I dunno. Is "Merry Christmas" automatically presuming Christianity? Christmas seems the big nationwide party in the U.S. I take "Merry Christmas" as "enjoy the party!" not "Hola fellow Christian!".

To someone who is non-Christian, yes it is. I talked to a friend just about this because she was saying how offended she was by the assumption of christianity (which she is not) based on people wishing her a merry christmas.

ita, there was coco bread? now am sad.

It's still the 26th here!

Happy Birthday to Jesse, Theodosia, and Rayne.

Today was a very long day, but a very good one. I have cool friends and pretty new clothes.

It's kind of weird in that my parents are about the only actual Christians at my family's big Christmas gathering - I'm not technically a believer and most of the rest of our family that's there is Jewish. Any excuse to get everyone together to eat and exchange presents, though. We've pretty much just bought into the whole commercialized celebration of family togetherness thing.

Thinking about it, it's kind of as if that Norman Rockwell Thanksgiving painting had an empty place setting at the table for Elijah.

I'm the only non-Christian in my family. My parents don't know this, as from their point of view, not being a Christian (and ending up in Hell) is the worst thing that could happen to anyone, and I don't want to put them through that.

Yeah, I'm not telling my folks I'm an atheist. It would break their hearts.

eta

How fitting is my post number?

Yeah, I just noticed your post number - hee hee....

Heh. My mom asked me this year if I believed in God. I truthfully said yes, but it's not my fault if her mental image of God as a Ted Nugent-esque guy in white robes feeding the masses isn't what I mean when I say the word.

God as a Ted Nugent-esque guy

"When he comes back, he's gonna look like Charles Bronson, and he's gonna be god.damt.pissed.off." -Robin Williams

billytea, I'm so sorry. Peace to you and yours.

"Happy Holidays" is the phrase I tend to use. If someone chooses to be offended by that... well, I guess that is someone who is desperately looking for ways to be offended and I just did them a favor.

My time with family has been good so far. Grandma is dealing pretty well with the first Christmas without Grandpa, mom is pretty cheerful despite her lack of solid food and everyone else is doing well. My nephew got an obsene amount of gifts (SiL has a LARGE family) representing a wide range of personal beliefs. I gave him a remote control Mini Cooper that is about 3" long. His Uncle Mike gave him a remote control H2 Hummer that is about 3' long. Oy. It was so very disturbing to hear my 5 yr. old nephew saying, "I got a hummer."

billytea, I am so sorry. My sympathies to you and your family. Peace to you, dear.

(also insent from my gmail to your profile addy)