Shops in 'Happy Holidays' boycott

BBC World News ^ | 23 Dec 2004 | BBC World Report

[Cornpone]

Shoppers in the US are being urged to boycott some of the country's most famous stores because they do not say "Merry Christmas". The California-based Committee to Save Merry Christmas wants consumers to avoid shops such as Macy's because they avoid any association with Jesus.

A number of retailers instead stick to non-faith based phrases such as "happy holidays" or "season's greetings".

Macy's said such greetings were more reflective of a multicultural US.

'Catering for all'

Federated Department Stores, the owner of Macy's, said it had no set policy over the use of specific references to Christmas, but added that greetings such as "happy holidays" took in all cultures.

Happy holidays is the pleasant greeting that applies to everyone in every celebration

Wal-Mart

"In fact few, if any, national retailers or businesses now take a different approach to the holiday season," it said.

Wal-Mart, the largest retailer in the US, also avoids mentioning the C-word.

It said it had not received any complaints, only a few "curious questions".

Parallel festivals

The company added that it needed to cater to the variety of holidays celebrated at this time of the year by the 138 million US consumers that passed through its doors every week.

These other celebrations include the Jewish Hanukkah festival and Kwanzaa, an African-American event.

"Happy holidays is the pleasant greeting that applies to everyone in every celebration," Wal-Mart said.

The Committee to Save Merry Christmas says on its website that its primary goal is to "preserve the culture and tradition of the vast majority of Americans that celebrate and honour Christmas."

[sinkspur]

This umbrage at "Happy Holidays" by a select few Christians has got to be the most ridiculous occurrence of the year.

"Holidays" is actually "Holy Days."

I'm just grateful for people wishing each other good tidings at any time of year.

[MikefromOhio]

Holiday = Holy Days


The next thing you will say is that XMAS is sacrilege against Christmas right?

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

I was in a K-Mart the other day to see if I could locate an oil filter for my car and passed by a pricing sign on a display. The items for sale were green and tree-like. The sign said Artificial Holiday trees on Sale...50% off.

I stopped. I walked back to be sure of what I saw. I thought to myself, "So, there is now is such a thing as a Hannukah Tree and a Kwanzaa Tree?...It's a CHRISTMAS TREE!"

I left the store and drove the extra 2 miles to the auto parts store and piad a buck more for the oil filter. Screw the PC idiots.

[MikefromOhio]

I'm not Anglo-Saxon nor a Protestant and still I celebrate Christmas. Is that unusual where you come from?

---

then you must be in the country illegally /sarcasm off

Seriously though, Merry Christmas....

We can watch a few so-called Christians attempt to eat their own on this thread....

[MikefromOhio]

It will be interesting to see what happens NEXT Christmas, since this Christmas backlash caught everyone by surprise this year.
As for me and my house, we serve the Lord. If I feel He is no longer welcome, we will not buy ANY gifts from any retailer who wants to ignore 80% of its customers. Let them make their money off the Jews, Kwanzans, and Festivus celebrants next year.

---

I boycott Boycotts.....

The answer is nothing. Apparently FR boycotts dont seem to be affecting even Target. Not that I went there, but everyone is having a booming season this year, not just those stores that cater to the Christians....

[Joe Republc]

I say 'Merry Christmas', including at my job at a very large insurance company.

Anybody that can't tolerate it is, by definition, intolerant.

'Happy Holidays' still makes some kind of sense, because we have New Years and Christmas so close together.

But Jesus *wasn't* here to spur retailers' sales. So, frankly, I can't get that excited about how retailers acknowledge or don't acknowledge Christ.

-- Joe

[Non-Sequitur]

I agree with you on that, but when Hannity makes such a big deal out of it and then whimps out on the TV promo I can't resist tweaking him just a little.

[MaelstromWar]

This is ridiculous.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone.

[B Knotts]

These stores are not catering only to Anglo-Saxon protestants, after all.

Christmas is only a Protestant holiday?

Somebody better tell the Pope.

[B Knotts]

I noticed the same thing on his radio show.

[unbalanced but fair]

I don't know which retailer you work for, but the last three that I worked for sent memos to the stores specifying that employees say "Happy Holidays" or "Seasons Greetings." I've been in retail for many years and I noticed this change about 10 years ago. I always thought it was kind of hypocritical since we still put up Christmas trees and other decorations. I've yet to have corporate send a Menorah or anything for Ramadan or Kwanzaa to display.

[Echo Talon]

These stores are not catering only to Anglo-Saxon protestants, after all.

Tell that to the to the thousands of Christians in the Sudan that are have been murdered the past year... Maybe you have a misunderstanding of what Christianity is? Christianity is NOT a race...

[MaelstromWar]

Where exactly did I refer to christians as a race? I referred to them as 'protestants.' It isn't my fault that they are predominantly Anglo-Saxon.

[Echo Talon]

It isn't my fault that they are predominantly Anglo-Saxon.

I don't even know that statement to be valid... You believe the Majority of Christians in the ENTIRE world combined are Anglo's? I don't think so...

[elli1]

Maelstom's comments were on the article which wasn't about the Sudan. It was about shoppers in the US and the majority of US citizens probably do identify themselves as being of Anglo-Saxon descent.

[Conspiracy Guy]

I like boycotts. Sometimes it brings the price down for me to get a deal. ; )

[realpatriot]

Too difficult for you to even capitalize His name???

SOB

[freeangel]

"Isn't Jesus the one who is supposed to be receiving presents?"

I believe that He was the present to us.

[freeangel]

Odd(NOT) that the Macys ad today had no trouble advertising for "After Christmas sales" today. I refuse to give this company who was loathe to use the Christmas word before Christmas any of my money.

[Sloth]

Try to find any religous products to buy at Tar-gete (the french spelling)

Well, they do have the Cheeses of Nazareth:

http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/601-8081024-3017760?_encoding=UTF8&frombrowse=1&asin=B0002AJ8O2