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Usenet Posted 23 years ago
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The US "Christmas" taboo: A further example

http://www.cnn.com/2003/SHOWBIZ/Music/10/15/offbeat.hendrix.reut/index.html

NEW YORK (Billboard) In time for the holidays, a Jimi Hendrix action figure will be produced and marketed by McFarlane Toys, which has in the past created similar replicas of Jerry Garcia, Ozzy Osbourne and Metallica, among others.

Come on, RF, tell me that they wouldn't have said "in time for Christmas" a decade or so ago.
(It had me thinking Halloween and Thanksgiving, and wondering what pumpkins had to do with Jimi Hendrix.)
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Ross Howard
  

Top answer

C'est possible. A ProQuest search might be illuminating. It's not taboo; it's just that it excludes at least one major group of non-Christmas observers to refer only to "Christmas".

— Usenet

  • C'est possible.
  • A ProQuest search might be illuminating.
  • It's not taboo; it's just that it excludes at least one major group of non-Christmas observers to refer only to "Christmas".
  • If no Jews celebrated Hanukkah , I don't think you'd see this "holidays" usage.
  • What surprises me more is that a few decades ago "Christmas" was still being used as if there weren't sizable minorities of non-Christmas celebrators of other holidays at Christmastime.
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39 Answers
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C'est possible. A ProQuest search might be illuminating.

It's not taboo; it's just that it excludes at least one major group of non-Christmas observers to refer only to "Christmas". If no Jews celebrated Hanukkah , I don't think you'd see this "holidays" usage.

What surprises me more is that a few decades ago "Christmas" was still being used as if there weren't sizable minorities
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[nq:1]C'est possible. A ProQuest search might be illuminating. It's not taboo; it's just that it excludes at least one major group of non-Christmas observers to refer only to "Christmas". If no Jews celebrated Hanukkah , I don't think you'd see this "holidays" usage.[/nq]
But it's not about Christianity. That, for me, is the crux of the matter it's just an excuse for dressing up in a red suit
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I really did do a double-take at that "in
[nq:1]time for the holidays" in the Hendrix-doll article.[/nq]
I assume they didn't want to risk alienating the buyers of Hanukkah gifts, who have several days of gift-giving to fill up.

I also saw that a
[nq:1]style guide used by the journalism departments of several US universities even recommends saying "holiday party" instea
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[nq:2]It's not taboo; it's just that it excludes at least ... Hanukkah , I don't think you'd see this "holidays" usage.[/nq]
[nq:1]But it's not about Christianity. That, for me, is the crux of the matter it's just an excuse for dressing up in a red suit and giving people Jimi Hendrix dolls.[/nq]
And the problem is...?

Charles Riggs
Email address: chriggs¦at¦eircom¦dot¦net
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[nq:1]I only feel confused when people think I might be upset by all the celebrations of America's independence. They don't seem to believe me when I tell them we got over it.[/nq]
Don't talk about the war.

Charles Riggs
Email address: chriggs¦at¦eircom¦dot¦net
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[nq:1]And the problem is...?[/nq]
Just calling a tinsel-bedecked spade a tinsel-bedecked spade: Christmas is Christmas, not "the holidays".
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Ross Howard
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[nq:1]Just calling a tinsel-bedecked spade a tinsel-bedecked spade: Christmas is Christmas, not "the holidays".[/nq]
American PC may have missed a bet here:
for approx. 1000 years Christian Christmas
was elided with pagan Yule so the name
Yule was appropriated for the occasion.
(I learned last night a carol of approx. 1500
entitled "Hey Yule," i.e. learned something
abo
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But there are plenty of people in the US who do not celebrate even the secular aspects of Christmas, while they do celebrate another holiday in December. It's those holidays that are being included in the phrase "the holidays".
[nq:2]And the problem is...?[/nq]
[nq:1]Just calling a tinsel-bedecked spade a tinsel-bedecked spade: Christmas is Christmas, not "the holidays".[/nq]
Bu
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"
/nq]
"
But there are plenty of people in the US who do not celebrate even the secular aspects of Christmas, while they do celebrate another holiday in December. It's those holidays that are being included in the phrase "the holidays".[/nq]
[nq:2]Just calling a tinsel-bedecked spade a tinsel-bedecked spade: Christmas is Christmas, not "th
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[nq:2]on 10/16/03 3:37 AM: But there are plenty of people ... it's intended to include other holidays in addition to Christmas.[/nq]
[nq:1]Does this mean US stores don't have Santa or choirs singing Christmas carols or decorations or Christmas trees?[/nq]
They don't usually have choirs singing Christmas carols, but they do have the other things. How does what I wrote imply that they wouldn
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