[GCFL-discuss] Christmas Parties

[gcfl-discuss at gcfl.net]

I think I've seen that great series of memos about the Christmas Party
before. It might even have run on GCFL in past years.

I enjoyed it so much I wanted to say something about it, even at risk of
being serious about a joke. The kind of  "issues" it takes apart are
ludicrous, as advertised, but I know people get worked up into righteous
rage about some of it in real life, from all kinds of angles, and it is
so unnecessary.

Christians are celebrating Christmas, not "the holidays." Jews are
celebrating Hannukah, not "the holidays." Muslims celebrate Ramadan
somewhere around this time of year, although it varies from early
December to late January. Some faiths celebrate holidays at totally
different times of year. (Easter and Passover by some curious coincidence
fall at about the same time of year because , surprise, Jesus went to
Jerusalsm for -- Passover! -- just before the crucifixion). 

As it happens, the majority of people in North America for the past few
hundred years have been Christian, so Christmas has become a holiday that
business and government plan around and observe. All cool.

Asking to be included is generally a good thing. Inviting others to join
in your celebration is nice. Taking offense that someone else is
celebrating something you're not, eating something you're not, etc. is
stupid. We all have a right to freely exercise what we believe, and if
possible to appreciate (otherwise to ignore) what others are freely
exercising.

Although I suppose vegetarians could take a leaf from the "right to life"
folks and announce that killing animals for food is just as worthy of
criminal penalties as aborting human fetuses. I would suggest to both
that they concentrate on winning the hearts and minds of the rest of
their fellow persons, rather than demanding immediate forced.compliance
with what many people do not agree on.

Merry Christmas to all, whether your personal beliefs are Christian or
not, and that has become something of a festival of lights, hasn't it? If
greenBubble wants to wish me Happy Hannukah, I would be happy to accept
it -- it means more coming from him that it would from me.

Siarlys