I'm so tired of this crap

Every year around Christmas you get a thousand posts on Facebook from "friends" saying how they hate when people say "Happy Holidays" or write "Merry Xmas" and how we need to "keep the Christ in Christmas". And every year I want to throttle people.





 First of all, "Happy Holidays" is derived from the phrase "Happy Holy Days" which embraces Advent (pre-Christmas), Christmas and the 12 days of holiness that follow, culminating in the celebration of Epiphany on Jan 6th. So in truth (imho), wishing someone a "Happy Holidays" seems to me more of a religious salutation than "Merry Christmas" on it's own.

 Second of all, writing "Merry Xmas" is NOT disrespectful to "Christ". X is derived from the Greek letter "chi" which is the first letter of the Greek word for "Christ". And this abbreviation has been used FOR CENTURIES.

 And third of all, Christ is NOT THE REASON FOR THE SEASON!!!

 If you actually take the time to study your bible and do the research (or google and find the research others have done for you) you will discover that it has been determined that Jesus was born sometime is the Hebrew month of Tishri, which approximately coincides with our modern day September/October. (And that just makes sense. What shepherds do you know that wander around in the cold?)

 The reason the birth of Christ is celebrated in December instead is due to the fact that the early Christian Powers That Be determined that it would be easier to convert the "pagans" if they didn't have to give up their celebration of Yule (which is the celebration of the winter solstice amongst other things depending on to whom you speak).

 And a holiday was born.

 I am pagan.

I have been pagan since sometime around 16 but I didn't fully embrace it and "come out" until around 19 or 20. Every year people wish me Merry Christmas. And I don't get offended. I don't run around telling people they need to wish me a happy Yule. I accept it with a smile. Why can't Christians do the same?

 And yet i know that I will have to go through this same torture next year.