Checking Wikipedia, I see that Ramadan falls nowhere near December (currently) — this year and next it is May-June.
Diwali (Hindu) is at least a little closer, being in October or November (October, this year).
/pedant
chigau (違う)says
Owlmirror
I don’t even know how to say this to you but
I think you may have missed the point
Owlmirrorsays
@chigau:
Happy Cinco de Mayo!
file thirteensays
@Owlmirror:
The point is that JC’s birth was historically nowhere near December; the church moved it there to coincide with the winter festival. Happy Halloween.
file thirteensays
Ah, I just realised I missed the real point myself. Sigh
John Moralessays
Not sure what the point is supposed to be — I guess it’s mocking Trump’s claim that “Merry Xmas” is back, since that’s a political cartoonist.
(Obviously, holidays ≠ Holy days any more)
file thirteensays
@John:
A: “Merry Christmas”
B: “But I’m not a christian!”
The point (as I now understand it, hopefully I got it right this time) is that “Merry Christmas”, in written or spoken form, can now be spangled around everywhere without non-christians being permitted to take offence, because “war over”. So, Happy Kwanzaa.
John Moralessays
Fair enough — that’s in line with my supposition. At least here in Oz, I’ve never noticed non-Christians taking offence at it, since it refers to a holiday period (as per my previous parenthetical), not to anything particularly religious. It’s a phatic expression.
Apparently, Festivus is getting traction among non-religious people, as well.
(Also, I just looked Kwanzaa up, and it indeed explains a lot)
Owlmirrorsays
@John Morales: The whole issue of the “War on Christmas” is a mostly United Statesian whackaloon manufactaversy.
As it says currently on doonesbury.washingtonpost.com :
“People are proud to be saying Merry Christmas again. I am proud to have led the charge against the assault of our cherished and beautiful phrase.”
— Trump
19%
— percentage of Americans who think “Merry Christmas vs Happy Holidays” is a real issue
76%
— percentage who think it was made up for political purposes
Although Wikipedia has claims that Canada and the UK have had similar foofaraws.
======================================
After a bit of searching, I found the source for the poll numbers: Quinnipiac University National Poll. Methods:
From December 13 -- 18, Quinnipiac University surveyed 1,230 voters nationwide with a margin of error of +/- 3.3 percentage points, including the design effect. Live interviewers call landlines and cell phones.
KGsays
Owlmirror@9,
Haven’t noticed anything of the kind in the UK…
Actually, that’s not entirely true now I think about it. Nothing about what you wish others around the winter solstice, but May came out with some blather about how we should take pride in the country’s Christian heritage -- you know: expelling the Jews, burning each other at the stake, the War of the Three Kingdoms*, Battle of the Boyne, the Gordon riots, the Black and Tans, sectarian murders in northern Ireland -- that sort of thing.
*”English Civil War”: much of the action took place in Scotland and Ireland, the latter including the really serious religious massacres.
Checking Wikipedia, I see that Ramadan falls nowhere near December (currently) — this year and next it is May-June.
Diwali (Hindu) is at least a little closer, being in October or November (October, this year).
/pedant
Owlmirror
I don’t even know how to say this to you but
I think you may have missed the point
@chigau:
Happy Cinco de Mayo!
@Owlmirror:
The point is that JC’s birth was historically nowhere near December; the church moved it there to coincide with the winter festival. Happy Halloween.
Ah, I just realised I missed the real point myself. Sigh
Not sure what the point is supposed to be — I guess it’s mocking Trump’s claim that “Merry Xmas” is back, since that’s a political cartoonist.
(Obviously, holidays ≠ Holy days any more)
@John:
A: “Merry Christmas”
B: “But I’m not a christian!”
The point (as I now understand it, hopefully I got it right this time) is that “Merry Christmas”, in written or spoken form, can now be spangled around everywhere without non-christians being permitted to take offence, because “war over”. So, Happy Kwanzaa.
Fair enough — that’s in line with my supposition. At least here in Oz, I’ve never noticed non-Christians taking offence at it, since it refers to a holiday period (as per my previous parenthetical), not to anything particularly religious. It’s a phatic expression.
Apparently, Festivus is getting traction among non-religious people, as well.
(Also, I just looked Kwanzaa up, and it indeed explains a lot)
@John Morales: The whole issue of the “War on Christmas” is a mostly United Statesian whackaloon manufactaversy.
As it says currently on doonesbury.washingtonpost.com :
Although Wikipedia has claims that Canada and the UK have had similar foofaraws.
======================================
After a bit of searching, I found the source for the poll numbers: Quinnipiac University National Poll. Methods:
Owlmirror@9,
Haven’t noticed anything of the kind in the UK…
Actually, that’s not entirely true now I think about it. Nothing about what you wish others around the winter solstice, but May came out with some blather about how we should take pride in the country’s Christian heritage -- you know: expelling the Jews, burning each other at the stake, the War of the Three Kingdoms*, Battle of the Boyne, the Gordon riots, the Black and Tans, sectarian murders in northern Ireland -- that sort of thing.
*”English Civil War”: much of the action took place in Scotland and Ireland, the latter including the really serious religious massacres.