Merry Christmas vs. Happy Holidays .

[edward]

I was under the impression that this never happened and there isn't any evidence that the Romans ever practiced such a census.

If it was for tax purposes there was definitely a census

 

[Charmar]

"Bloody Romans...

What have they ever done for us?"

Perhaps we should ask the Peoples Front of Judea...


I had a coworker just last night give me a little guff about responding "Happy Holidays" to his "Merry Christmas." Perhaps it happens just as much both ways?

 

[Vanadium 50]

I was under the impression that this never happened and there isn't any evidence that the Romans ever practiced such a census.

The Romans loved the census - itself a Latin word. It goes all the way back to the Kings of Rome, centuries before the Empire. Augustus took at least three, in 28 BC, 8 BC and 14 AD.

This actually is a problem with biblical chronology. We have a ministry that began when Jesus was about 30, lasted 1-3 years and he was executed under Pontius Pilate, whose reign began in 26 and ended in 36. It's a bit of a stretch to make the 8 BC census work out, and the other two are hopeless.

 

[Ryan_m_b]

The Romans loved the census - itself a Latin word. It goes all the way back to the Kings of Rome, centuries before the Empire. Augustus took at least three, in 28 BC, 8 BC and 14 AD
.

I'm aware of the censuses but its the whole "go back to your home town" thing that I'm fairly certain never happened.

 

[Jow]

#1: The date of Jesus' birth was moved to coincide with the pagan festival Saturnalia as a way to convert more pagans (in the same way that saints were invented for pagans who were uncomfortable with monotheism)
#2: Easter falls on the Sunday following the Paschal full moon.
#3: There was a Roman census around the time Jesus' birth was estimated

Sources: I am still being raised a catholic

 

[RabbitWho]

I don't think anyone actually objects but it would just sound pretty idiotic of me to say Merry Christmas to my Chinese friends. If all of your friends come from a Christian culture then go ahead and say Merry Christmas.

Actually, I don't know. Isn't Easter one of those holidays that doesn't have a fixed day?
But is there a connection I'm missing?

I didn't know they did move the date. Why did they have to move it? And how does that relate to his real day of birth?

It's a coincidence that Mark Twain predicted when he'd die.
Coincidences happen.

I went to a catholic school and our priest was the one who told us that Jesus was born in the summer and that Christmas was chosen to compete with pagan rituals.

It doesn't say anywhere in the bible that Christians have to ignore the reasons behind the historic spread of Christianity...

Surely the least interesting and least contentious thing about any religion should be the days of the year it celebrates its festivals on...

 

[Jow]

I went to a catholic school and our priest was the one who told us that Jesus was born in the summer and that Christmas was chosen to compete with pagan rituals.

I still go to Catholic School and one of my former priests told us all of those things. He believed that a religion's history, even the bad parts, were important to learning the true meaning behind the religion.
I wish my priest and teachers now were more like him. I often tell all of my friends all of these things, but I do try to keep it to a minimum. One can easily get reprimanded in my school for, what many of my teachers believe is, belittling Catholicism.

 

[RabbitWho]

I still go to Catholic School and one of my former priests told us all of those things. He believed that a religion's history, even the bad parts, were important to learning the true meaning behind the religion.
I wish my priest and teachers now were more like him. I often tell all of my friends all of these things, but I do try to keep it to a minimum. One can easily get reprimanded in my school for, what many of my teachers believe is, belittling Catholicism.

That's hard :( They'll lose people with that attitude, they can't hope that when their students go out into the real world and are affronted with this they're just going to block their ears and say "la la la la". They should talk about it openly.

Also one of the nice things about religion is its connection with other subjects like history and the development of philosophy and art, okay, the art part isn't going to create any controversy... but it's a pity to just ignore things like the church rejecting Descartes and then much later appropriating his ideas, that's fascinating!

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

I don't think anyone actually objects but it would just sound pretty idiotic of me to say Merry Christmas to my Chinese friends.

Me too. I'd be more likely to say 聖誕快樂.

 

[RabbitWho]

Me too. I'd be more likely to say 聖誕快樂.

Heh heh, good point, I'd be more likely to say Bones Festes!

 

[Jow]

Unless I am certain of a person's beliefs, customs etc. I greet them with the usual pleasantries. I won't even use "Happy Holidays" I simply say "Hello"/"Goodbye". If someone says "Merry Christmas" to me, I will say "Merry Christmas" back. It is the same if they say "Happy Hanukkah".

 

[ZombieFeynman]

I know someone who wishes everyone "happy solstice" and responds to everyone sneezing with "zeus strike the sickness from you."