It's Christmas once again at Wal-Mart

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Dark Knight

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The holiday season may not yet have arrived, but Christmas is back at Wal-Mart.
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After being vilified by conservative critics last year for switching its holiday message from "Merry Christmas" to "Happy Holidays," the world's largest retailer changed its mind again.

Wishing for a bigger holiday season after a sluggish fall, the chain said last week that 60 percent more of its merchandise will be labeled with "Christmas." And customers will hear Christmas carols as they shop.

"We're hoping this will be more in tune with what customers want," said spokesman Nick Agarwal.

Wal-Mart is not alone. While Best Buy Co. is sticking with "Happy Holidays," other retailers like Kohl's Corp. and Walgreen Co. are doing the same thing as Wal-Mart.

"They're all trying to get the spirit back," said industry analyst Marshal Cohen. "Especially since their holiday schedules have been off to a slow start."

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061112/BUSINESS/611120395

 
Kudos to Wal-Mart for making a decision that won't go over well with some folks. I never understood the problem with "Merry Christmas" anyway. It IS Christmas, after all, and you're simply wishing for one to have a merry one. No biggie.

Happy Holidays seems so impersonal to me. I mean, Christmas isn't called "Holiday"....LOL.
 
How ironic to bring back "Christmas" on signs as well as playing Christmas carols all to improve sales. This is all about money. :doh:
 
You know, we've been celebrating Christmas for many decades and in the past few years we are now having "issues" with it??.. I don't get it.. :doh: Christmas is a celebration over Christ's birth and now people want to change it.. WHY? don't celebrate it if you don't believe, it's that simple. I don't agree with some people's religion but I wouldn't go in and tell them to change something about it because I DON'T AGREE with it..
 
:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: Thank You PaperDoll! I am a Christian and I celebrate the holiday for what it was meant to be. If you don't, well fine....go to work, don't accept your Christmas bonus and ignore the holiday. It is a christian holiday! I am not jewish, but I respect the fact that they celebrate Hanukkah, I just choose to celebrate Christmas instead. It really gripes me that people take offense to the word Christmas.



PaperDoll said:
You know, we've been celebrating Christmas for many decades and in the past few years we are now having "issues" with it??.. I don't get it.. :doh: Christmas is a celebration over Christ's birth and now people want to change it.. WHY? don't celebrate it if you don't believe, it's that simple. I don't agree with some people's religion but I wouldn't go in and tell them to change something about it because I DON'T AGREE with it..
 
Seems to me like it was just the other day that we celebrated Christmas...... time sure does FLY by......

Personally one of my favorite times of years is January - football is over, the holidays are over, summer has been over for a while and I can finally get to do some long needed chores around the house.... or even just sit back and be lazy on a Sunday afternoon.
 
This year, while trying to select a gift for some of our cusomers (we usually send those big tins with multi-flavors), I tried to find a container that wouldn't "offend" anyone and their beliefs....but after talking to the gal who was taking my order...I just said the heck with it. I sent the Christmas tin to all of them. They can eat it. They can thow it away. They can give it away. Whatever. We always get a big thanks from everyone, so I am just going to go with what I want from now on.

And last year, I got tired of the "Happy Holidays" and started saying, "Merry Christmas" to people.
 
julianne said:
Kudos to Wal-Mart for making a decision that won't go over well with some folks. I never understood the problem with "Merry Christmas" anyway. It IS Christmas, after all, and you're simply wishing for one to have a merry one. No biggie.

Happy Holidays seems so impersonal to me. I mean, Christmas isn't called "Holiday"....LOL.
I just wonder who those folks are (to be honest, I wonder if they even exist - aside from a small handful of nutjobs who object to everything). I mean, it's a business - they do what they do to make money. If they want to do the Merry Christmas bit - that's fine. If they want to do Happy Holidays, that's fine too.

I'm agnostic, and I don't care what a store decides to do. I could imagine some might make their shopping decision by how inclusive a store is - and that's their choice as well. It's pure capitalism, supply and demand stuff. Now, if it were the government mandating it - then there's a problem. But we've got separation of church and state, not church and business.
 
PaperDoll said:
You know, we've been celebrating Christmas for many decades and in the past few years we are now having "issues" with it??.. I don't get it.. :doh: Christmas is a celebration over Christ's birth and now people want to change it.. WHY? don't celebrate it if you don't believe, it's that simple. I don't agree with some people's religion but I wouldn't go in and tell them to change something about it because I DON'T AGREE with it..

Go PD!!! You said exactly what I feel!
And I have no problem respecting other people's displays of their religious holidays. To each their own. I won't get offended by their rituals and holidays, and I hope they will give me the same consideration to celebrate Christmas!
 
There's all the difference between stores and individuals and groups of all kinds endorsing and enjoying their religious holiday - and the government doing so. The one - do whatever you like. The other - needs to stay completely neutral on the subject.
 
Well I heard this just recently.....and the customers have spoken...thank goodness.
I am just so tired of having to go to the stores and Sing to my own Merry Self......Really I am.......I hummm and then hummm some more.
Just sing and not care who is listening. ( well I did it pretty softly)
It was a bit sad to go into a store that was so "silent"......Not that I don't love "Silent Night"......but......it was so unhappy, vacant and dull.
Where was the happiness, the bells, the songs and the glee.........?
Sure, sales will be better.......but......so might our spirits.
I enjoy everyones religion......that is not an issue.
What is an issue is to leave our history of celebration and song behind us.
Why should we leave our Mangers and Wise Men and other traditions behind.
Leave things as they "always have been" and let the nay-sayers depart.
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My favorite Christmas song is "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" as Manheim Steamroller did it - just gorgeous. Some of the others - depends on how they are done. I worked in a jewelry store for one christmas with little fake bells making piercing fake bell tones to the first 10-20 notes of a bunch of Jingle Bells and such, over and over and over again. It was bad enough the first time!

Well done, Christmas music can be great - done badly, and it'll chase you out of the store!
 
Even though I detest Walmart, I applaud their decision to say "Merry Christmas". Their headquarters are in the deep south, the Bible belt and they have the right to make these kinds of decisions. If atheists/agnostics/other religions don't want Walmart employees saying Merry Christmas to them, then those people have the right to not shop there. Also, if those same people want a holiday in December where they exchange gifts, why not start a new holiday and that they hold it on another date besides Dec. 25 (yeah, I know, it's not really Christ's birthday, but Christians have used that date forever) and call it "winter holiday" or whatever they want. I don't see why Christians should have to accomodate non-Christians on a holiday that is based/founded on Christianity. That way, we won't be seen as "forcing our beliefs" on our own holiday.

JMO
 
I'm going to re-quote myself here from another thread for the benefit of you in the Christian majority who feel you have to force your religion on us others, rather than doing us the common courtesy of Happy Holidays (F.Y.I. when wished a Merry Christmas, I respond with "Happy Holidays"!)

Keep in mine people Winter is not only the Christmas season (I take exception to the signs and banners stating that Jesus is the Reason for the Season). Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Diwali are all also celebrated in December, which is probably why Christmas used to be a pagan holiday- Winter Solstice!
 
LinasK said:
I'm going to re-quote myself here from another thread for the benefit of you in the Christian majority who feel you have to force your religion on us others, rather than doing us the common courtesy of Happy Holidays (F.Y.I. when wished a Merry Christmas, I respond with "Happy Holidays"!)

Keep in mine people Winter is not only the Christmas season (I take exception to the signs and banners stating that Jesus is the Reason for the Season). Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Diwali are all also celebrated in December, which is probably why Christmas used to be a pagan holiday- Winter Solstice!

I REALLY do not think of myself as "forcing" my religion on others by proclaiming Merry Christmas with any of my Christmas decorations, paper plates, etc. or a greeting to someone. If they respond back by "Happy Holidays" then that's fine and I'll do the same. For my coworkers whom I know celebrate Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, I totally respect that of them and don't walk by and say "Merry Christmas" to them. I wish them a Happy Hanukkah instead. Gee, and they have always responded back, "Merry Christmas."

I guess I've been lucky to work with people who respect that others may have different religions and beliefs, but it doesn't change their ability to have their own celebrations.
 
Christmas is a great time of year,especially down here in Palm Beach county, Florida---There are TONS of Christmas lights on everybody's houses--Its so warm here,so easy and comfortable for everyone to decorate their outside yards and roofs---We drive around for hours many different nights in December just to look at all the incredible displays on everybody's homes--its just a fantastic time of year
 
DEPUTYDAWG said:
Go PD!!! You said exactly what I feel!
And I have no problem respecting other people's displays of their religious holidays. To each their own. I won't get offended by their rituals and holidays, and I hope they will give me the same consideration to celebrate Christmas!
hehe, you know, it really does get me that some people are making a big stink out of Christmas. Good grief, seems like Christianity is the one religion that seems to get most of the heat. Lets take prayer out of the schools. Let take God out of the court rooms. Lets take Christ out of Christmas. Blah blah blah.. The funny thing is, the Bible says there is power in the name of Jesus. And boy, it must be true for Christianity seems to be creating a lot of upset.. I don't hear others complaining about Budda or some other make shift god.. Everyone has a right to their own belief and it's a free country :waitasec: :waitasec: :waitasec: , well at least I thought it was.. I think I'm wrong here..
 
LinasK said:
I'm going to re-quote myself here from another thread for the benefit of you in the Christian majority who feel you have to force your religion on us others, rather than doing us the common courtesy of Happy Holidays (F.Y.I. when wished a Merry Christmas, I respond with "Happy Holidays"!)

Keep in mine people Winter is not only the Christmas season (I take exception to the signs and banners stating that Jesus is the Reason for the Season). Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Diwali are all also celebrated in December, which is probably why Christmas used to be a pagan holiday- Winter Solstice!


IMO, it's not about forcing Christianity, it's about not denying Christ or that Christmas is about Christ. I understand that there are different holidays in the month of December besides Christmas but it seems that Christians get the flak for sticking up for our beliefs.
 
DEPUTYDAWG said:
I REALLY do not think of myself as "forcing" my religion on others by proclaiming Merry Christmas with any of my Christmas decorations, paper plates, etc. or a greeting to someone. If they respond back by "Happy Holidays" then that's fine and I'll do the same. For my coworkers whom I know celebrate Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, I totally respect that of them and don't walk by and say "Merry Christmas" to them. I wish them a Happy Hanukkah instead. Gee, and they have always responded back, "Merry Christmas."

I guess I've been lucky to work with people who respect that others may have different religions and beliefs, but it doesn't change their ability to have their own celebrations.


Great post!! If someone wished me Happy Hanukkah I would not be offended at all. I would accept it with the spirit in which it was intended. No need to turn everything into a big stink, just say "thank you" or return with your own well wish, religious or not.
 
shopper said:
Even though I detest Walmart, I applaud their decision to say "Merry Christmas". Their headquarters are in the deep south, the Bible belt and they have the right to make these kinds of decisions. If atheists/agnostics/other religions don't want Walmart employees saying Merry Christmas to them, then those people have the right to not shop there. Also, if those same people want a holiday in December where they exchange gifts, why not start a new holiday and that they hold it on another date besides Dec. 25 (yeah, I know, it's not really Christ's birthday, but Christians have used that date forever) and call it "winter holiday" or whatever they want. I don't see why Christians should have to accomodate non-Christians on a holiday that is based/founded on Christianity. That way, we won't be seen as "forcing our beliefs" on our own holiday.

JMO

Bentonville Arkansas isnt exactly the deep south. Its the Ozarks, a very different culture then the deep south. LOL other then that I dont really care if its Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays. Im usually at the Baa Humbug stage if Im crossing the threshold of Wal Mart.
 
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