Wal-Mart Confronted on 'Happy Holidays' Options

[Chii]

Wal-Mart Confronted on 'Happy Holidays'
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - A group of religious protesters demonstrated outside a Wal-Mart superstore Saturday, hoping to turn away customers by calling attention to the retailer's decision to use "happy holidays" rather than "merry Christmas" in its seasonal advertising.

But even shoppers who agreed with the protesters weren't willing to interrupt their quest for holiday deals.

"I believe in Christ, and I don't like the use of 'xmas' or the use of 'happy holidays,'" said Steven Van Noy, 39, as he left the store loaded down with packages. "The bottom line is that they had what I needed at Wal-Mart, so I went to Wal-Mart to buy it."

Controversy over the secularization of Christmas is nothing new, but this year religious groups are publicly taking on retailers who have decided to tone down the religious aspects of the holiday in their store decorations and promotional material.

In an online petition, the American Family Association recently gathered more than 500,000 signatures asking Target to include Christmas in its promotions. Stores such as Sears and Wal-Mart are facing boycotts.

Wal-Mart spokeswoman Amy Wyatt said the company has made no effort to remove Christmas from its holiday ads. She said a promotion set to run from mid-November to early January was simply misunderstood: its slogan is "home for the holidays."

"It was a matter of choosing a slogan that carries through the entire season," Wyatt said. "The signs went up before Thanksgiving and won't be taken down until after New Year's. The idea was to focus on the family."

About 50 protesters took part in Saturday's demonstration, organized by religious leaders. d**k Otterstad of the Church of the Divide donned a Santa Claus costume and greeted shoppers with the message: Don't forget about the meaning of Christmas.

"It is insulting that Wal-Mart has chosen to ignore the reason for the season," Otterstad said. "Taking the word 'Christmas' out of the holiday implies there's something sinful about it. ... This is a part of our culture."

what is the big deal with "happy holidays"? not everyone celebrates christmas, have these people not heard of kwanzaa or hanukkah? "happy holidays" just covers all the bases.

[*mona lisa*]

Fae...

Hmm... I should Google this and see what sort of results I get.

[Spirited Away]

Fae...
Hmm... I should Google this and see what sort of results I get.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10355980/
Cracks me up that this is a religious free country, but many petty jealousies conveniently put a cap on that which the US Constitution so clearly states. There are fanatics, like a Mr. Wildmon, who would be miffed that the President helped Muslims celebrate Ramadan and wish his friends and family a "Happy Holiday Season". It seems this man is unreasonably jealous that Muslims have a place in the White House. And while Rev Jerry Falwell may believe that this is a nation "under God", not every citizen—with the same rights to liberty as he, believes so. It is discriminating, demeaningly so when he tries to pass it off as a fact. However, the one truth that we must all be subjected to, as it is HISTORY and the LAW, is the United States of America was founded on the basis of religious freedom, not the freedom to worship God alone.

The MSNBC link was an interesting read, but it expired. You can google on Bush and Happy Holiday cards and something should pop up.

Edit> here is the article. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...5120601900.html

We live in a free enterprise nation where dominance rules.
Hence voting.
That's why it was brought up.
I'm a chick...:S
Anyway this all boils down to the AGE OLD question, Freedom or equality;;Free Enterprise or Communism?
I want the freedom to say Merry Christmas, and I want others to have the freedom to be able to say Happy Hannukkah or Merry Kwanza.
I'm not going to say "Happy Holidays" just to make other people happy.

So it makes sense then to consider that free enterprise should allow Happy Holidays to be used since it encompasses a respect for all religions, thus giving a competitive advantage since all target markets can relate to "holidays" and not something religion specific like "Christmas".
You have the right to say Merry Christmas just as everyone else has the right to say Happy Holidays. Again, if you work for a company that CHOOSES not to allow employees to say Merry Christmas, quit and find one that will.

[Stephire]

You have the right to say Merry Christmas just as everyone else has the right to say Happy Holidays. Again, if you work for a company that CHOOSES not to allow employees to say Merry Christmas, quit and find one that will.

Not really. My whole choir group(choir is also my second hour) got bitched at by pinchy liberals in the park for saying Merry Christmas at the end of our concert. Pfft. I can't quit school. It was a christmas concert and we got yelled at, them threatening "sewing" the teachers for not teaching us "right". WTF@That.

[Spirited Away]

Not really. My whole choir group(choir is also my second hour) got bitched at by pinchy liberals in the park for saying Merry Christmas at the end of our concert. Pfft. I can't quit school.

School didn't disallow you to say Merry Christmas (no need to quit), neither did those "pinchy liberals". Just as you have the right to say Merry Christmas, people have the right to complain. Christians are doing just that about Happy Holidays.