americans, and assorted others without a British, or indeed any, sense of humour.
Hell call.
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This is the last sig I'll ever write for you...
Posts: 63536 | From: Washington | Registered: Jul 2001
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Cod
Shipmate
# 2643
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by lilBuddha:
I would not call it so much the de-Christianing so much as the recognition that society is made up of others as well. And that others have traditions at the same time of year. Acknowledging the traditions of others does nothing to diminish your traditions.
It is not a zero sum equation.
Call it what you like, but it reflects the declining importance of Christianity.
The presence of other traditions is absolutely irrelevant.
quote:
Also, the celebration of Christmas that many Christians claim as traditional isn't really. Or, more accurately, the level of decoration and celebration has waxed and waned over the centuries and some of the most ardent suppressors have been Christians themselves.
So what?
Twenty years ago it might have been Christians who objected to nativity scenes in liquor stores, but it isn't now.
I expect in your case these arguments are genuinely held. In other cases they reflect an inability to face up to what is happening.
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"I fart in your general direction."
M Barnier
Posts: 4229 | From: New Zealand | Registered: Apr 2002
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Crœsos
Shipmate
# 238
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Cod:
quote:
Originally posted by lilBuddha:
I would not call it so much the de-Christianing so much as the recognition that society is made up of others as well. And that others have traditions at the same time of year. Acknowledging the traditions of others does nothing to diminish your traditions.
It is not a zero sum equation.
Call it what you like, but it reflects the declining importance of Christianity.
The presence of other traditions is absolutely irrelevant.
I think you've perfectly captured the cry of the aggrieved hegemon.
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Humani nil a me alienum puto
Posts: 10706 | From: Sardis, Lydia | Registered: May 2001
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Gramps49
Shipmate
# 16378
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Posted
Seems like just a few days ago someone on your side of the pawn was wondering if we Americans were so stupid to be fighting a War on Christmas. Look to your side Brits.
Posts: 2193 | From: Pullman WA | Registered: Apr 2011
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Palimpsest
Shipmate
# 16772
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Posted
John Stewart had a very funny segment on the Fox war on Christmas.
As a non Christmas celebrant,I'm slightly puzzled by the hatred for bland corporate festive non religious decorations. Do you really want a nativity with the three wise men bearing big Macs? My favorite example is the Japanese Department store that wasn't clear on the concept and along with a tree put up a crucifix with Santa nailed to it.
Posts: 2990 | From: Seattle WA. US | Registered: Nov 2011
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mousethief
Ship's Thieving Rodent
# 953
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Gramps49:
someone on your side of the pawn
I'm almost certain you mean "pond."
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This is the last sig I'll ever write for you...
Posts: 63536 | From: Washington | Registered: Jul 2001
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Cod
Shipmate
# 2643
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Crœsos:
quote:
Originally posted by Cod:
quote:
Originally posted by lilBuddha:
I would not call it so much the de-Christianing so much as the recognition that society is made up of others as well. And that others have traditions at the same time of year. Acknowledging the traditions of others does nothing to diminish your traditions.
It is not a zero sum equation.
Call it what you like, but it reflects the declining importance of Christianity.
The presence of other traditions is absolutely irrelevant.
I think you've perfectly captured the cry of the aggrieved hegemon.
More the remark of an amused observer.
We are talking about the feast traditionally celebrated on 25th December, I believe. I can't offhand think of any traditional ways of marking that date, except some invented pseudo-Druidic ones perhaps.
Posts: 4229 | From: New Zealand | Registered: Apr 2002
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lilBuddha
Shipmate
# 14333
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Posted
I believe most of us are referencing a broader period of time than the one day.
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I put on my rockin' shoes in the morning
Hallellou, hallellou
Posts: 17627 | From: the round earth's imagined corners | Registered: Dec 2008
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angelfish
Shipmate
# 8884
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Palimpsest:
Do you really want a nativity with the three wise men bearing big Macs?
Yes, that would be awesome! Because it would hammer home to all the Dail Mail reading Meldrews in Britain the message that Christmas celebrations delegated to the civic authorities will inevitably miss the point. A bit like that chocolate crucifix a few years back, which sent a brilliant, but often overlooked (in all the righteous outrage and hot air) message about the confectionisation of Easter.
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"As God is my witness, I WILL kick Bishop Brennan up the arse!"
Posts: 1017 | From: England | Registered: Dec 2004
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orfeo
Ship's Musical Counterpoint
# 13878
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Posted
If we were trying to make nativity scenes authentic, the Three Wise Men wouldn't be there anyway. Having them carry hamburgers might just make the inaccuracy more apparent, that's all.
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Technology has brought us all closer together. Turns out a lot of the people you meet as a result are complete idiots.
Posts: 18173 | From: Under | Registered: Jul 2008
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Cod
Shipmate
# 2643
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by lilBuddha:
I believe most of us are referencing a broader period of time than the one day.
Are those who put up their Christmas decorations two days before in some sense celebrating a different festival?
I think you know the answer to that.
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"I fart in your general direction."
M Barnier
Posts: 4229 | From: New Zealand | Registered: Apr 2002
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mark_in_manchester
not waving, but...
# 15978
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Posted
This might not be the right place to post this...but a large, glitzy (that is, not where I go, which is small and oily) motorcycle dealership on my way to work has a full-on nativity scene in the window - straw, 3 foot figures, the lot.
To my own surprise, I really like it. Some manager or other presumably had to say 'yes, I know we're a bike shop, but it's Christmas and I like them'. I can't see it winning any sales at all around here, which is of course why it impresses me.
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"We are punished by our sins, not for them" - Elbert Hubbard
(so good, I wanted to see it after my posts and not only after those of shipmate JBohn from whom I stole it)
Posts: 1596 | Registered: Oct 2010
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Dinghy Sailor
Ship's Jibsheet
# 8507
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by leo:
Boycotting because their 'food' is rubbish is sufficient reason.
Leo beat me to it. Why do you need a reason to boycott McDonald's?
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Preach Christ, because this old humanity has used up all hopes and expectations, but in Christ hope lives and remains.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Posts: 2821 | Registered: Sep 2004
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fletcher christian
Mutinous Seadog
# 13919
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Posted
posted by mark:
quote:
This might not be the right place to post this...but a large, glitzy (that is, not where I go, which is small and oily) motorcycle dealership on my way to work has a full-on nativity scene in the window - straw, 3 foot figures, the lot.
The baby Jesus on a motorcycle could actually look quite cool
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'God is love insaturable, love impossible to describe'
Staretz Silouan
Posts: 5235 | From: a prefecture | Registered: Jul 2008
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mark_in_manchester
not waving, but...
# 15978
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Posted
They said 'if you can think it, it's been done on the internet'. Adult-Jesus-on-a-motorbike-figurine - check (sorry, you'll have to Google it - I couldn't get the link to work). But baby-Jesus-on-a-bike - nada!! ![[Eek!]](eek.gif)
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"We are punished by our sins, not for them" - Elbert Hubbard
(so good, I wanted to see it after my posts and not only after those of shipmate JBohn from whom I stole it)
Posts: 1596 | Registered: Oct 2010
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Palimpsest
Shipmate
# 16772
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Dinghy Sailor:
quote:
Originally posted by leo:
Boycotting because their 'food' is rubbish is sufficient reason.
Leo beat me to it. Why do you need a reason to boycott McDonald's?
Can you boycott a place that you wouldn't go to even if they conceded the reason you're boycotting them?
Posts: 2990 | From: Seattle WA. US | Registered: Nov 2011
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Honest Ron Bacardi
Shipmate
# 38
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Posted
I do it all the time, palimpsest. I feel so much better for it.
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Anglo-Cthulhic
Posts: 4857 | From: the corridors of Pah! | Registered: May 2001
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