Once Again Retailers Admit Which "Holiday" They Meant

Multiple: Macys, Kmart, Barnes and Noble ^ | 12-27-07 | self

[icwhatudo]

With Kwanzaa just starting and New Years still days away, retailer's attempts to be inclusive go right out the window with the annual "after holiday" sales that start on December 26.

Barnes and Noble, in an effort not to offend, refused to use the dreaded C word in pre-Christmas ads. I guess they don't get the idea that running Barnes and Noble's "after holiday" sale starting December 26 kinda lets people know what "holiday" you meant all along.

Kmart goes so far as to have a cartoon in an ad saying to decorations "Lets spend the Holidays together again next year". I guess those "Holiday decorations" and "Holiday lights" they sold really were meant just for Christmas.

Prior to Christmas, Macys ran full page ads listing how many "days to go" but never said days till what.Macys now is touting its "After Christmas" sale.

Bath And Bodyworks is another retailer that seems to be admitting they meant Christmas all along.

While I'm sure others can find more examples, I thought I'd point out just some of the hypocrisy of retailers who claim they use the word holidays "to honor all the holidays this time of year". Funny how that honoring ends December 26.

[icwhatudo]

Over all it was a better year for the C word as Target made a big comeback with huge "Merry Christmas" signs. Wal Mart renamed its decorations department the "Christmas Shop" and even Best Buy dropped the holiday talk and went with the trifecta of Happy Kwanzaa/Merry Christmas/Happy Hanukkah signage. Lowes had some more "printing errors" (seems like this is always the excuse when they get busted) and were quick to make corrections and apologize...again.

One thing that was nice to see was at Home Depot. While Walmart and other stores sold Merry Christmas gift cards, Home Depot had a beautiful nativity scene on some of its gift cards. Sick, crass, commercialization?...to some...to me it was just nice to see that the reason for the season is being remembered.

[AliVeritas]

Thanks.

[beaversmom]

Good points.

[durasell]

Yes! I can once again count on spiritual renewal at my local big box retailer!

[FormerACLUmember]

The retailers have dropped “Christmas.”

And Christians have begun to drop the retailers.

[MARTIAL MONK]

Ah, but if you go near a Starbucks you are going straight to Hell!

[durasell]

I’ve actually given this some thought and, very truthfully, I don’t see how lack of signage is a “War on Christmas” and influencing signage is a victory.

As far as I can tell it has more to do with:

A)Creating a belief that Christians are somehow under attack for reasons I don’t quite understand.

B)The satisfaction of influencing some entity as a group, such as a multinational corporation, also for reasons I also don’t quite understand.

[MARTIAL MONK]

As with most institutions, especially social ones, Christianity is reforming under our very noses and we can't see it. Look at the number of young people who describe themselves as "spiritual but not religious" and you will see the next generation of Christians. The next generation Church will be vibrant, alive and optimistic. A sharp contrast to the dour, sour and dogmatic Muslims.

Or others.

[MARTIAL MONK]

I think that there is a real need for the religious to be put-upon to confirm their religiousity. I prefer to walk into a room with such a feeling of confidence that any doubters come away with the impression that no matter what they do to me, kill me, suppress me, feed me to the lions, that they will not have touched my faith.

[durasell]

Islam is also reforming — I’ve seen it. That may be part of the problem.

[MARTIAL MONK]

An epic match. With faith and a slingshot, I will slay Goliath.

[durasell]

I meant that it was loosening up in some respects. All religions have to function in the “real world” and are, for better or worse, shaped by the environment.

Islamic fundamentalism is a relatively new phenom.

[MARTIAL MONK]

I remember being warned (Time Magazine) in the 1970's that we would have to deal someday with Islamic Fundamentalism. The wave of attacks by them sputtered and finally fizzled out and I expect the same thing to happen now, followed by a revival followed by decline. It's something that we will have to deal with for the forseeable future.

Islam cannot hold off the modern world forever. They will go out screaming and fighting. Like you say, they will adapt or they will die.

[netmilsmom]

Short of Walmart, I avoid all stores. Especially on the 26th.

[durasell]

Many have adapted. When you talk about Islam, you’re talking about approximately a quarter of the world’s population. In light of more than a billion people, the acts of terror and riots are relatively small and usually linked to politics. I think that linkage is the problem.

[rabidralph]

People should take pictures of the After Christmas ads and placards in the stores and then next year, ask the same retailers why their pre-Christmas ads don’t mention Christmas.

[RobbyS]

Careful about the forms that adaptations take. The Japanese”modernized” but kept their “phraroh” until 1945.

[RobbyS]

It took only a few thousand Bolsheviks utterly to transform the Russian Empire. The jihadists are just as bloody-minded and, furthermore, are backed by a lot of oil money.

[cb]

Well, I don’t know about the rest of you, but I live in Texas. This year, I heard Merry Christmas MORE than I have in the last 10 years. It seemed like a real backlash to me. Even the cashier in Barnes and Noble wished me a Merry Christmas! The worm MAY have turned. PC loses this round.

[Cvengr]

Ah, but if you go near a Starbucks you are going straight to Hell!

..or at least a very hot, frothy Latte!