In a trend consistent with the buttons I linked to earlier.
MADEIRA – Dan and Jennifer Giroux are hoping you don’t have a happy "holiday season."
And if anyone tries to greet the Madeira couple with that well-wishing, they’re likely to get angry.
As devout Catholics, the Girouxs are part of a growing religious movement that is upset by what they believe is the secularization of the Christmas holiday.
The couple has created a nationwide sensation by selling green and red rubber bracelets inscribed with the saying, "Just Say ‘Merry Christmas,’" through their Madeira store, the Catholic Shop.
The bracelets are designed as a statement against the increased use of the generic phrase "happy holidays.” Jennifer Giroux described the trend as "political correctness run amok."
Since the Girouxs began selling the bracelets two weeks ago, they have been inundated with orders through the Internet and shipped the items to 43 states. Besides individual sales, the shop has gotten orders from churches, youth groups and civic clubs. [Source]
14 comments
Nice job! At you the excellent site.
When our eldest was a toddler he was often asked if he was excited about Santa Claus coming. Since these were invariably kind and friendly inquiries and not at all meant to offend, we taught him to answer that he was excited about Baby Jesus coming. Perhaps the faint reproof of his reply was softened by the big blue eyes and the golden ringlets, but the response was always very positive and encouraging.
Delta epsilon lambda beta alpha… delba? Okay.
Anyway, I posted my thoughts on this topic on my site. That’s all, really.
I don’t mind this whole “Just say Merry Christmas” thing, but the problem is it might sound a little too “in your face” to other people. Not saying that we are “imposing our morals on other people” (like that has ever been a crime), but I am saying that with a “it’s Christmas, get used to it” attitude, one sounds unapproachable and rude. Know what I mean?
Rather than “Just say Merry Christmas” I just-say: “Merry Christmas.” It is not a rebuke, it is a greeting offered with sincere wishes that the recipient (whatever he says to me) truly has a merry Christmas! I don’t remember where I was recently, but someone did say to me “Happy Holidays” – it was a corporate sort of situation – Wal Mart or something like it. I responded, “Merry Christmas” for which the man gave me a knowing look of acknowledgment – but even if he was not in accord with the whole Christmas greeting, my “merry Christmas” was simply that! No rancor, no littleness!
The bracelets are not a bad idea, as long as they don’t turn the wearer into a smug self-righteous “merry Christmas”er!
Hm. “It’s Okay If You Say Merry Christmas” would tone it down, but it’s a bit cumbersome to get on a bracelet or a lapel pin. It’s not quite, however, in a league with the sandwich board I sometimes wish for when I happen to be out with only two of the children: “As A Matter Of Fact I Have Five, But Three Of Them Aren’t Here Right Now”; or the all-time most unwieldy political slogan, from the 1980 presidential primaries: “If Everyone Who Said, ‘I’d Vote For Anderson If I Thought He Could Win’ DID Vote For Him, He WOULD Win.” The trouble with that one was that the batteries in the megaphone would have run down by the time an Anderson supporter had chanted the campaign mantra more than twice.
If anyone wishes me “happy holidays”, I simply say back, “sure, and you have a merry Christmas”.
OH SO GENERIC!
Peace,
BMP
I would just like to say that what you are doing is HORRIBLE. You people make me stand by my belief that outrageously religious people like you promote an evil way of thinking by causing more trouble than actually helping those in need like the rest of us. GOOD people like JESUS promoted equality…did u forget that? of course you did because your our absolutely ridiculous scheme of “just say Merry Christmas.” You can be devout all you want, just remember that this country is NOT built on one single religion and it might help you to tatoo that to your forehead for every minute you seem to forget it. How the HELL could we disciminate Christmas when Christianity is the dominate religion? “Merry Christmas” is much more discriminitory then “Happy Holidays.” What about the Jewish people who celebrate Hannukah, should they be left out? Please explain to me WHY they should be left out because once again i am confused beyond belief at another one of your ridiculous ideas. Jesus was Jewish, wouldn’t he have celebrated Hannuka? Thus, aren’t you discriminating again JESUS? your own SAVIOR? think about it..long and hard..before your ridiculous scandles leads you to even more evil.
Why is such an effort being made to preserve a holiday in the mind of secular culture, rather than to, say, remember to help those in desperate need? What would Jesus do?
“What about the Jewish people who celebrate Hannukah, should they be left out?”
My take is this: if I wish someone “Merry Christmas”, and that someone tells me he/she is Jewish, I would gladly and respectfully wish him/her “Happy Hanukkah” (or in Adam Sandler’s words – “Happy Eight Crazy Nights”).
BMP (who has Jewish friends who are also very good musicians)
It’s December 12, and I’ve not sent out cards, let alone gift-shopped (other than to fulfill the starred wishes taken from our parish’s giving Christmas tree to help families who have applied for Christmas joy from Catholic Charities). It’s nuts. It’s all gone just too nuts.
It is Christ’s birthday– not ours, not the nation’s, not Walmart’s.
Christ’s.
“It is Christ’s birthday– not ours, not the nation’s, not Walmart’s.
Christ’s”
Bingo!
BMP
Hey, that little bracelet just made the local news tonight. But I can say: I SAW IT FIRST ON THE CURT JESTER!!! 🙂
Man, if I had your creativity I’d be richer than the Minnesota Trinity! Keep up the great work!
BMP
“Just Say Merry Christmas”, isn’t to shove it down anyones throat, but to ALLOW 81% of the people in the USA that are Christians, it’s OK to remember that it’s Christ’s birthday.
Happy Holiday to anyone else.
By the way, recent polls show that 31% of jewish people celebrate Christmas.
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