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Why is Christmas a National/Federal Holiday?

That's not the point. If what you're saying is the motivating factor why not have a couple dozen more paid holidays? Every worker would vote for it.

Because that's not economically feasible. Christmas is a major holiday in America regardless of the religious affiliation of the holiday. Most people celebrate and spend the day with friends and family. The same cannot be said about Easter (to the same extent), Arbor Day or other holidays.
 
Because it is fun.


Because celebrating a fat man who delivers goodies is right up there with celebrating the lives and accomplishments of Lincoln, Washington and King.
 
Because that's not economically feasible. Christmas is a major holiday in America regardless of the religious affiliation of the holiday. Most people celebrate and spend the day with friends and family. The same cannot be said about Easter (to the same extent), Arbor Day or other holidays.

Christmas is a holiday BECAUSE of the religious affiliation and for no other reason.
 
Christmas is a holiday BECAUSE of the religious affiliation and for no other reason.

That's true, but not everyone who celebrates it does so for religious reasons. It's become part of US and international culture for many nations. They celebrate Christmas in Japan culturally even though the vast majority of the country is not Christian. It's a Christian holiday that has also become a cultural holiday which was recognized as a national holiday.
 
Because celebrating a fat man who delivers goodies is right up there with celebrating the lives and accomplishments of Lincoln, Washington and King.

Well you don't get presents on those!:2razz:

Lighten up or be a sour puss makes little difference to me. I'm going to enjoy the Holiday either way.
 
That's true, but not everyone who celebrates it does so for religious reasons. It's become part of US and international culture for many nations. They celebrate Christmas in Japan culturally even though the vast majority of the country is not Christian. It's a Christian holiday that has also become a cultural holiday which was recognized as a national holiday.

It doesn't matter what it has become, the question is WHY it is a national/federal holiday.
 
It doesn't matter what it has become, the question is WHY it is a national/federal holiday.

And I've explained why it's a national/federal holiday. It is widely observed both religiously and culturally. I don't think anyone can deny that even though Christmas is a Christian holiday in a nation that has historically had a Christian majority that the day has been ingrained within our culture as a celebratory day for anyone who wishes to do so, Christian or not. It's beyond just being a Christian holiday and is now a cultural day as well. It's also become very much a consumerist day with all the Christmas sales, travel and other things. It's very much part of mainstream American culture.
 
And I've explained why it's a national/federal holiday. It is widely observed both religiously and culturally. I don't think anyone can deny that even though Christmas is a Christian holiday in a nation that has historically had a Christian majority that the day has been ingrained within our culture as a celebratory day for anyone who wishes to do so, Christian or not. It's beyond just being a Christian holiday and is now a cultural day as well. It's also become very much a consumerist day with all the Christmas sales, travel and other things. It's very much part of mainstream American culture.

Again, I didn't ask why Christmas continues to be a holiday or what transformative nature happened to it along the way, I asked why Xmas is a national/federal holiday at all and why the same courtesy isn't extended to people of other faiths on their high holy days.
 
Again, I didn't ask why Christmas continues to be a holiday or what transformative nature happened to it along the way, I asked why Xmas is a national/federal holiday at all and why the same courtesy isn't extended to people of other faiths on their high holy days.

I've explained why it's a national holiday. It's pretty much a large part of mainstream American culture.

Just face it, other holidays from other faiths aren't nearly as widely celebrated culturally and religiously, we can't economically recognize them all (although many employers will allow employees to take of for their religious holidays).
 
I've explained why it's a national holiday. It's pretty much a large part of mainstream American culture.

Just face it, other holidays from other faiths aren't nearly as widely celebrated culturally and religiously, we can't economically recognize them all (although many employers will allow employees to take of for their religious holidays).

So the only reason Xmas is a holiday is because a majority of Americans are christian?

And I'm not talking about what private employers do (they can do what they want), I'm asking why it's a national/federal holiday.
 
So the only reason Xmas is a holiday is because a majority of Americans are christian?

I've explained this like 3 times now.

It's a Christian holiday that is celebrated historically by a nation that has always had a majority Christian population. As such, it became ingrained within mainstream American Culture and is largely celebrated culturally by those with or without Christian faith. You can't tell me that Christmas isn't a major part of American culture, especially after it has become so commercialized by the economy.
 
I'd like to know what Martin Luther King did to get a Holiday named after him.

There is no one on this board that can name a single accomplishment of MLK.
 
I've explained this like 3 times now.

It's a Christian holiday that is celebrated historically by a nation that has always had a majority Christian population. As such, it became ingrained within mainstream American Culture and is largely celebrated culturally by those with or without Christian faith. You can't tell me that Christmas isn't a major part of American culture, especially after it has become so commercialized by the economy.


All you've reinforced is that Xmas is a national/federal holiday because a majority of Americans are christian. But no other Americans who may not be christian get their high holy days off, paid, to celebrate. No other holiday has a religious element or underpinning.

IMO declaring ANY religious holy day as a national/federal holiday is a violation of the first amendment and separation of church and state doctrines because it unilaterally declares ONE day of ONE specific religion as the only official religious holiday and establishes ONE religion as the officially recognized religion of the federal gubmint.

I have no doubt the saved and devout will object.
 
No, it hasn't. It's a religious holiday.

It's been co-opted by corporations wanting you to buy more ****.

Buying **** for most people now is more important than than the religious aspect.

It's very much a secular holiday.
 
So you're saying it's a holiday because the majority of religious Americans are christian?

Yep, and we need to make it a Constitutional amendment so it is still a holiday even if Christians become a minority.
 
All you've reinforced is that Xmas is a national/federal holiday because a majority of Americans are christian. But no other Americans who may not be christian get their high holy days off, paid, to celebrate. No other holiday has a religious element or underpinning.

IMO declaring ANY religious holy day as a national/federal holiday is a violation of the first amendment and separation of church and state doctrines because it unilaterally declares ONE day of ONE specific religion as the only official religious holiday and establishes ONE religion as the officially recognized religion of the federal gubmint.

I have no doubt the saved and devout will object.

I did not say it's a national/federal holiday because a majority of Americans are Christian.

You've completely and consistently ignored how it has become a major cultural event for mainstream America and how I've explained that.
 
I did not say it's a national/federal holiday because a majority of Americans are Christian.

You've completely and consistently ignored how it has become a major cultural event for mainstream America and how I've explained that.

"It's a Christian holiday that is celebrated historically by a nation that has always had a majority Christian population."

And you've ignored that I've said over and over that I'm not concerned about how it became a major cultural event, my concern is WHY it became a national/federal holiday.
 
Look, eventually, and I emphasize eventually, we got to the central point that establishing Xmas as a national/federal holiday is a violation of the first amendment.

Does anybody have a counter argument that doesn't include how cute Santa Claus is?

And BTW - Santa Claus, aka Saint Nicholas, is a religious figure.
 
New Year's Day/Secular..check.
Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr./Secular..check.
Washington's Birthday/Secular..check.
Memorial Day/Secular..check
Independence Day/Secular..check.
Labor Day/Secular..check.
Columbus Day/Secular..check.
Veterans Day/Secular..check.
Thanksgiving Day/Secular..check.

Christmas Day/A religious event celebrating the birth of Jesus

A pagan ritual celebrating the Winter solstice. Yes.

Its a holiday because the pagans invaded our shore many years ago and forced the law makers to celebrate with them.
 
"It's a Christian holiday that is celebrated historically by a nation that has always had a majority Christian population."

And you've ignored that I've said over and over that I'm not concerned about how it became a major cultural event, my concern is WHY it became a national/federal holiday.

You are completely ignoring why I state that and how that fact ties into the reality as to why it has become a cultural holiday as well as a religious holiday for those who chose to observe it that way.

It became a national/federal holiday because it was enacted in law due to it being a day that Americans want to observe.

Someone had a lawsuit back in 1998 (which was rule on in 1999) saying that having Christmas as a recognized holiday violates the Establishment clause. The ruling was that it doesn't.

In 1998, an Ohio lawyer named Richard Ganulin sued the federal government, seeking to remove Christmas from the list of federal holidays. Enduring the inevitable comparisons to the Grinch who stole Christmas, Ganulin argued that the official status of the Christmas holiday amounted to a government endorsement of Christianity, in violation of the Establishment Clause.

In 1999, the federal district court dismissed Ganulin’s lawsuit, holding that “the establishment of Christmas Day as a legal public holiday does not violate the Establishment Clause because it has a valid secular purpose, it does not have the effect of endorsing religion in general or Christianity in particular, and it does not impermissibly cause excessive entanglement between church and state." That decision was later upheld by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.

Source: Legal Lad : Is Christmas Unconstitutional? :: Quick and Dirty Tips ™

Here is also a reference regarding the case: United States District Court - Southern District of Ohio

Upon digging it appears that Christmas became a legal holiday in the District of Columbia in 1870 when a bill was passed that recognizes Christmas, New Years, Independence Day, and others as legal holidays within the District.
 
There should be a warning label on threads that exist solely for atheist and homosexual attacks, regardless of how cleverly they're disguised.
 
You are completely ignoring why I state that and how that fact ties into the reality as to why it has become a cultural holiday as well as a religious holiday for those who chose to observe it that way.

It became a national/federal holiday because it was enacted in law due to it being a day that Americans want to observe.

Someone had a lawsuit back in 1998 (which was rule on in 1999) saying that having Christmas as a recognized holiday violates the Establishment clause. The ruling was that it doesn't.



Source: Legal Lad : Is Christmas Unconstitutional? :: Quick and Dirty Tips ™

Here is also a reference regarding the case: United States District Court - Southern District of Ohio

Upon digging it appears that Christmas became a legal holiday in the District of Columbia in 1870 when a bill was passed that recognizes Christmas, New Years, Independence Day, and others as legal holidays within the District.

Funny, the presiding judge is a Board member of the YWCA.
 
Funny, the presiding judge is a Board member of the YWCA.

And the judge that ruled on Prop 8 in California was a homosexual. Regardless of background judges still have the authority to pass legal judgments. If it was made in legal error or prejudice an appeals court or higher court can review it. Legally though, Christmas being recognized is not unconstitutional, the lawsuit that attempted to overthrow that failed.
 
New Year's Day/Secular..check.
Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr./Secular..check.
Washington's Birthday/Secular..check.
Memorial Day/Secular..check
Independence Day/Secular..check.
Labor Day/Secular..check.
Columbus Day/Secular..check.
Veterans Day/Secular..check.
Thanksgiving Day/Secular..check.

Christmas Day/A religious event celebrating the birth of Jesus

Christmas is the dressed up early-Christian church version of the Winter Solstice celebration and the pagan tradition of decorating their trees with bits of metal and replicas of their gods. But they would never cut the trees down and bring them into their homes, that would be destruction of nature. They brought green branches into their homes, but not whole trees.

The end of the year is a good time to reflect and spend time with family. The modern American tradition has grown out of that desire to celebrate the year with family, Christian churches assigning a date to the birth of Christ, and commerce. My understanding is that early Christians assigned the Dec. 25th date wanting to coincide with Winter Solstice festivals. Maybe they set up booths at the pagan celebrations and tried to recruit members, handing out scrolls and free cross-magnets.
 
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