War on Christmas?

[MarkFL]

The only reason I use the photo cards is I send Christmas cards to a huge list of people, most of whom I do not see on a regular basis. Sometimes they haven't even seen my family since the last Christmas photo card! I like the cards because they allow me to keep people updated on my family--that's the only real reason.

 

[diznutt]

It's all about the human connection. The whole point of the cards is to connect with people you care about and who hopefully feel the same way.

Anyone who gets upset about the lack of a religious connection truly deserves the moniker of "irrational religious zealot".

 

[luvsJack]

I send very few cards of any kind, only to family that live away but I have mixed feelings about the photo cards.

I can kind of see the author's point in that pictures of families on beaches or somewhere similar does take away from the meaning of the season. If someone is doing picture cards, I would rather see a family Christmas picture--not something taken last summer.

I have a family member who has always done picture cards. The first several years she sent actual family pictures taken with their tree or something like that; now she gets creative. One year it was a picture taken in WDW, one year on the beach in Florida and one year beside their brand new built in swimming pool. I think the pictures are cute, but I can certainly see where some would feel like she was saying "look what I have the money to do and you don't".

I also get picture cards from a friend at work. Her kids are cute and all but I wish she would only send these to family. She and I are fairly good friends, but her family and my family do not know each other, we do not socialize outside of work; what am I supposed to do with these pictures?

BTW, I see both of these people every day. This is one of the reasons I don't send cards. I would much rather hear someone say "Merry Christmas" than receive a card; I send cards to those I can't say "Merry Christmas" in person to.

 

[LaraK]

Well, since the heathens get their panties all in a wad when I send the cards celebrating my faith, I thought I was being nice switching to a secular card. JUST KIDDING!




Honestly? If you get a card from me it's because we have a relationship. I send cards to people who are Catholic and cards to people who are Jewish (NOT Christmas cards, although none of the people who I know and care about would care if I did...but because I care about them I send non-denominational cards) and people who are not religious in any way. I send them cards because I care about them. I send pictures of my kids to people who love my kids.

I love getting photo cards. I haven't seen the kids in ages usually and it's nice seeing how they've grown. I don't send them most years mostly because I can't get my act together early enough to have them printed.

Don't like my card? Don't open it. Want to start a fight where you bash religion again? I ain't biting.

Merry Christmas.

 

[powellrj]

What must people think of my cards this year. It seems I broke every rule. I used a family picture taken in the summer.

My DS got married and we used a family wedding picture with our new DDIL front and center. Before anyone thinks I broke the law, I bought a disk from the photographer and had a signed release.

It did have JOY printed on the card and I did add a Merry Christmas from Our Family to the bottom before I signed it.

If anyone reading this is offended, I apologize now and will take you off my list for next year. Almost all the cards we have gotten since I sent the picture have thanked me for it, so I guess a few people must not be offended.

 

[SydneyBristow]

I think it's a ridiculous article that's way off base. Just for the record no, I don't send photo cards but I like receiving them and yes, I am a Christian.

 

[BunsenH]

We sent photo cards, but they said Merry Christmas AND we only buy 'religious' (Madonna) stamps. All bases covered!

 

[SnowWhite607]

I think this is ridiculous. The author is implying that you are somehow comitting a sin if you send a photo card and you happen to be Christian. Its all a bunch of baloney! Just someone looking to start yet another fight. Why cant we all just get along???

 

[MarkBarbieri]

I think that it is wrong to see Christmas as only a celebration of the birth of Christ. If that was the purpose, we would celebrate it closer to the time of Christ's birth, not at the start of winter.

Almost every non-equitorial culture on earth has some sort of major celebration near or on the winter solstice. It is my understanding that the timing of Christmas for celebrating the birth of Christ was adopted to fit well with the other solstice celebrations in Rome at that time. It has always been a hybrid of Christian and secular traditions.

To follow the original poster's logic to an extreme, we should also avoid non-religious carols like "Jingle Bells" or "White Christmas". We should avoid non-religious decorations like trees and lights. We should also avoid Santa Claus, Frosty and Rudolph.

My view is that if you want to restrict Christmas to only it's "true" meaning, you should move it to a different time of year and keep it focused only on Christ. Personally, I love the mixture of religious symbolism and secular jocularity. It's a delightful holiday season with both religious and secular traditions. If you want to send me cards showing baby Jesus, feel free. If you want to send me cards show you and baby Jose, that's great to. Enjoy the holiday season. Celebrate again the birth of Christ, the lengthening of the days, or whatever story of regeneration and new hope that makes you happy.

Just don't go all puritan on me and insist that I only celebrate this time of year the way you decry. It isn't just your party and you didn't even start it.

 

[Holly]

I think that it is wrong to see Christmas as only a celebration of the birth of Christ. If that was the purpose, we would celebrate it closer to the time of Christ's birth, not at the start of winter.

Almost every non-equitorial culture on earth has some sort of major celebration near or on the winter solstice. It is my understanding that the timing of Christmas for celebrating the birth of Christ was adopted to fit well with the other solstice celebrations in Rome at that time. It has always been a hybrid of Christian and secular traditions.

To follow the original poster's logic to an extreme, we should also avoid non-religious carols like "Jingle Bells" or "White Christmas". We should avoid non-religious decorations like trees and lights. We should also avoid Santa Claus, Frosty and Rudolph.

My view is that if you want to restrict Christmas to only it's "true" meaning, you should move it to a different time of year and keep it focused only on Christ. Personally, I love the mixture of religious symbolism and secular jocularity. It's a delightful holiday season with both religious and secular traditions. If you want to send me cards showing baby Jesus, feel free. If you want to send me cards show you and baby Jose, that's great to. Enjoy the holiday season. Celebrate again the birth of Christ, the lengthening of the days, or whatever story of regeneration and new hope that makes you happy.

Just don't go all puritan on me and insist that I only celebrate this time of year the way you decry. It isn't just your party and you didn't even start it.

Great points.

You saved me the time of typing all that out so I'll just add a