Midnight Confessions

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seoulsearch

OutWrite Trouble
May 23, 2009
14,940
4,580
113
I really hate to hear the words "Happy Holidays." I would rather you not tell me anything. To me you're basically saying "I want the world to take over the Christian holiday where you celebrate the birth of your Savior, and have it turn into a bland holiday where people buy gifts for each other."
The words "Happy Holidays" mean very little to me.
I had a guy on a Christian dating site thoroughly chew me out once for using the term "Happy Holidays." So sorry to disappoint someone in that I'm not a perfect cookie-cutter Christian.

Yes, I am one of those pagan, horrible people who dares utter those two words.

My life is such that I don't see people very often throughout the year, so anyone I see around October or November whom I won't be seeing for a while will very likely get a "Happy Holidays, God Bless You!" from me as we part ways. To me, it's just a generic, obligatory holiday acknowledgment that is said out of basic social expectation.

I know some will see this as pure laziness, but I don't want to have to give a separate greeting for all 3 holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's) to every person I'm hugging goodbye.

The conversation is usually more geared around their families, job, and life in general rather than a socially constructed holiday greeting.

P.S. No worries, Little Mermaid -- I know you weren't meaning what you said in an offensive way at all. :)

You know me, I just had to give an alternative view. :D
 
L

LittleMermaid

Guest
I had a guy on a Christian dating site thoroughly chew me out once for using the term "Happy Holidays." So sorry to disappoint someone in that I'm not a perfect cookie-cutter Christian.

Yes, I am one of those pagan, horrible people who dares utter those two words.

My life is such that I don't see people very often throughout the year, so anyone I see around October or November whom I won't be seeing for a while will very likely get a "Happy Holidays, God Bless You!" from me as we part ways. To me, it's just a generic, obligatory holiday acknowledgment that is said out of basic social expectation.

I know some will see this as pure laziness, but I don't want to have to give a separate greeting for all 3 holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's) to every person I'm hugging goodbye.

The conversation is usually more geared around their families, job, and life in general rather than a socially constructed holiday greeting.

P.S. No worries, Little Mermaid -- I know you weren't meaning what you said in an offensive way at all. :)

You know me, I just had to give an alternative view. :D
I know that some people who are atheists do it on purpose to upset Christians. So I purposely say "Merry Christmas" to as many people as I can in this time of year.
I actually think "Happy Holidays" is way more generic and cookie cutter than "Merry Christmas" because it's politically correct. Many Christians won't say "Merry Christmas" because they want to be PC.
But since you add "God Bless" that's good and shows you're not doing it to upset Christians.
 
L

LittleMermaid

Guest
I wanted to add but ran out of room!
I guess Happy Holidays or Merry Christmas are both fine if the one saying it is doing it out of love. And knowing you @seoulsearch , I'm sure that's what you are doing.
Some atheists say HH to upset Christians. But some Christians say MC to upset atheists. Which I myself am guilty of sometimes.
I need to learn to start saying it because I genuinely do wish them a Merry Christmas.
 

seoulsearch

OutWrite Trouble
May 23, 2009
14,940
4,580
113
I wanted to add but ran out of room!
I guess Happy Holidays or Merry Christmas are both fine if the one saying it is doing it out of love. And knowing you @seoulsearch , I'm sure that's what you are doing.
Some atheists say HH to upset Christians. But some Christians say MC to upset atheists. Which I myself am guilty of sometimes.
I need to learn to start saying it because I genuinely do wish them a Merry Christmas.
I have to admit, LM, I don't think I've had the experience of having an atheist try to upset me via "Happy Holidays."

If I did, I'm sure my view would be quite different. Oddly enough, all I seem to have experienced were Christians trying to overcompensate for it, to a point where it felt like political correctness gone horribly wrong ("I'm so excited for CHRISTmas!!! Are you ready for CHRISTmas? Don't you just love the joy and meaning behind the CHRISTmas season?!?)

I'm not saying this person was wrong in any way... It's just that this person already knew I was a fellow believer and so to me, it felt a little awkward -- like a backhanded way of telling me I'm not CHRISTian enough.

But I definitely see what you're saying from your perspective, and it was very informative.

Thank you for taking the time to add examples and background information!
 

Deade

Called of God
Dec 17, 2017
16,724
10,529
113
77
Vinita, Oklahoma, USA
yeshuaofisrael.org
I know that some people who are atheists do it on purpose to upset Christians. So I purposely say "Merry Christmas" to as many people as I can in this time of year.
I actually think "Happy Holidays" is way more generic and cookie cutter than "Merry Christmas" because it's politically correct. Many Christians won't say "Merry Christmas" because they want to be PC.
But since you add "God Bless" that's good and shows you're not doing it to upset Christians.
Some Christians do not even celebrate Christmas. What should we say? Did you know Jews don't celebrate birthdays? 4-scratch_chin.gif
 

tourist

Senior Member
Mar 13, 2014
41,243
16,252
113
69
Tennessee
I had a guy on a Christian dating site thoroughly chew me out once for using the term "Happy Holidays." So sorry to disappoint someone in that I'm not a perfect cookie-cutter Christian.

Yes, I am one of those pagan, horrible people who dares utter those two words.

My life is such that I don't see people very often throughout the year, so anyone I see around October or November whom I won't be seeing for a while will very likely get a "Happy Holidays, God Bless You!" from me as we part ways. To me, it's just a generic, obligatory holiday acknowledgment that is said out of basic social expectation.

I know some will see this as pure laziness, but I don't want to have to give a separate greeting for all 3 holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's) to every person I'm hugging goodbye.

The conversation is usually more geared around their families, job, and life in general rather than a socially constructed holiday greeting.

P.S. No worries, Little Mermaid -- I know you weren't meaning what you said in an offensive way at all. :)

You know me, I just had to give an alternative view. :D
Your Happy Holiday's rationale makes a lot of sense to me. I do enjoy hearing and responding to a Merry Christmas though. :)
 

Magenta

Senior Member
Jul 3, 2015
55,247
25,716
113


This is the cake I made for my nine year's sobriety milestone meeting tomorrow morning :)

The dough is a funny/awful greyish color because I tried to make it purple :unsure::giggle:

Once it is cooled and out of the pan I will make a purple topping for it :D
 

BrotherMike

Be Still and Know
Jan 8, 2018
1,617
1,670
113
My confession midnight is usually my lunch time and I live in the states! Sure limits my eating options though... unless I bring food from home.
 

love_comes_softly

Well-known member
Feb 13, 2019
768
822
93
Yes, praying that it will change sometime soon but until then I'm thankful I have a good job.
Those are difficult hours. I always wondered how hard it would be to function around others when their schedules are so different from your own.

Praise God for work though, you are right!
 

tourist

Senior Member
Mar 13, 2014
41,243
16,252
113
69
Tennessee


This is the cake I made for my nine year's sobriety milestone meeting tomorrow morning :)

The dough is a funny/awful greyish color because I tried to make it purple :unsure::giggle:

Once it is cooled and out of the pan I will make a purple topping for it :D
It looks yummy that's for sure.
 

tourist

Senior Member
Mar 13, 2014
41,243
16,252
113
69
Tennessee
My confession midnight is usually my lunch time and I live in the states! Sure limits my eating options though... unless I bring food from home.
Overnight shifts are rough. When I was on the graveyard shift I was constantly tired and drained. Thankfully, I am on the day shift now which is more suitable for me since I am a morning person.
 

Magenta

Senior Member
Jul 3, 2015
55,247
25,716
113
It looks yummy that's for sure.

Here it is with the topping made of sour cream, maple sugar, lemon juice, and mashed raspberries. Haha it looks messy but it is tasty! :D I will take the leftovers to my daughters later today. About half of it got eaten at the meeting this morning. Another woman was taking a three year cake (she brought pie!) :) I had asked my pastor's wife to "give me my cake" and she invited some others from my church family who also came to mark the occasion with me, which was very sweet of them to support me like that, perhaps especially all the more so since I am not in the habit of making a big deal of my own milestones. The woman who was taking three years today said she had never heard Jesus mentioned so much at an AA meeting before but she did not mind, because she is a Christian also :D:):D
 

love_comes_softly

Well-known member
Feb 13, 2019
768
822
93
Same here, people also at times disappoint too but that's to be expected and probably true for myself as well.
I definitely know what mean. It reminds me of a conversation I’ve had about disappointment. It was said that when we are disappointed in people, it’s because we have misplaced our hope in that person rather than in God.

I found that to be really interesting and powerful. I still ponder it. I know there is a scripture about hoping in the Lord will lead to no disappointment (something like that).
 

tourist

Senior Member
Mar 13, 2014
41,243
16,252
113
69
Tennessee
I definitely know what mean. It reminds me of a conversation I’ve had about disappointment. It was said that when we are disappointed in people, it’s because we have misplaced our hope in that person rather than in God.

I found that to be really interesting and powerful. I still ponder it. I know there is a scripture about hoping in the Lord will lead to no disappointment (something like that).
I fully concur with your estimate about the nature of disappointment.