yeah, all you Russian Orthodox, too, I know all about your old calendar, but you're in a Gregorian country now,
I was in Guanzhou, China, yesterday. Not a particularly westernized place, particularly with regard to Hong Kong or Shanghai.
Christmas decorations just about everywhere (in a large pedestrian shopping area anyway).
I'm in Almaty, Kazakhstan today. Not quite so prevalent, but obvious nonetheless.
Japan -- same.
Way off topic -- how does a president have power to revoke a pardon? I would have thought that, once granted, the pardon is complete. And why would the power to revoke lie only with the pardoning president? Or is it that the pardon was announced before execution?My understanding is that the pardon in question had been announced but not formally executed.
But what I really hate is when people who know I'm Jewish give me a "Happy Holidays," because they're too lazy to tailor their greeting to me.
Good slogan to post in the colostomy ward at this time of year.Yep.
But Kazakhstan's about half Russian Orthodox. (Well, okay, 44%, according to the all-knowing Wikipedia.) Some of them must know something about the guy.
Who are you, Santa Claus?
Anyway, I wish everyone the best.I'll second that.
Moshe (mail):
I have no problem with someone wishing me a Merry Christmas - it doesn't bother or offend me in any way (although given the prominent placement of my Yarmulka on top of my head, it is a bit odd).
The only problem is that for my own religious reasons I can't wish someone the same in return, which creates an awkward situation. If I say happy New Year (which is religiously fine for me) the other person might get offended that I deliberately did not wish him a Merry Christmas (and not entirely without cause).
Everyone on this site is so predictable.We all knew you'd say that.
I just assume they don't know the name of whichever holiday is coming up, or don't want to attempt pronouncing it. Or, if it's Tishri, I assume they're wishing that all the holidays of that season be happy for me. In any case, I'm used to being wished a "gut yontiff" or a "hag sameah" without the specific "yontiff" or "hag" being specified, so why should the same greeting in English be different?Because in each case, the holiday in question is implicit? And in English, it ain't Chanukah. Particularly since (as I mentioned earlier) the expression is used solely at Christmastime. (When Chanukah's already over and people are still saying it, it's pretty obvious that they're referring to the Xmas.)
Can someone please tell me what Hava Nagila (a modern secular song from Israel) has to do with Chanukah? It's more akin to Meher Baba -- "Be happy, be happy", followed by several different ways of expressing the same sentiment.
One year the Christmas pageant even included a song that had words to the effect that everyone has a holiday at this time of year.
As an El-Al plane lands at Ben Gurion Airport in Israel, the voice of the Captain comes over the PA system:
"Please remain seated with your seat belts fastened until this plane is at a complete standstill and the seat belt signs have been turned off. We also wish to remind you that using cell phone on board the aircraft is strictly prohibited."
"For those who are seated, we wish you a Merry Christmas and hope that you enjoy your stay...and to those of you standing in the aisle and talking on their cell phones, we wish you a Happy Chanukah, and welcome back home."
Why can't you wish them happiness in celebrating their holiday?
which in English is messiah, which is Anglicised from moshiach, which in Hebrew means "annointed." With the implication that he is THE messiah -- a belief that I do not hold and am prohibited from affirming. When you add certain other aspects that were never part of the Jewish concept of the messiah but that have become part and parcel of the majority religion since at least the time that the Nestorians were declared to be heretical, well, I'll pass, thank you.
The name means "Anointed One"
With the implication that he is THE messiah -- a belief that I do not hold and am prohibited from affirming. When you add certain other aspects that were never part of the Jewish concept of the messiah but that have become part and parcel of the majority religion since at least the time that the Nestorians were declared to be heretical, well, I'll pass, thank you.
Having once worked retail, I realize that this is an area fraught with importance to those who are looking for the smallest opportunity to take offense. Wish them a "Happy Holidays" and you're committing the first major offensive of the "War on Christmas". Wish them a "Merry Christmas" and you've established Christian Dominion over their lives.
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