Beauty

[Iwantcoffee]

On 12/25/2014 MsTrixi said:

On 12/25/2014 paShar said:

On 12/25/2014 willomenia said: Katcat1 its not a holy day for everyone.

I was going to say the same thing willomenia. Glad you beat me to it.

Years ago, here in Pennsylvania, we had what were called "Blue Laws". Only certain stores were permitted to be open on Sunday and, even in those stores, certain classifications of items were not permitted to be sold. It was supposedly because Sunday was a day of worship. I always wondered, what about people for whom Sunday is NOT a day of worship?

I think we fall into the trap of thinking that the whole world is, or should be, Christian and, therefore, should follow Christian holidays. We are a country of diverse religions and beliefs and all of them should be respected.

I know it has always been a big tradition for Jewish people to have Chinese food and go to the movies on Christmas. I think Chinese restaurants were one of the only restaurants open back in the day (maybe because they were Buddhist?). Movie Theatres provide a great place for people to go. My friend doesn't get along with her inlaws (mother-in-law bad mouthed her to her own children) and often enjoys going to the movies while her husband takes the kids to her inlaws. Not everyone is Christian or has family to visit for the holidays!

A few years ago we had Chinese and went to a movie on Christmas. We enjoyed it. Just wanted to do something different from what we normally did. We wanted Chinese Christmas Eve this year and was surprised the first two restaurants we went to were closed.

[Wackers3]

Only the 24 hour Walgreen's is open here. No restaurants or grocery stores are open either. I agree that all faiths should be respected and appreciate the fact that everything closes down here in respect to the biggest Christian holiday. I would not be offended if things were closed for other faith's biggest holiday either but that doesn't seem to occur. I am guessing that is due to this country still being considered a primarily Christian one. I think that is still the prevailing consensus, not necessarily personal opinion. Movie Theaters seem to be open everywhere as many big releases come out today and draw a decent amount of movie-goers.

[suzyQ3]

Where I live, I'm pretty sure that our CVS is closed (judging by their phone message), but our Vons (Safeway) supermarket, which is normally open 24 hours, is open today from 8:00 a.m to 9:00 p.m.

[jackthebear]

On 12/25/2014 paShar said:

On 12/25/2014 willomenia said: Katcat1 its not a holy day for everyone.

I was going to say the same thing willomenia. Glad you beat me to it.

Years ago, here in Pennsylvania, we had what were called "Blue Laws". Only certain stores were permitted to be open on Sunday and, even in those stores, certain classifications of items were not permitted to be sold. It was supposedly because Sunday was a day of worship. I always wondered, what about people for whom Sunday is NOT a day of worship?

I think we fall into the trap of thinking that the whole world is, or should be, Christian and, therefore, should follow Christian holidays. We are a country of diverse religions and beliefs and all of them should be respected.

TRy living in Bergen County NJ we still have blue laws,no malls are open on Sundays.

and a large Orthodox Jewish Community

[CatsyCline]

some blue laws are still in effect in the state where i live. malls and stores are closed on Easter sunday, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas. New Year's Day they do open. only a designated chain drugstore open on holidays. No alcohol sold in supermarkets, only in designated liquor stores and only certain hours allowed on sundays.

i don't rally care to shop anyway until the 2nd week of January. Dec thru January 10th i avoid retail. to me the season has become so mercenary. happy when its over! 365 more days!

[LooPY]

We don't have Chinese food or go to the movies on Christmas, but we have a Christmas tradition we enjoy every year, even though we don't celebrate Christmas. There's a cool retro diner some distance from our house that's open, and over the years we've come to know one of the waitresses. She and her husband and two children are from Russia and she's studying to be a doctor. She always smiles and is very gracious, but confided once that she was sad not to be home with her family on Christmas. So every year, we eat at the diner on Christmas day, requesting her as our waitress, and keep her company and make sure she has a very nice tip for Christmas. Sometimes, depending on what time we're there, if it isn't busy she'll sit with us for awhile, and when we leave she's packed us a "to go" bag filled with rolls, pastries and desserts. So sweet and kind. Sometimes we don't get to spend much time with her (better for her, because it's busy!) but it's special to be with her on Christmas just the same! We'll be at the diner later, tasting and toasting Christmas!

[Tinkrbl44]

On 12/24/2014 KatCat1 said:

Walgreens and if you get hungry after shopping you can stop in at IHOP. I think it is a real shame that any store is open. It is a holy day and it's once a year.

What part of the country do you live in?

Just as a friendly reminder, America allows religious freedom, which means we don't impose our beliefs on others. Last time I checked, Christianity is followed by only about 31% of the world population, so observe your religion's guidelines and ignore what the rest of us do.

By the way, I'm in California, and our Ralphs grocery stores, part of the Kroger chain, are open. People forget things ... or run out ... and babies get sick, etc etc. Stuff happens.

People who work today get overtime, so good for them.

[BlingQueen022]

On 12/25/2014 Tinkrbl44 said:

On 12/24/2014 KatCat1 said:

Walgreens and if you get hungry after shopping you can stop in at IHOP. I think it is a real shame that any store is open. It is a holy day and it's once a year.

What part of the country do you live in?

Just as a friendly reminder, America allows religious freedom, which means we don't impose our beliefs on others. Last time I checked, Christianity is followed by only about 31% of the world population, so observe your religion's guidelines and ignore what the rest of us do.

By the way, I'm in California, and our Ralphs grocery stores, part of the Kroger chain, are open. People forget things ... or run out ... and babies get sick, etc etc. Stuff happens.

People who work today get overtime, so good for them.

Well said. I think it's great that a lot of restaurants and stores are open. Not everybody celebrates Christmas.

[LTT1]

On 12/25/2014 LoopyLoo said:

We don't have Chinese food or go to the movies on Christmas, but we have a Christmas tradition we enjoy every year, even though we don't celebrate Christmas. There's a cool retro diner some distance from our house that's open, and over the years we've come to know one of the waitresses. She and her husband and two children are from Russia and she's studying to be a doctor. She always smiles and is very gracious, but confided once that she was sad not to be home with her family on Christmas. So every year, we eat at the diner on Christmas day, requesting her as our waitress, and keep her company and make sure she has a very nice tip for Christmas. Sometimes, depending on what time we're there, if it isn't busy she'll sit with us for awhile, and when we leave she's packed us a "to go" bag filled with rolls, pastries and desserts. So sweet and kind. Sometimes we don't get to spend much time with her (better for her, because it's busy!) but it's special to be with her on Christmas just the same! We'll be at the diner later, tasting and toasting Christmas!

This is a nice story!!! Thanks for sharing!

While I'm at it I'm going to give my feelings about Christmas-- it is a time of year when mostly all people wish for "Peace On Earth". Warm, nice thoughts and actions are traditionally shared with each other. I prefer to acknowledge my Christmas in this way. The rest of the celebrations can be added on if one's life circumstances allow for it.

[kcladyz]

The religious people need to know that Christmas is a pagan holiday and has nothing to do with jesus. Santa Claus is a pagan legend. The choice of 25 December for the celebration of the birth of Jesus is that the purpose was to Christianize the pagan festival in Rome of the Dies Natalis Solis Invicti means "the birthday of the Unconquered Sun", a festival inaugurated by the Roman emperor Aurelian (270–275) to celebrate the sun god

Prior to Christianization, the Germanic peoples (including the English) celebrated a midwinter event called Yule (Old English geola or guili).^[14] With the Christianization of Germanic Europe, numerous traditions were absorbed from Yuletide celebrations into modern Christmas.^[15] During this period, supernatural and ghostly occurrences were said to increase in frequency, such as the Wild Hunt, a ghostly procession through the sky. The leader of the wild hunt is frequently attested as the god Odin and he bears the Old Norse names Jólnir, meaning "yule figure" and the name Langbarðr, meaning "long-beard" (see list of names of Odin).^[16]

The god Odin's role during the Yuletide period has been theorized as having influenced concepts of St. Nicholas in a variety of facets, including his long white beard and his gray horse for nightly rides (see Odin's horse Sleipnir), which was traded for reindeer in North America.^[17] Margaret Baker comments that "The appearance of Santa Claus or Father Christmas, whose day is 25th of December, owes much to Odin, the old blue-hooded, cloaked, white-bearded Giftbringer of the north, who rode the midwinter sky on his eight-footed steedSleipnir, visiting his people with gifts. … Odin, transformed into Father Christmas, then Santa Claus, prospered with St Nicholas and the Christchild became a leading player on the Christmas stage."^[18]

all this took off of wikipedia.