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.

[*digital.fragrance*]

3) Actually, it is quite certain and agreed by all religious institutions that Christ was not born on December 25th. The date is used for the convenience of conversion. That much is clear and undebatable. Christians didn't choose to celebrate on December 25th out of the blue and to claim that it's wrong to say Happy Holidays when Christians took over the holidays from Pagan traditions is RIDICULOUSLY hyppocritcal.
4) The said term isn't copyrighted. If Christians want the word to be holiday specific and not used freely by non-Christians or for commercial means, get it copyrighted or turn it into a trademark. It's NOT only non-Christians that's doing the limiting, haven't you heard that there are Christian lead movements to kick Happy Holidays out? The reason to remove Merry Christmas is simply CHOICE. If I hire you to work for me and do not like the fact that you can't say Merry Christmas, you have the CHOICE to quit.

3. I know - they decided they needed to celebrate something on the same day. And we're not saying it's wrong to say "happy holidays." We just hate the fact that they are removing "CHRIST" out of a nationally celebrated holiday because they say it's "Christian" when it really isn't anymore.
4. I know it's not copyrighted. We don't want it to be holiday specific - we just wnat people to have the right to say it if they want to (in the context of employees). Some people really don't have the choice to quit. Many people haev different financial situations, and jobs shouldn't dictate what people have a right to say and not to say. They can't limit our freedom of speech.