AARoads Forum

I have a shocking proposition... lets start a petition to cancel all of the holidays! After all, it seems that the holidays consist of the following:

• Memorial Day - Kickoff of the summer BBQ season!
  
• Fourth of July - Glorified day off where we blow stuff up and get really drunk.
  
• Labor Day - The end of the summer blowout!
  
• Thanksgiving - The day to get stuffed, watch football all day, and prepare for Black Friday, the traditional kickoff of the holiday shopping season! Prepare for the brotherly shove
  
• Christmas - The day that families try to get along with each other, receive gifts that receive their minutes of fame, and most get forgotten after several months.
  

It gets to be crazy when you see the Christmas displays start going up earlier and earlier each year. While I can understand for the craft stores, most stores should not even be putting up the Christmas displays until November at the earliest. What was the purpose behind the holidays anyways?

Quote from: ZLoth on October 24, 2013, 07:59:39 PM

• Thanksgiving - The day to get stuffed, watch football all day, and prepare for Black Friday, the traditional kickoff of the holiday shopping season! Prepare for the brotherly shove
  

At least around here Black Friday is moving to Thursday. It started as stores kept pushing their opening times earlier and earlier. Now, many are considering/will be opening during the day on Thanksgiving. Give thanks alright, thanks for the almighty greenback/CC. In that case, Thanksgiving is already on its way out. :rolleyes:

Memorial Day and Labor Day I could live without so long as I get 2 more days off from work that I can use any time instead. In fact, I'd prefer that.

But 4th of July, Thanksgiving, and Christmas are all occasions for my family. Especially Christmas. Those have to stay.

Though I will concede that as an adult where the money you spend on gifts equals the money others spend on gifts for you, and you have the income to just buy things you want for yourself, that particular aspect of Christmas does start to seem tiresome and pointless. Especially since I always struggle to figure out what to get people.

Quote from: Duke87 on October 24, 2013, 09:05:50 PM
Memorial Day and Labor Day I could live without so long as I get 2 more days off from work that I can use any time instead. In fact, I'd prefer that.

But 4th of July, Thanksgiving, and Christmas are all occasions for my family. Especially Christmas. Those have to stay.

Though I will concede that as an adult where the money you spend on gifts equals the money others spend on gifts for you, and you have the income to just buy things you want for yourself, that particular aspect of Christmas does start to seem tiresome and pointless. Especially since I always struggle to figure out what to get people.

This exactly- 4th of July, Thanksgiving, and Christmas should all stay. The day after Thanksgiving should be made a holiday- not because of Black Friday but because it makes it easier to travel a long distance to see family on Thanksgiving.

I'm not very good at/a big fan of the gift giving or gift receiving thing either.

I could go without Labor Day and Independence Day (the calendar would be kinda awkward going July 1,2,3,5,6... :biggrin:). As a family member of many who have served, I think Memorial Day needs to stay (putting it nicely). As eluded to in my earlier post, I would like Thanksgiving to be retuned to its roots and not an excuse to go shopping/show the worst of humanity. And being religious, Christmas has to stay, but as an adult, I could live without the commercialization/gift exchange.

[rant]I totally side with Duke87 on the struggle of gift giving. I hate having to shop for picky people or when people give me useless crap. That's what my Amazon list is for. :banghead: If you insist on not getting something off of there, at least have the decency to make a donation to a worthy cause in my name instead.[/rant]

free travel days to reach places that are difficult in a normal weekend = good for roadgeeks

Holidays for actual things should stay.  July 4 symbolizes a very important day, even if it didn't happen to be that actual day.  Washington's birthday, Columbus Day, Memorial Day, Veteran's Day: these represent things that actually happened.  Christmas is a Catholic holiday representing the birth of the sun god.  The sun "dies," reaching its low point, on the winter solstice, then spends three days "in the grave," very near its low point, and "rises again," moving up noticeably, on the third day, December 25.  This is a fine day to celebrate if represented accurately.  The birth of Jesus, according to the New Testament, was in late September.  Celebrate it then if that's what you're looking for.  Figure out what you want to celebrate and then put it on, or near, an appropriate day.

Having commercialized holidays to buy a bunch of stuff and make a bunch of profits for big companies is, in my opinion, sad.  Any holiday that just means you buy stuff is a day we'd be better off without.

Quote from: wxfree on October 25, 2013, 02:03:53 AM
Washington's birthday, Columbus Day, Memorial Day, Veteran's Day: these represent things that actually happened.

But Holocaust Remembrance Day represents a lie created by the Godless Commies to bring us into the Second World War on Capitalism. No? No? Damn, tough crowd.

Quote from: wxfree on October 25, 2013, 02:03:53 AMChristmas is a Catholic holiday representing the birth of the sun god.  The sun "dies," reaching its low point, on the winter solstice, then spends three days "in the grave," very near its low point, and "rises again," moving up noticeably, on the third day, December 25.  This is a fine day to celebrate if represented accurately.  The birth of Jesus, according to the New Testament, was in late September.  Celebrate it then if that's what you're looking for.  Figure out what you want to celebrate and then put it on, or near, an appropriate day.

Wow, that is so historically and religiously ignorant (merging Easter in with Christmas, no Christianity but Catholicism, etc...).

The Dec 25th date, while not Jesus' actual birthday, has nothing to do with the winter solstice (which was the 25th in the Julian calendar in Roman times; and the 'third day' after in the Gregorian calendar would be the 23rd or 24th). The Annunciation, where Gabriel came to Mary to tell her she was pregnant was chosen to be Mar 25 (spring solstice) for some reason (links with Easter, IIRC) around AD100. And so Christmas had to be 9 months after that - Dec 25th. This date has references before AD200 (Irenaeus of Lyon), years before references to Saturnalia (early 3rd century) or the late 3rd/early 4th century Sol Invictus cult (which copied a lot of Christian theology and practice, and their Pagan veneer did sometimes get re-co-opted back into the Church: churches facing East, vestments, etc).

Yes it was clear that Jesus was not born in winter - and more so then when people knew more what shepherds do, yearly cycle, etc - they knew it wasn't the correct historic time of year when they set the date, but they had been painted into a corner by the other dates fixed.

Quote from: Steve on October 25, 2013, 01:29:43 AM
free travel days to reach places that are difficult in a normal weekend = good for roadgeeks

indeed.

even better for me, my boss lets me work the holiday and take a day off at another time... so free travel day without the holiday crowds!

Quote from: english si on October 25, 2013, 07:57:42 AM

Quote from: wxfree on October 25, 2013, 02:03:53 AMChristmas is a Catholic holiday representing the birth of the sun god.  The sun "dies," reaching its low point, on the winter solstice, then spends three days "in the grave," very near its low point, and "rises again," moving up noticeably, on the third day, December 25.  This is a fine day to celebrate if represented accurately.  The birth of Jesus, according to the New Testament, was in late September.  Celebrate it then if that's what you're looking for.  Figure out what you want to celebrate and then put it on, or near, an appropriate day.

Wow, that is so historically and religiously ignorant (merging Easter in with Christmas, no Christianity but Catholicism, etc...).

The Dec 25th date, while not Jesus' actual birthday, has nothing to do with the winter solstice (which was the 25th in the Julian calendar in Roman times; and the 'third day' after in the Gregorian calendar would be the 23rd or 24th). The Annunciation, where Gabriel came to Mary to tell her she was pregnant was chosen to be Mar 25 (spring solstice) for some reason (links with Easter, IIRC) around AD100. And so Christmas had to be 9 months after that - Dec 25th. This date has references before AD200 (Irenaeus of Lyon), years before references to Saturnalia (early 3rd century) or the late 3rd/early 4th century Sol Invictus cult (which copied a lot of Christian theology and practice, and their Pagan veneer did sometimes get re-co-opted back into the Church: churches facing East, vestments, etc).

Yes it was clear that Jesus was not born in winter - and more so then when people knew more what shepherds do, yearly cycle, etc - they knew it wasn't the correct historic time of year when they set the date, but they had been painted into a corner by the other dates fixed.

My intent was to mock Christmas as a commercialized holiday.  The day is often thought of as sacred and I wanted to explain why I disagreed, but should have avoided the topic of religion.  I do not disagree with the history you described and wish to advance the topic no further.

As for commercialism, I respect the need for profit, but I don't like the idea that on certain days you "have to" spend money in certain ways.  Holidays should be days of joy or remembrance, time with loved ones or road trips, or days for shopping - whatever it is that brings you a sense of a day well spent.  To the extent that a day is about that, and not getting into debt, I think it's a good thing.

Quote from: wxfree on October 25, 2013, 09:47:14 AM
As for commercialism, I respect the need for profit, but I don't like the idea that on certain days you "have to" spend money in certain ways.  Holidays should be days of joy or remembrance, time with loved ones or road trips, or days for shopping - whatever it is that brings you a sense of a day well spent.  To the extent that a day is about that, and not getting into debt, I think it's a good thing.

I agree with you in principle, but I see no need to set bans on cultural excess.  I simply don't shop on Black Friday.  if other people want to, I say let 'em.

Quote from: agentsteel53 on October 25, 2013, 09:52:34 AM

Quote from: wxfree on October 25, 2013, 09:47:14 AM
As for commercialism, I respect the need for profit, but I don't like the idea that on certain days you "have to" spend money in certain ways.  Holidays should be days of joy or remembrance, time with loved ones or road trips, or days for shopping - whatever it is that brings you a sense of a day well spent.  To the extent that a day is about that, and not getting into debt, I think it's a good thing.

I agree with you in principle, but I see no need to set bans on cultural excess.  I simply don't shop on Black Friday.  if other people want to, I say let 'em.

I have aunts who love the shopping day.  If that's what they enjoy, and they don't let it get them into debt, then it's a good day for them.  I wouldn't want to cancel holidays, or limit people's behavior; I simply try to point out what I believe to be of value.  I'd rather go on a road trip, which works out well because the late-year holiday season is when the places I like going to aren't unbearably hot.

Quote from: Duke87 on October 24, 2013, 09:05:50 PMThough I will concede that as an adult where the money you spend on gifts equals the money others spend on gifts for you, and you have the income to just buy things you want for yourself, that particular aspect of Christmas does start to seem tiresome and pointless. Especially since I always struggle to figure out what to get people.

While I make a best attempt to match up the gift to the person, sometimes it is a struggle. My parents would criticize me for even considering a gift certificate (now called a gift card). Heck, I would be very happy to get a Amazon gift code or a Jamba Juice gift card. Starbucks is almost completely useless to me.

I also get criticized for "spending too much money on a gift". Because I make good money even after setting a good chunk aside for retirement, I have no hesitation on giving a ~$20 gift to a few good friends with an expectation that I am not going to get the same value back from them. It's usually something that they wanted and/or needed. Having said that, if you are experiencing financial hardships, I should be the last person you should be worried about getting a gift for. You need to take care of yourself first, and your family second.

Having said that, gift giving should be a small portion of Christmas, not what Christmas resolves around. Sometimes, I wonder if Christmas builds up an entitlement mentality as if you deserve a gift for being mostly good the entire year.

Quote from: DaBigE on October 24, 2013, 09:19:55 PMAs a family member of many who have served, I think Memorial Day needs to stay (putting it nicely).

FINALLY someone who recognizes the real meaning behind Memorial Day. And I salute those who have served.

Quote from: agentsteel53 on October 25, 2013, 09:52:34 AMI agree with you in principle, but I see no need to set bans on cultural excess.  I simply don't shop on Black Friday.  if other people want to, I say let 'em.

After seeing the riots that are at some of the stores, I found out that most of the same bargains were available through Amazon. So it takes a week for me to get it. So what.

Quote from: DaBigE on October 24, 2013, 08:08:07 PM
Thanksgiving is already on its way out.

Meh.  It had a good 150 years.

Quote from: wxfree on October 25, 2013, 02:03:53 AM
Christmas is a Catholic holiday representing the birth of the sun god.  The sun "dies," reaching its low point, on the winter solstice, then spends three days "in the grave," very near its low point, and "rises again," moving up noticeably, on the third day, December 25.

The lengthening of the days is worth celebrating.  It should be celebrated on the first day which is slightly longer than the previous day, on December 22.  That it's my birthday is of course a complete coincidence.

Three fixes for Christmas:
* do away with all non-liturgical music (not setting up a theocracy; it's just that Jingle Bell Rock, Sleigh Ride, Santa Baby et al. are just terrible)
* shopping is only for kids under 18 or your SO/spouse
* no TV/radio ads until 12:01 am the day after Thanksgiving

How is Christmas a Catholic holiday?  If anything, it is a pagan holiday.

Quote from: kurumi on October 26, 2013, 01:37:13 AM
* do away with all non-liturgical music

Quote from: bugo on October 26, 2013, 01:58:23 AM
How is Christmas a Catholic holiday?  If anything, it is a pagan holiday.

Trying to avoid religion, this topic is interesting as a discussion on history.

I'm not aware of a pagan tradition celebrating Christmas, but there may be.  Pagans long celebrated that time of year as a period of increasing light, or the rising of the sun.  The term "Catholic" (meaning "universal"), I use to refer to the early post-Jewish church.  The Catholics took the Jewish practices out of Christianity and adopted other practices, some pagan.  I'm not thoroughly familiar with early Catholicism; I picked up bits and pieces in a class.  It seems like a fascinating topic I need to set to studying.  As I recall, the early Catholics wanted to appeal to the pagans they were trying to convert, and adopted their holidays in order to accommodate their lifestyles, or maybe that's just one teacher's interpretation.  I don't know the full story of how the birth of Jesus ended up in late December, but it lines up with pagan holidays celebrating the the birth (rising) of the sun.

It's a fine day to celebrate, as I really don't like the short days in late December.  I really don't even care if we put Christmas there.  I just don't like how it's portrayed as a day something happened, rather than as a day of remembrance of an event of uncertain timing.

I've tried asking this many times...if stores didn't sell Christmas stuff until after Thanksgiving, then what would they stock the shelves with between Halloween and Thanksgiving? 

And, if you have an answer...would you buy it? 

The true answer is...people really do buy Christmas stuff well before Thanksgiving, and the stores are just giving them what they want!  Some people won't put up a Christmas tree until Christmas Eve - some leave 'em up all year long (well, at least their icicle lights outside!).

Quote from: wxfree on October 26, 2013, 05:24:03 AMAs I recall, the early Catholics wanted to appeal to the pagans they were trying to convert, and adopted their holidays in order to accommodate their lifestyles, or maybe that's just one teacher's interpretation.

It's the 'evolution' of religions theory. It ticked all the boxes for late 19th-century, and still ticks the boxes, for cultural acceptance: gives the neo-Paganism and mysticism shite some status as legit by making Christianity merely modified paganism, promotes political religions as the choice of progress and has evolution - the divine logos of the past 100+ years.

However, it's not accurate, as I pointed out in my previous post, the Dec 25th date for Christmas predates the pagan holiday that it was supposed to copy, and also the cult of the Sun-God.

QuoteI don't know the full story of how the birth of Jesus ended up in late December

Given above - mostly by accident coming from an early fixed date.

Quotebut it lines up with pagan holidays celebrating the the birth (rising) of the sun.

There's correlation, but the standard causation - if there is a link - is historically backwards. That Roman New Year was a week after the Roman Solstice is interesting - Julius changed the way the year went from start-of-Fall -> end-of-Summer to mid-Winter -> mid-Winter and the day from dusk->dusk to midnight->midnight deliberately (changing from a gets-worse-before-better view of the universe to a nothing-to-nothing nihilism), but didn't pin mid-Winter right on the Solstice, which would have made sense if there was a Pagan festival on that day...

The pagan stuff I can see in Christmas are as follows:

• Some Santa elements that come from Green Man traditions
  
• the commercialism, perhaps best seen by the Coca Cola Santa
  
• the naughty or nice list of Santa (Santa Clause is Coming to Town promotes a horrible view of Santa that makes him out to be Satan - someone who spys on you to catch you out. 'You better watch out' 'you better not cry' and 'so be good for goodness sake' are blatent!) and the moralism designed to scare kids to be good or get lumps of coal.
• Elves, living snowmen, etc

The stuff considered pagan, but isn't:

• the date
• conifers, holly and ivy (churches were always decorated by foliage, and this is what you had in temperate climates in winter)
• the idea of a present deliver/presents - the jolly ol' St Nick and Krist Kinder traditions are firmly Christian, but the Father Christmas stuff is. Of course, they've all been merged in to one guy in America, had commercialism and not-very-veiled threats added and then exported around the world.

Quote from: jeffandnicole on October 26, 2013, 09:08:26 AM
I've tried asking this many times...if stores didn't sell Christmas stuff until after Thanksgiving, then what would they stock the shelves with between Halloween and Thanksgiving?

We have had the following in the seasonal section:
June/July: whole aisle Summer stuff (barbeque, booze, paddling pools, deckchairs, etc).
August: half summer stuff, half 'back to school'.
Early September: Whole aisle 'back to school' (stationery, lunchboxes, school clothes, etc).
Late September: half 'back to school', half long term Christmas food stuff (sweets/chocolate)
October: half Halloween, half long-term Christmas stuff
November-December: almost certainly all Christmas stuff, with stuff like decorations as well as food items.

The cake aisle has had Christmas stuff (with stuff like Mince pies going out of date before December, but they sell as they are yummy) and Halloween/Bonfire stuff since late September, gradually getting more as time goes on. This week had a lot more Halloween stuff. There's been a lot of pumpkins to buy the last couple of weeks (in the fruit section, replacing the more summery fruit, which is relegated to a smaller section). There were toffee apples in the fruit section today (now Halloween-linked, but were Bonfire Night things even 10 years ago) - this was the first week but Bonfire night will keep them there and in a prominent position next week if there's still stock.

The supermarkets really want a steady stock flow, rather than a rush in December. Tescos have a £75-off-in-December voucher if you do four £130 weekly-shops in the 6 weeks leading to December (quite how you'll need the voucher, such is the hoarding that four £130 shops would cause - even a big family would need to pick up a sizeable amount of booze each week to do that). Waitrose have a more sensible £40 off-in-Dec with four £75 spends. As such, they will stock the longer-life Christmas stuff early.

• Valentine's Day: An overrated, sappy holiday filled with arrogantly falsified infatuation and heightened expectations. Really, if you're so crazily in love, show it off just as much the other 364 days of the year.

Quote from: Molandfreak on October 26, 2013, 11:17:37 AMValentine's Day

Cancel that one!

I'm not a fan of New Years - which seems to be 'have an excuse for a party', but it's only 6 days after Christmas Day, and by then I'm partied out.

QuoteI'm not a fan of New Years - which seems to be 'have an excuse for a party', but it's only 6 days after Christmas Day, and by then I'm partied out.

Yeah, I wish there was a way to space out Thanksgiving/Christmas/New Years. Seems silly to have three major holidays over a month and a half and then not have another one until Memorial Day. Even minor holidays...most gov't employees go from President's Day to Memorial Day without a scheduled three day weekend since Good Friday seems to have been mostly phased out. It'd be nice to have another one somewhere in there.

I'm in favor of eliminating holidays from exopy-coated reinforcing steel: http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/esc/ctms/pdf/CT_685feb08.pdf

QuoteHolidays are defined as pinholes and
voids in non-conductive coatings that
allow current to pass through the
protective coating to the metal base
material. These discontinuities are such
that they may not be visible to a person
with normal or corrected vision

My ideas:

New Years Day: Keep everything but the alcohol.
Epiphany: Keep.
Martin Luther King Day: Rename to Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Chinese New Year: Celebrate in China only.
Super Bowl Day: Don't make it a holiday.
Valentine's Day: Get rid of it.
President's Day: Keep the day off, remove the holiday.
Vernal Equinox: Make this a holiday, but not a legal holiday.
Good Friday: Keep.
Easter: Keep.
April Fool's Day: Keep and don't keep.
Cinco de Mayo: Keep, but get rid of the misconception.
Memorial Day: Keep the day off, remove the holiday.
Flag Day: Get rid of it.
Summer Solstice: Make this a holiday, but not a legal holiday.
Independence Day: Keep.
Ice Cream Sunday: Make this the Sunday on August 6-12, the hottest part of the year.
Labor Day: Keep the day off, remove the holiday.
Autumnal Equinox: Make this a holiday, but not a legal holiday.
Halloween: Keep everything that isn't scary.
World Series Game 7 Day: Keep.
Guy Fawkes Day: Rename to Guy Fox Day.
Thanksgiving: Keep.
Hanukkah: Keep.
Winter Solstice: Don't make it a holiday, too close to Christmas.
Christmas: Keep.
Kwanzaa: Absolutely get rid of it.
New Year's Eve: Keep everything but the alcohol.

Having Thanksgiving/Christmas/New Years close together doesn't really phase me, but then my family had so many get-togethers that most people would go insane.  At one time, my Dad's side got together every single week.  It helps that most of the family is in Rochester.

Quote from: 1 on October 26, 2013, 02:11:59 PM
My ideas:

New Years Day: Keep everything but the alcohol.
Day after New Years: Make a holiday to rest from hangover.
Super Bowl Day: Don't make it a holiday.
Day after Superbowl Sunday: Make a holiday to rest from hangover.
Cinco de Mayo: Keep, but get rid of the misconception.
Day after Cinco de Mayo: Make a holiday to rest from hangover.
Memorial Day: Keep the day off, remove the holiday.
Day after Memorial Day: Make a holiday to rest from hangover.
Independence Day: Keep.
Day after Independence Day: Make a holiday to rest from hangover.
Halloween: Keep everything that isn't scary.
Day after Halloween: Make a holiday to rest from hangover.
Christmas: Keep.
Day after Christmas: Make a holiday to rest from hangover.
New Year's Eve: Keep everything but the alcohol.
Day after New Years Eve: Make a holiday to rest from hangover (oh, wait...they did that already!)

Quote from: english si on October 26, 2013, 12:27:30 PM

Quote from: Molandfreak on October 26, 2013, 11:17:37 AMValentine's Day

Cancel that one!

^That, and florists, jewelers, etc. around here try to tack on "Sweetest Day (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweetest_Day)". :rolleyes: Luckily, I haven't dated any girl that believes in that Hallmark Holiday.

---

Quote from: 1 on October 26, 2013, 02:11:59 PM
My ideas:
...Memorial Day: Keep the day off, remove the holiday.

:no:

---

Quote from: jeffandnicole on October 26, 2013, 05:00:02 PM

Quote from: 1 on October 26, 2013, 02:11:59 PM
My ideas:

New Years Day: Keep everything but the alcohol.
Day after New Years: Make a holiday to rest from hangover.
Super Bowl Day: Don't make it a holiday.
Day after Superbowl Sunday: Make a holiday to rest from hangover.
Cinco de Mayo: Keep, but get rid of the misconception.
Day after Cinco de Mayo: Make a holiday to rest from hangover.
Memorial Day: Keep the day off, remove the holiday.
Day after Memorial Day: Make a holiday to rest from hangover.
Independence Day: Keep.
Day after Independence Day: Make a holiday to rest from hangover.
Halloween: Keep everything that isn't scary.
Day after Halloween: Make a holiday to rest from hangover.
Christmas: Keep.
Day after Christmas: Make a holiday to rest from hangover.
New Year's Eve: Keep everything but the alcohol.
Day after New Years Eve: Make a holiday to rest from hangover (oh, wait...they did that already!)

If you like getting shitfaced so often, why do you even need an excuse/holiday? Just turn every Friday into a holiday and used Saturday to recover. Problem solved.

If I did that, then every day would be a holiday.  Why limit it to just Friday?

How about canceling Matt Holliday? Does that count as a holiday?

Quote from: jeffandnicole on October 26, 2013, 05:00:02 PM

Quote from: 1 on October 26, 2013, 02:11:59 PM
My ideas:

New Years Day: Keep everything but the alcohol.
Day after New Years: Make a holiday to rest from hangover.
Super Bowl Day: Don't make it a holiday.
Day after Superbowl Sunday: Make a holiday to rest from hangover.
Cinco de Mayo: Keep, but get rid of the misconception.
Day after Cinco de Mayo: Make a holiday to rest from hangover.
Memorial Day: Keep the day off, remove the holiday.
Day after Memorial Day: Make a holiday to rest from hangover.
Independence Day: Keep.
Day after Independence Day: Make a holiday to rest from hangover.
Halloween: Keep everything that isn't scary.
Day after Halloween: Make a holiday to rest from hangover.
Christmas: Keep.
Day after Christmas: Make a holiday to rest from hangover.
New Year's Eve: Keep everything but the alcohol.
Day after New Years Eve: Make a holiday to rest from hangover (oh, wait...they did that already!)

I do wish July 5 were a holiday.  Not because of drinking, but because the big fireworks show in Seattle doesn't start until 10:30, in order to be fully dark.  By the time the show is over and traffic clears and we get home it's 12:30.  Hard to get up at 6:00 the next morning.  If I can't have both days off work, could I have the afternoon of July 4 and the morning of July 5?

Quote from: kurumi on October 26, 2013, 01:37:13 AM
* do away with all non-liturgical music (not setting up a theocracy; it's just that Jingle Bell Rock, Sleigh Ride, Santa Baby et al. are just terrible)

"Jingle Bell Rock" is one of the worst 5 songs ever written.  #1 is probably the Lee Greenwood "patriotic" (jingoistic) song.

Quote from: bugo on October 27, 2013, 01:58:34 PM

Quote from: kurumi on October 26, 2013, 01:37:13 AM
* do away with all non-liturgical music (not setting up a theocracy; it's just that Jingle Bell Rock, Sleigh Ride, Santa Baby et al. are just terrible)

"Jingle Bell Rock" is one of the worst 5 songs ever written.  #1 is probably the Lee Greenwood "patriotic" (jingoistic) song.

It's only bad if the word "feet" is sung when it should be "beat". It happens quite a lot.

It would be wrong to get rid of these holidays.  Those holidays bear a great amount of significance to people. 

I don't like how stores "start" Black Friday early by being open on Thanksgiving.  By having people work on Thanksgiving, it is keeping them away from their families.  Thanksgiving is a day to give thanks and spend time with family and friends.

I believe the day after Halloween (November 1) should be a holiday so kids don't have to go to school after eating lots of sugary candy.  The kids will either be hyper, on a sugar crash, or sick to their stomachs the next day anyway, so why make them go to school?  They could use the day off to recover from the candy binge.  Catholic schools are already closed November 1 because it is All Saints Day, but I believe public and private schools should be closed as well.

Quote from: bugo on October 27, 2013, 01:58:34 PM

Quote from: kurumi on October 26, 2013, 01:37:13 AM
* do away with all non-liturgical music (not setting up a theocracy; it's just that Jingle Bell Rock, Sleigh Ride, Santa Baby et al. are just terrible)

"Jingle Bell Rock" is one of the worst 5 songs ever written.  #1 is probably the Lee Greenwood "patriotic" (jingoistic) song.

Quote from: Molandfreak on October 27, 2013, 11:33:07 PM

Quote from: bugo on October 27, 2013, 01:58:34 PM

Quote from: kurumi on October 26, 2013, 01:37:13 AM
* do away with all non-liturgical music (not setting up a theocracy; it's just that Jingle Bell Rock, Sleigh Ride, Santa Baby et al. are just terrible)

"Jingle Bell Rock" is one of the worst 5 songs ever written.  #1 is probably the Lee Greenwood "patriotic" (jingoistic) song.

Hell no.  I wouldn't click on that video if you paid me 500 bucks.  I've never heard that song and I prefer to keep it that way.

Toby Keith comes into my workplace occasionally and is almost always a major-league douche. Several of the people who have had to deal with him tell me he's a lousy tipper, too.

Quote from: corco on October 26, 2013, 12:49:43 PM

QuoteI'm not a fan of New Years - which seems to be 'have an excuse for a party', but it's only 6 days after Christmas Day, and by then I'm partied out.

Yeah, I wish there was a way to space out Thanksgiving/Christmas/New Years. Seems silly to have three major holidays over a month and a half and then not have another one until Memorial Day. Even minor holidays...most gov't employees go from President's Day to Memorial Day without a scheduled three day weekend since Good Friday seems to have been mostly phased out. It'd be nice to have another one somewhere in there.

Something tells me that "english si" doesn't routinely celebrate Thanksgiving...

I propose that we make the day after the Super Bowl a mandatory holiday. Maybe we can fix President's Day to the NFL schedule.

Quote from: bugo on October 27, 2013, 01:58:34 PM

Quote from: kurumi on October 26, 2013, 01:37:13 AM
* do away with all non-liturgical music (not setting up a theocracy; it's just that Jingle Bell Rock, Sleigh Ride, Santa Baby et al. are just terrible)

"Jingle Bell Rock" is one of the worst 5 songs ever written.  #1 is probably the Lee Greenwood "patriotic" (jingoistic) song.

I like "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" even less.

The only Christmas song I like is Carol of the Bells, it helps that it isn't as overplayed as the other obnoxious Christmas music.

'Wonderful Christmastime' was pure torture when I worked at the grocery store.

Quote from: 1 on October 26, 2013, 02:11:59 PM
My ideas:

Valentine's Day: Get rid of it.

Wait till you get a girlfriend.  Then you'll either wish it away or direly need it.

Quote from: realjd on October 29, 2013, 01:23:23 PM
Something tells me that "english si" doesn't routinely celebrate Thanksgiving...

Probably about as much as I celebrate Guy Fawkes Day in the US.

If I can remember when it is, I always celebrate Bastille Day by playing the Rush classic of the same name, and usually posting the video on Facebook.

Quote from: jeffandnicole on October 26, 2013, 05:00:02 PM

Quote from: 1 on October 26, 2013, 02:11:59 PM
My ideas:

Halloween: Keep everything that isn't scary.
Day after Halloween: Make a holiday to rest from hangover.

Here, Halloween is not celebrated, but the "red" day is already a holiday.

Quote from: realjd on October 29, 2013, 01:23:23 PMSomething tells me that "english si" doesn't routinely celebrate Thanksgiving...

Me neither.

PS: Anyone wants October 12th as a holiday? :sombrero:

Quote from: hbelkins on October 29, 2013, 03:51:38 PM
If I can remember when it is, I always celebrate Bastille Day by playing the Rush classic of the same name

I celebrate I Think I'm Going Bald Day like that.

Quote from: empirestate on October 29, 2013, 01:31:52 PM

Quote from: bugo on October 27, 2013, 01:58:34 PM

Quote from: kurumi on October 26, 2013, 01:37:13 AM
* do away with all non-liturgical music (not setting up a theocracy; it's just that Jingle Bell Rock, Sleigh Ride, Santa Baby et al. are just terrible)

"Jingle Bell Rock" is one of the worst 5 songs ever written.  #1 is probably the Lee Greenwood "patriotic" (jingoistic) song.

I like "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" even less.

Those are literally the same song with almost the same meter, and both are in D major.

---

Quote from: Brandon on October 29, 2013, 03:30:25 PM

Quote from: 1 on October 26, 2013, 02:11:59 PM
My ideas:

Valentine's Day: Get rid of it.

Wait till you get a girlfriend.  Then you'll either wish it away or direly need it.

Get rid of it regardless. I've seen the pain it causes to even those in relationships.

Quote from: Molandfreak on October 29, 2013, 04:44:49 PM

Quote from: empirestate on October 29, 2013, 01:31:52 PM

Quote from: bugo on October 27, 2013, 01:58:34 PM

Quote from: kurumi on October 26, 2013, 01:37:13 AM
* do away with all non-liturgical music (not setting up a theocracy; it's just that Jingle Bell Rock, Sleigh Ride, Santa Baby et al. are just terrible)

"Jingle Bell Rock" is one of the worst 5 songs ever written.  #1 is probably the Lee Greenwood "patriotic" (jingoistic) song.

I like "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" even less.

Those are literally the same song with almost the same meter, and both are in D major.

What forces it to be in D major? It can be in any key.

Quote from: 1 on October 29, 2013, 04:51:17 PM

Quote from: Molandfreak on October 29, 2013, 04:44:49 PM

Quote from: empirestate on October 29, 2013, 01:31:52 PM

Quote from: bugo on October 27, 2013, 01:58:34 PM

Quote from: kurumi on October 26, 2013, 01:37:13 AM
* do away with all non-liturgical music (not setting up a theocracy; it's just that Jingle Bell Rock, Sleigh Ride, Santa Baby et al. are just terrible)

"Jingle Bell Rock" is one of the worst 5 songs ever written.  #1 is probably the Lee Greenwood "patriotic" (jingoistic) song.

I like "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" even less.

Those are literally the same song with almost the same meter, and both are in D major.

What forces it to be in D major? It can be in any key.

I was referring to the fact that both of the original recordings were in D major.

I work at one of the retail outlets and we get no holidays except Christmas Day.   It was worst when I worked in the Hospitality Industry as you worked 365 days a year and double time on Christmas Day. 

To me personally I think the holidays are gone anyway.  To bring them back would not only start a war among religions, but among people themselves non religiously as we all have gotten used to them being not important over the last 30 or more years.  Even if you went back to no liquor sales on Sunday's it would create a hardship as we become accustomed to it over the last few decades.

If you're a Red Sox fan, cancel the Hollidays. He hit two home runs for the Cardinals.

Quote from: roadman65 on October 29, 2013, 04:56:26 PM
I work at one of the retail outlets and we get no holidays except Christmas Day.   It was worst when I worked in the Hospitality Industry as you worked 365 days a year and double time on Christmas Day. 

To me personally I think the holidays are gone anyway.  To bring them back would not only start a war among religions, but among people themselves non religiously as we all have gotten used to them being not important over the last 30 or more years.  Even if you went back to no liquor sales on Sunday's it would create a hardship as we become accustomed to it over the last few decades.

I can understand police, fire and medical personnel working through holidays, even some gas station employees, but everyone deserves at least some time off to spend with family, or outside of work in general. I try to avoid going out on Black Friday and as far as I remember, I've never went to a restaurant on Christmas Day. That's the way it should be.

English Bank Holidays (public holidays) bunch up:

Christmas Day (25th Dec or next week day that isn't the 26th)
Boxing Day (26th Dec or the day after Christmas Day BH)
New Years Day (1st Jan) - Scotland also has the second off, as one day isn't enough to recover from Hogmanay hangovers ;)
Good Friday
Easter Monday (day after Easter Sunday)
May Day Bank Holiday (first Monday in May)
Spring Bank Holiday (last Monday in May)
August Bank Holiday (last Monday in August)

As you may have noticed, you have three in a week in mid-winter, another two about three months later (Easter related ones), another one within 1-5 weeks and another 3-4 weeks later, then a 3 month break for one day and then a 4 month break. Our 8 Bank Holidays have 7 in five months, and 1 in the other 7 months!

I should mention that the Royal Wedding in 2011 was a Bank Holiday, and was deliberately put on the Friday before May Bank Holiday. With the late Easter, there was a 3 day week sandwiched between two 4-day weekends (queue lots of people going abroad). Also, the Diamond Jubilee moved the Spring Bank Holiday back a week to June 3rd, and the Queen's 'official birthday' of June 4th was also a Bank Holiday. Jan 2nd 2000 has been the only other Bank Holiday added to the English schedule since, like, forever.

One of the most silly things is a campaign for St Georges Day (23rd of April) to be the English national day and a Bank Holiday - it's right in the middle of the Spring Bank Holiday glut. Far better to reinstate Edward the Confessor as the English national saint (after a 700 year absense) as his day is October 13th: the perfect time for a bank holiday! Plus he is English and has an actual link with England, unlike George. If you want a secular day, then the Battle of Hastings was on the 14th, but why celebrate that awful day? far better celebrate Agincourt on the 25th.

---

English Thanksgiving would be somewhere in September as our harvest is earlier. I celebrate the American one to an extent that mostly involves eating something American and that's about it.

The Commonwealth of Kentucky observes 11 1/2 holidays.

Two days for Christmas.
Two days for New Year's Day.
MLK Day.
The afternoon of Good Friday (the half day).
Memorial Day.
Independence Day.
Labor Day.
Veterans Day.
Two days for Thanksgiving.

Also, every four years. the presidential election day is observed as a state holiday. And every four years, workers in Frankfort get the day off when the new governor is inaugurated (the parade and the inaugural balls make parking and navigating town a mess) and usually, employees out in the state get the day off as well. I don't understand why the presidential election day is a state holiday but the gubernatorial election day is not.

When I went to work in Frankfort in 1995, Presidents Day was observed along with MLK Day. Veterans Day was not observed. Around 1999 or 2000, Vets Day was added and Presidents Day (which is the official name of the day in Kentucky even though technically the official name of the federal holiday is still Washington's Birthday) was removed. That means Kentucky celebrates the birth of MLK but not the birth of its only native-born president, Abe Lincoln. Makes no sense whatsoever to me, especially since Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation.

I'm not sure what holiday was removed to put MLK on the schedule. Probably Columbus Day, but I can't be positive.

Quote from: realjd on October 29, 2013, 01:23:23 PM
I propose that we make the day after the Super Bowl a mandatory holiday.

Here's a clue, NFL: It's Sunday, we're not doing anything because it's January/February, any religious services ended several hours ago, most people aren't working...so start the damn game at 3pm EST so that shitfaced morons can go to work the next day without an excuse. Who cares if the game is happening at night? Big deal, fifteen-year-olds in one-stoplight towns do that on every Friday during autumn.

Don't take away any holidays. Thanks.

Frankly, from a purely practical standpoint, the holiday I find the least "necessary" is Martin Luther King Day, simply because it comes so soon after two other holidays (Christmas and New Year's) and the week in between those two when little work gets done and there's no traffic. I just don't feel any need for another holiday then. I know that's un-PC, of course.

I understand why Veterans Day is when it is, and I understand why moving it to the day after Thanksgiving is a non-starter because the day's significance would be utterly lost, but on the other hand I think the private sector already ignores Veterans Day anyway. If I had to choose between Veterans Day and Columbus Day, I'd choose Columbus Day every time. Much better weather in mid-October.

I'm tired of the media and others referring to Washington's Birthday as "Presidents Day" (or some variant thereon). The federal holiday is called "Washington's Birthday" by statute. Here in Virginia it's "George Washington Day." Alabama calls it "Washington and Jefferson Day" even though Jefferson was born in April (I guess they want to avoid honoring Lincoln). It's just too bad the Monday holiday law screwed it up–by observing that day on the third Monday in February, they ensured it can never fall on Washington's actual birthday under the Gregorian Calendar (February 22) or under the Julian Calendar in use when he was born (February 11–and he was born in 1731 under that calendar, too, rather than 1732).

(Yes, I know some states call it Presidents Day, so in those states it's fine to call it that. But it's not the name of the holiday in most places, popular misconception notwithstanding.)

Quote from: PColumbus73 on October 29, 2013, 05:15:04 PM

Quote from: roadman65 on October 29, 2013, 04:56:26 PM
I work at one of the retail outlets and we get no holidays except Christmas Day.   It was worst when I worked in the Hospitality Industry as you worked 365 days a year and double time on Christmas Day. 

To me personally I think the holidays are gone anyway.  To bring them back would not only start a war among religions, but among people themselves non religiously as we all have gotten used to them being not important over the last 30 or more years.  Even if you went back to no liquor sales on Sunday's it would create a hardship as we become accustomed to it over the last few decades.

I can understand police, fire and medical personnel working through holidays, even some gas station employees, but everyone deserves at least some time off to spend with family, or outside of work in general. I try to avoid going out on Black Friday and as far as I remember, I've never went to a restaurant on Christmas Day. That's the way it should be.

Then you don't mind if every television station is off the air on holidays, right?  Someone has to run the controls. 

Or if your electric goes out.  While power is generally automated, there still needs to be people at those power plants to verify that.

Or no football, basketball, or other sporting events.  And I'm not just talking about the players, but the thousands of personal that work those games, from security to concession people to the people cleaning the bathrooms to the camera men and producers airing that game to your TV.

I want to say, sure, convenience stores should be closed on major holidays, but when you see how busy they are, one realizes that many holiday meals would be ruined because something was forgotten.

So these are just 4 things that people take for granted.  When someone says "No one should work on a holiday" while sitting down and watching football...well, they should be thankful someone is working on that holiday!

Quote from: 1995hoo on October 29, 2013, 09:06:44 PMI'm tired of the media and others referring to Washington's Birthday as "Presidents Day" (or some variant thereon).

IIRC, the term Presidents Day came about because many states (my homestate of Massachusetts being one of them) used to observe both Lincoln's Birthday & Washington's birthday on two separate days until sometime during the mid-to-late 1970s. 

Growing up back then, I remember having Lincoln's Birthday off from school (Feb. 12 unless it fell on a weekend) and Washington's Birthday (Feb. 22) and its holiday observance (the 3rd Monday in February regardless of where the date on the calendar) always fell during the week-long February vacation.

When the decision was made to consolidate both Lincoln's & Washington's Birthday observances to one day (and hence lose a paid holiday and/or day off from school); that's when the term President's Day surfaced and has been around since.  Since it's observance is still the 3rd Monday of every February, there are many instances where the observed date falls between Lincoln's & Washington's actual birthdays.   

^^ Some states still do keep the two days separate.  Illinois celebrates Lincoln's Birthday in addition to Presidents' Day.  Illinois also celebrates Casmir Pulaski Day (March 3).  Don't try to call IDOT on March 3rd.  You won't get anything but an answering machine.

West Virginia also observes West Virginia Day, which is a state holiday.

---

As for working on holidays, I've done it. I covered a high school basketball tournament that was played on Thanksgiving my first year out of college. When I was editing a newspaper, I worked most Monday holidays, the day after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day most years. In my current job I've put in time on holidays if we've had bad weather that required reporting of road conditions to the public. It's a sacrifice some have to make to earn a living.

Everybody at my work has to work 4 hours on each holiday, even though I somehow got Halloween off, which I didn't request and I have no Halloween plans so I didn't care if I had to work that day or not.

Quote from: jeffandnicole on October 30, 2013, 08:33:07 AM

Quote from: PColumbus73 on October 29, 2013, 05:15:04 PM

Quote from: roadman65 on October 29, 2013, 04:56:26 PM
I work at one of the retail outlets and we get no holidays except Christmas Day.   It was worst when I worked in the Hospitality Industry as you worked 365 days a year and double time on Christmas Day. 

To me personally I think the holidays are gone anyway.  To bring them back would not only start a war among religions, but among people themselves non religiously as we all have gotten used to them being not important over the last 30 or more years.  Even if you went back to no liquor sales on Sunday's it would create a hardship as we become accustomed to it over the last few decades.

I can understand police, fire and medical personnel working through holidays, even some gas station employees, but everyone deserves at least some time off to spend with family, or outside of work in general. I try to avoid going out on Black Friday and as far as I remember, I've never went to a restaurant on Christmas Day. That's the way it should be.

Then you don't mind if every television station is off the air on holidays, right?  Someone has to run the controls. 

Or if your electric goes out.  While power is generally automated, there still needs to be people at those power plants to verify that.

Or no football, basketball, or other sporting events.  And I'm not just talking about the players, but the thousands of personal that work those games, from security to concession people to the people cleaning the bathrooms to the camera men and producers airing that game to your TV.

I want to say, sure, convenience stores should be closed on major holidays, but when you see how busy they are, one realizes that many holiday meals would be ruined because something was forgotten.

So these are just 4 things that people take for granted.  When someone says "No one should work on a holiday" while sitting down and watching football...well, they should be thankful someone is working on that holiday!

I understand there needs to be some services that need to be attended, it may have been played down, but I was trying to suggest that non-essential personnel should be given time off on major holidays (specifically Thanksgiving and Christmas).

When I worked at a grocery store, the store closed at 5:30PM for Thanksgiving (and Christmas Eve), and after that, the last minute people were out of luck. If someone was planning some kind of gathering for Thanksgiving/Christmas, then I would guess that the last-minute item may not be super important. If someone waited until 5:25PM to decide they want a feast, then you can't really get mad at the store for the customer's poor planning.

I'm not into sports, so the whole Thanksgiving football/basketball/whatnot events aren't something I'm overtly concerned about.

As I mentioned before, power companies can reduce their staff to essential personnel during the holidays.

Everyone can survive without television for a day or two, before my time (1990), television stations went off air ever night, I dunno about the holidays, maybe someone can enlighten me about television from back then.

One holiday that's a Massachusetts-Only holiday is Patriots Day observed on the 3rd Monday in April (commemorating the initial battle of Lexington & Concord that started the Revolutionary War on April 19, 1775) and is also when the Boston Marathon is held.

Quote from: PColumbus73 on October 30, 2013, 01:15:33 PMEveryone can survive without television for a day or two, before my time (1990), television stations went off air ever night, I dunno about the holidays, maybe someone can enlighten me about television from back then.

You might want to check out this thread (mid-section):

https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=10167.0 (https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=10167.0)

Quote from: bugo on October 30, 2013, 12:21:37 PM
Everybody at my work has to work 4 hours on each holiday, even though I somehow got Halloween off, which I didn't request and I have no Halloween plans so I didn't care if I had to work that day or not.

Halloween isn't a federal or state holiday. Why would you expect time off?

Quote from: realjd on October 30, 2013, 08:18:43 PM

Quote from: bugo on October 30, 2013, 12:21:37 PM
Everybody at my work has to work 4 hours on each holiday, even though I somehow got Halloween off, which I didn't request and I have no Halloween plans so I didn't care if I had to work that day or not.

Halloween isn't a federal or state holiday. Why would you expect time off?

When I was in the hotel business we got asked to rank our "holiday season" priorities in order and then holidays off would be given to folks based on that. Halloween was included in the mix because a lot of folks would rather have that off than other holidays- just because it's not a federal or state holiday doesn't mean people don't want it off as a holiday. In my case we'd rank 1-6 Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Years Eve, New Years Day.

In the service industry, federal/state holidays typically don't matter for shit. If your bosses are nice they'll try to accommodate everybody as best they can, but there's no obligation to pay more attention to honor those days more than any other days.

Quote from: PHLBOS on October 30, 2013, 08:53:06 AM

Quote from: 1995hoo on October 29, 2013, 09:06:44 PMI'm tired of the media and others referring to Washington's Birthday as "Presidents Day" (or some variant thereon).

IIRC, the term Presidents Day came about because many states (my homestate of Massachusetts being one of them) used to observe both Lincoln's Birthday & Washington's birthday on two separate days until sometime during the mid-to-late 1970s. 

Growing up back then, I remember having Lincoln's Birthday off from school (Feb. 12 unless it fell on a weekend) and Washington's Birthday (Feb. 22) and its holiday observance (the 3rd Monday in February regardless of where the date on the calendar) always fell during the week-long February vacation.

When the decision was made to consolidate both Lincoln's & Washington's Birthday observances to one day (and hence lose a paid holiday and/or day off from school); that's when the term President's Day surfaced and has been around since.  Since it's observance is still the 3rd Monday of every February, there are many instances where the observed date falls between Lincoln's & Washington's actual birthdays.

My understanding is that this consolidation occurred in order to make room for Martin Luther King day. So rather than celebrate Lincoln and Washington's birthdays separately, "Presidents Day" is supposed to honor all past presidents.

The curious consequence of this is that George Washington and Abraham Lincoln no longer have their names on national holidays, but Martin Luther King does - a distinction he shares with two other people: Christopher Columbus and Jesus Christ. How's that for an odd threesome?


Christmas as a federal holiday is interesting, though, because unlike every other federal holiday it is a religious holiday and not everyone celebrates it. People who follow other religions don't get their major holidays off from work and typically have to use vacation time to do so... which, if you think about it, isn't really fair.

Meanwhile, you can always order Chinese food on Christmas and not feel bad about ruining anyone's holiday. :)

Quote from: corco on October 30, 2013, 08:24:39 PM

Quote from: realjd on October 30, 2013, 08:18:43 PM
Halloween isn't a federal or state holiday. Why would you expect time off?

When I was in the hotel business we got asked to rank our "holiday season" priorities in order and then holidays off would be given to folks based on that. Halloween was included in the mix because a lot of folks would rather have that off than other holidays

Parents want to accompany their kids trick-or-treating.

And for college-aged kids it's arguably the best party of the year, so yeah, the appeal is definitely there.

Quote from: Duke87 on May 20, 1974, 05:50:17 PM
My understanding is that this consolidation occurred in order to make room for Martin Luther King day. So rather than celebrate Lincoln and Washington's birthdays separately, "Presidents Day" is supposed to honor all past presidents.

The curious consequence of this is that George Washington and Abraham Lincoln no longer have their names on national holidays, but Martin Luther King does - a distinction he shares with two other people: Christopher Columbus and Jesus Christ. How's that for an odd threesome?

....

Actually, Washington still does and Lincoln never did. The federal holiday is called Washington's Birthday (media and advertiser propaganda notwithstanding) and Lincoln's Birthday was never a federal holiday. (I say "federal holiday" because technically there is no such thing as a "national holiday" in that no state is required to observe the same holidays as the federal government and no private-sector businesses are required to observe any holidays at all.)

---

Quote from: ZLoth on October 30, 2013, 10:39:53 PM

Quote from: corco on October 30, 2013, 08:24:39 PM

Quote from: realjd on October 30, 2013, 08:18:43 PM
Halloween isn't a federal or state holiday. Why would you expect time off?

When I was in the hotel business we got asked to rank our "holiday season" priorities in order and then holidays off would be given to folks based on that. Halloween was included in the mix because a lot of folks would rather have that off than other holidays

Parents want to accompany their kids trick-or-treating.

When I worked downtown I always found Halloween to be one of the two worst days of the year for commuting (the other is the day when the president lights the Christmas tree on the Ellipse near the White House and so they close a bunch of streets during rush hour). All the parents try to rush home to take their kids around and the traffic is a disaster. I used to take the subway on October 31 even though I normally drove. This year I need to pick up my wife at the subway, so any kids coming around between 6:15 and 6:45 are out of luck.

NJ still observes "Election Day", so anything state government related is closed.  Why the state workers are given the day off - well, the reasoning is that it gives them time to vote.  But...the booths are open 6am - 8pm, so there's PLENTY of time for them to vote before or after work!

Some schools are closed on Election Day as well, or take a half day, if the voting booths are located in the schools.  Growing up, my town had their booths in the fire halls, so we always had school.  My dad worked in a school district where they voted at the schools, and that district had the day off.

Quote from: Duke87 on October 30, 2013, 10:22:50 PMMy understanding is that this consolidation occurred in order to make room for Martin Luther King day.

While likely true nationwide, I should point out that MLK Day was originally a Massachusetts-only holiday (like Patriots Day); and I believe that there was a brief period that businesses and schools in the Bay State had all 3 days off.  So the Lincoln/Washington consolidation into President's Day still meant one less paid holiday in Massachusetts.

MLK Day sometimes fell on or near my birthday, so I was quite partial to it when I was in school.

Which spawns an honest question: Why not celebrate the date of their major accomplishment? After all, everyone's born, but not everyone performs memorable deeds. King's speech at the March on Washington was obviously quite important, so if that's his crowning moment...why not celebrate that day instead?

Halloween is about the only holiday I have to sacrifice with my job; I wouldn't care, but it's for the kids. I pretty much get all the major national holidays off, although there's the rare chance we get an offer to work on those days (with right to refusal).

Quote from: wxfree on October 26, 2013, 05:24:03 AM

Quote from: bugo on October 26, 2013, 01:58:23 AM
How is Christmas a Catholic holiday?  If anything, it is a pagan holiday.

Trying to avoid religion, this topic is interesting as a discussion on history.

I'm not aware of a pagan tradition celebrating Christmas, but there may be.  Pagans long celebrated that time of year as a period of increasing light, or the rising of the sun.  The term "Catholic" (meaning "universal"), I use to refer to the early post-Jewish church.  The Catholics took the Jewish practices out of Christianity and adopted other practices, some pagan.  I'm not thoroughly familiar with early Catholicism; I picked up bits and pieces in a class.  It seems like a fascinating topic I need to set to studying.  As I recall, the early Catholics wanted to appeal to the pagans they were trying to convert, and adopted their holidays in order to accommodate their lifestyles, or maybe that's just one teacher's interpretation.  I don't know the full story of how the birth of Jesus ended up in late December, but it lines up with pagan holidays celebrating the the birth (rising) of the sun.

It's a fine day to celebrate, as I really don't like the short days in late December.  I really don't even care if we put Christmas there.  I just don't like how it's portrayed as a day something happened, rather than as a day of remembrance of an event of uncertain timing.

Christmas or the celebration of the birth of our Messiah (the Christ) was actually less important than the celebration of Easter (or the resurrection) due to the importance of the rememberance of Jesus' sacrifice for us on the cross. It was thought that we should also celebrate His birth as well. Originally Christmas was celebrated on January 6th (on Epiphany) rather than Dec 25th. it was moved to the earlier date and took the place of the druidic/pagan holiday. However Christmas has always been a christian holiday since its inception. The catholic church has had a bad rap due to a variety of reasons. like the dark ages and even some of the things that came out of the crusades. However we must look at God's actions in the church as we humans were acting in worship. God sustained the church through all of this time. in spite of man's less than perfect ways.

Quote from: Duke87 on October 30, 2013, 10:22:50 PM
Meanwhile, you can always order Chinese food on Christmas and not feel bad about ruining anyone's holiday. :)

Didn't they make a movie that was based in part on that premise? Something about the neighbor's dogs getting in the house and eating the Christmas turkey, and when the family goes to a Chinese restaurant, the server whacks the duck's head off with a machete.

Quote from: 1995hoo on October 31, 2013, 07:50:18 AM
(I say "federal holiday" because technically there is no such thing as a "national holiday" in that no state is required to observe the same holidays as the federal government and no private-sector businesses are required to observe any holidays at all.)

Interesting. I always heard that banks are required to close on federal holidays because if there's a robbery on a national holiday (which are called "bank holidays" in some countries), that the FDIC is not required to cover the losses.

Why would banks take off on all the federal holidays if they're not required to?

Quote from: 1995hoo on October 31, 2013, 07:50:18 AM
no private-sector businesses are required to observe any holidays at all.

Federally regulated banks are required to be closed federal holidays, as well as required to be open other weekdays baring emergencies.

Quote from: hbelkins on October 31, 2013, 10:42:30 AM
Interesting. I always heard that banks are required to close on federal holidays because if there's a robbery on a national holiday (which are called "bank holidays" in some countries), that the FDIC is not required to cover the losses.

I thought the reason was that if there's a run on the bank, they need to be able to reach federal workers at their nearest branch of the Federal Reserve, and if those federal workers are on holiday that would be a problem.

All posts relating to banks closing on fed holidays at the bottom of page 3 are incorrect.  TD Bank is open on some Federal Holidays:

Per their website: http://www.tdbank.com/bank/holiday_schedule.html

QuoteTD Bank 2013 Holiday Schedule

We make banking easy. That's why we're open when most banks are closed. Now that's convenient!

TD Bank stores are open on the following federal holidays in 2013:

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day   Monday, January 21
President's Day   Monday, February 18
Memorial Day   Monday, May 27 - open 'til 1PM
Independence Day   Thursday, July 4 - open 'til 1PM
Columbus Day   Monday, October 14
Veterans Day   Monday, November 11
NOTE: All transactions made on federal holidays will be processed the next business day.

We work hard to be there when you need us - but even our dedicated TD Bank team members need an occasional day off. Our TD Bank stores are closed on the following 2013 holidays:

New Year's Day   Tuesday, January 1
Easter Sunday   Sunday, March 31
Labor Day   Monday, September 2
Thanksgiving Day   Thursday, November 28
Christmas   Wednesday, December 25
The Supermarket stores will follow the same holiday schedule as traditional stores. 

Note: This bank is also open on Sundays. And that includes both inside and drive-thru.

Quote from: jeffandnicole on October 31, 2013, 12:32:09 PM
All posts relating to banks closing on fed holidays at the bottom of page 3 are incorrect.  TD Bank is open on some Federal Holidays:

Per their website: http://www.tdbank.com/bank/holiday_schedule.html

QuoteTD Bank 2013 Holiday Schedule

We make banking easy. That's why we're open when most banks are closed. Now that's convenient!

TD Bank stores are open on the following federal holidays in 2013:

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day   Monday, January 21
President's Day   Monday, February 18
Memorial Day   Monday, May 27 - open 'til 1PM
Independence Day   Thursday, July 4 - open 'til 1PM
Columbus Day   Monday, October 14
Veterans Day   Monday, November 11
NOTE: All transactions made on federal holidays will be processed the next business day.

We work hard to be there when you need us - but even our dedicated TD Bank team members need an occasional day off. Our TD Bank stores are closed on the following 2013 holidays:

New Year's Day   Tuesday, January 1
Easter Sunday   Sunday, March 31
Labor Day   Monday, September 2
Thanksgiving Day   Thursday, November 28
Christmas   Wednesday, December 25
The Supermarket stores will follow the same holiday schedule as traditional stores. 

Note: This bank is also open on Sundays. And that includes both inside and drive-thru.

More on what you just posted: http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2012/07/banks_dont_have_to_close_on_ho.html

Quote from: jeffandnicole on October 31, 2013, 12:32:09 PM
All posts relating to banks closing on fed holidays at the bottom of page 3 are incorrect.  TD Bank is open on some Federal Holidays:

....

Thanks for that.

TD Bank bought/merged with Commerce Bank, which was always known for their customer-friendly hours.  Traditionally, Commerce Bank was open 7:30am - 8pm M-F, Saturday from 7:30am - 6pm and Sunday from 11-4.  Most of those hours were for both inside (evenings Mon, Tue, & Wed, and 3pm - 6pm Saturday were the notable exceptions) and drive-in customers.  On Black Friday, they would even open at 6:30am if you wanted to come in for your money (or any other banking need).

The tradeoff is their interest rates generally suck.  Even worse than the sucky rates we've been used to at most banks during the past few years.

But if you need to access a safety deposit box Sunday afternoon, or want to stop at the bank on the way to work, this was the bank for you.  They even allowed you to withdrawal money from another bank's ATM without a fee! (The bank you were at would charge you though).  So at Wawa and other places that don't charge a fee, one could withdrawal money at no charge.

Since TD Bank took them over, they've made a few changes...TD Bank will charge you now at an out-of-network ATM, and that fee is going up from $2 to $3.  Hours, starting Nov. 4, will be shortened slightly (opening 8am weekdays, closing 3pm Sunday, for example).  And numerous fees that Commerce never charged became the norm at TD Bank.

Quote from: hbelkins on October 31, 2013, 10:42:30 AM

Quote from: Duke87 on October 30, 2013, 10:22:50 PM
Meanwhile, you can always order Chinese food on Christmas and not feel bad about ruining anyone's holiday. :)

Didn't they make a movie that was based in part on that premise? Something about the neighbor's dogs getting in the house and eating the Christmas turkey, and when the family goes to a Chinese restaurant, the server whacks the duck's head off with a machete.

A Christmas Story
That scene was at the end of the movie...after Ralphie "shot his eye out".

Quote from: DaBigE on October 31, 2013, 01:20:27 PM

Quote from: hbelkins on October 31, 2013, 10:42:30 AM

Quote from: Duke87 on October 30, 2013, 10:22:50 PM
Meanwhile, you can always order Chinese food on Christmas and not feel bad about ruining anyone's holiday. :)

Didn't they make a movie that was based in part on that premise? Something about the neighbor's dogs getting in the house and eating the Christmas turkey, and when the family goes to a Chinese restaurant, the server whacks the duck's head off with a machete.

A Christmas Story
That scene was at the end of the movie...after Ralphie "shot his eye out".

The video clip of the scene:

Quote from: jeffandnicole on October 31, 2013, 01:20:14 PM
TD Bank bought/merged with Commerce Bank, which was always known for their customer-friendly hours.  Traditionally, Commerce Bank was open 7:30am - 8pm M-F, Saturday from 7:30am - 6pm and Sunday from 11-4.  Most of those hours were for both inside (evenings Mon, Tue, & Wed, and 3pm - 6pm Saturday were the notable exceptions) and drive-in customers.  On Black Friday, they would even open at 6:30am if you wanted to come in for your money (or any other banking need).

The tradeoff is their interest rates generally suck.  Even worse than the sucky rates we've been used to at most banks during the past few years.

But if you need to access a safety deposit box Sunday afternoon, or want to stop at the bank on the way to work, this was the bank for you.  They even allowed you to withdrawal money from another bank's ATM without a fee! (The bank you were at would charge you though).  So at Wawa and other places that don't charge a fee, one could withdrawal money at no charge.

Since TD Bank took them over, they've made a few changes...TD Bank will charge you now at an out-of-network ATM, and that fee is going up from $2 to $3.  Hours, starting Nov. 4, will be shortened slightly (opening 8am weekdays, closing 3pm Sunday, for example).  And numerous fees that Commerce never charged became the norm at TD Bank.

Some of those changes are causing me to dislike TD Bank more and more as time goes on.  I was a big supporter of most of the old Commerce Bank model & policies.

At least at the branch near me (Glenolden, PA near the MacDade Mall), the majority of those shortened hours are for the lobby (walk-in) vs. the drive-thru.  Ever since gas broke $2.50/gallon several years ago; I almost never use a drive-thru for anything because idling while waiting in line needlessly burns more gas.  Adding insult to injury, the new lobby hours for Mon.-Wed. has the bank only open until 5 PM.  On a good day, I get off work in Philly around 4:30 PM.  If there's something I need to have done at my home branch; I'm now out of luck.  While I do have one or two branches in Philly within reasonable proximity to where I work; if they're adopting the same chincier hours (and they have no drive-thru); I may haev a similar problem getting to them after work hours.

We now rejoin our regularly-scheduled topic already in progress.

Quote from: DaBigE on October 31, 2013, 01:20:27 PM

A Christmas Story
That scene was at the end of the movie...after Ralphie "shot his eye out".

I knew that, of course. I love that movie. Another case where sarcasm doesn't always translate to the non-spoken word.

Quote from: kkt on October 31, 2013, 12:23:58 PM
I thought the reason was that if there's a run on the bank, they need to be able to reach federal workers at their nearest branch of the Federal Reserve, and if those federal workers are on holiday that would be a problem.

That shouldn't be an issue. Highway workers can be reached when there is an emergency on a holiday.

I wanted to sarcastically respond with Christmas Vacation (Best part: the "Pledge of Allegiance" Prayer at dinner)...but then I started talking about the bank and forgot.

Quote from: jeffandnicole on October 31, 2013, 03:49:32 PM
...but then I started talking about the bank and forgot.

You had your mind on that upcoming Jelly of the Month club membership, didn't you?

Quote from: formulanone on October 31, 2013, 03:52:29 PM

Quote from: jeffandnicole on October 31, 2013, 03:49:32 PM
...but then I started talking about the bank and forgot.

You had your mind on that upcoming Jelly of the Month club membership, didn't you?

Clark, that's the gift that keeps on giving the whole year.

Quote from: jeffandnicole on October 31, 2013, 12:32:09 PM
All posts relating to banks closing on fed holidays at the bottom of page 3 are incorrect.  TD Bank is open on some Federal Holidays:

Per their website: http://www.tdbank.com/bank/holiday_schedule.html

QuoteTD Bank 2013 Holiday Schedule

We make banking easy. That's why we're open when most banks are closed. Now that's convenient!

TD Bank stores are open on the following federal holidays in 2013:

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day   Monday, January 21
President's Day   Monday, February 18
Memorial Day   Monday, May 27 - open 'til 1PM
Independence Day   Thursday, July 4 - open 'til 1PM
Columbus Day   Monday, October 14
Veterans Day   Monday, November 11
NOTE: All transactions made on federal holidays will be processed the next business day.

We work hard to be there when you need us - but even our dedicated TD Bank team members need an occasional day off. Our TD Bank stores are closed on the following 2013 holidays:

New Year's Day   Tuesday, January 1
Easter Sunday   Sunday, March 31
Labor Day   Monday, September 2
Thanksgiving Day   Thursday, November 28
Christmas   Wednesday, December 25
The Supermarket stores will follow the same holiday schedule as traditional stores. 

Note: This bank is also open on Sundays. And that includes both inside and drive-thru.

Interesting, thanks.

Banking is a pretty anomalous industry anyway. Most consumer-oriented businesses open early and close late to serve as many customers as possible, including the nine-to-five set. When I worked in a fast food restaurant, our lobby hours were 6am—10pm, and I think that is pretty typical of non-24-hour establishments. Banking still operates, for the most part, nine-to-five hours and closed on holidays, so how they expect the common folk who work those hours to make it in to do business, I don't know.

The lack of availability of bank tellers outside of 9 to 5 is not a big problem since 99% of trips to the bank can be completely taken care of by an ATM, and those are available 24/7. For anything else, I just run out of the office for a few minutes whenever I get a chance. Though this will be more difficult for people who do not work right down the block from a bank, or who are on a clock and can't just run out for a few minutes whenever they feel like it.

Also, banks aren't unique: the post office closes at 5 PM too.

Quote from: Brandon on October 30, 2013, 09:22:22 AM
^^ Some states still do keep the two days separate.  Illinois celebrates Lincoln's Birthday in addition to Presidents' Day.  Illinois also celebrates Casmir Pulaski Day (March 3).  Don't try to call IDOT on March 3rd.  You won't get anything but an answering machine.

IDOT is not supposed to be celebrating Casmir Pulaski Day:
http://www2.illinois.gov/cms/Employees/Personnel/Pages/StateHolidays.aspx (http://www2.illinois.gov/cms/Employees/Personnel/Pages/StateHolidays.aspx)

---

Quote from: jeffandnicole on October 31, 2013, 08:30:09 AM
NJ still observes "Election Day", so anything state government related is closed.  Why the state workers are given the day off - well, the reasoning is that it gives them time to vote.  But...the booths are open 6am - 8pm, so there's PLENTY of time for them to vote before or after work!

The story I heard for at least why Illinois give it's employees Election Day off was that in the past it used to be common for new administrations to lay off most of the state employees.  The employees were given the day off to campaign for respective political candidate.

Kentucky gives state employees four hours off to vote in any primary, general or special election. But you have to sign an affidavit that you actually did vote and submit that to the payroll clerk, and state government has checked voter sign-in books to ensure that employees who took time off to vote actually did cast a ballot.

Yeah we get it off in Montana, but only in even numbered years. Local elections are all done by mail ballot, so there's no need to give people time off to drive to their polling place.

Oddly, where I live, county road crews get Primary Election Day off but none of the other county employees do. Montana is a union state, but road crews aren't unionized (though they threaten too) so I'm not sure if that's the reason, since they also get Good Friday off unlike the rest of the state.

I have never heard of employees anywhere getting election day off, even partially. Although you can always use personal time for that purpose if making it to the polls and a full day of work is tricky.

Growing up students didn't have school on election day because the schools were used as polling places (and there was no gym class that week while they were setting the voting machines up before and then putting them away after), but I believe the board of ed used election day as a staff development day, so the teachers didn't have the day off.

Quote from: Indyroads on October 31, 2013, 10:14:10 AMOriginally Christmas was celebrated on January 6th (on Epiphany) rather than Dec 25th.

No - the Dec 25 date came very early on (see above). The Eastern churches celebrate in January as they are on the Julian calendar (or a modification of it), which is 13 days off the Gregorian calendar. Epiphany was perhaps a bigger festival originally, having become overshadowed by Christmas.

Quoteit was moved to the earlier date and took the place of the druidic/pagan holiday.

Except there's no evidence of a Dec 25th pagan festival until after evidence for Dec 25th Christmas. That's despite it being the solstice - Julius chose New Year to be a week afterwards, which makes no sense if the 25th (winter solstice) was in anyway important for Rome's magpie religion.

QuoteThe catholic church has had a bad rap due to a variety of reasons. like the dark ages

The dark ages are dark as hordes of barbarians (Germanic tribes, Vikings, Arabs) did a lot of skirmishes into what was the Roman Empire, as such civilisation kept on being destroyed and rebuilt and destroyed. The Church was the only bit of light in the time (and massively so in the East, where the Roman Empire still existed), and the Roman Catholic (don't forget that Constantinople was still Catholic until Rome rudely excommunicated them in 1054, which was just after the dark ages) Church got its power due to it being the only civilisation that survived.

Quote from: Duke87 on November 01, 2013, 08:53:27 PM
The lack of availability of bank tellers outside of 9 to 5 is not a big problem since 99% of trips to the bank can be completely taken care of by an ATM, and those are available 24/7.

Yeah, if you like $20 bills. I don't (I use cash mostly in situations where I'm spending around $10, so I prefer $10s).

Quote from: Duke87 on November 01, 2013, 11:03:56 PM
I have never heard of employees anywhere getting election day off, even partially. Although you can always use personal time for that purpose if making it to the polls and a full day of work is tricky.

Growing up students didn't have school on election day because the schools were used as polling places (and there was no gym class that week while they were setting the voting machines up before and then putting them away after), but I believe the board of ed used election day as a staff development day, so the teachers didn't have the day off.

When I was a kid we has school on Election Day and our school was a polling place. We were ordered to keep silent at lunch that day because the voting machines were in the cafeteria (really stupid idea). Nowadays in Fairfax County Election Day is a teacher workday because they realized the old way was stupid.

I still have no school on Election Day this year.

Quote from: Duke87 on November 01, 2013, 08:53:27 PM
Also, banks aren't unique: the post office closes at 5 PM too.

Not all of them. The one in my town is open until 6pm M-F. Madison's main post office is open until 7pm M-F. However, the POs in many smaller towns are open much shorter hours, many only open until 4 or 4:30pm, one I found was only open until 12:30pm :wow:

Indiana bans the sale of alcohol (package and on-premises) until the polls close to prevent drunks voting. Not being able to get a lunch beer on Election Day always pissed us off back when I was in college for my bachelors at Purdue.

If anything needs to be banned, it's Black Friday. People have died because of the mob mentality that bargain-hunters get.

Quote from: 1995hoo on November 02, 2013, 03:12:04 PM

Quote from: Duke87 on November 01, 2013, 11:03:56 PM
I have never heard of employees anywhere getting election day off, even partially. Although you can always use personal time for that purpose if making it to the polls and a full day of work is tricky.

Growing up students didn't have school on election day because the schools were used as polling places (and there was no gym class that week while they were setting the voting machines up before and then putting them away after), but I believe the board of ed used election day as a staff development day, so the teachers didn't have the day off.

When I was a kid we has school on Election Day and our school was a polling place. We were ordered to keep silent at lunch that day because the voting machines were in the cafeteria (really stupid idea). Nowadays in Fairfax County Election Day is a teacher workday because they realized the old way was stupid.

I would think this would actually decrease voter turnout. Assuming nobody else would normally be around the house, if elementary-age schoolchildren are not in school on a regular workday, then their parents either need to pay for daycare or stay home to watch them, which would prevent parents from voting during normal school hours.

I don't believe we need to get rid of any holidays. I believe we need to add more or at the least actually celebrate the ones we have. Holidays are part of the human condition - it's important to have days to gather together, to celebrate, to remember, to mourn, or to just rest. I believe all non-essential employees should have off, and essential employees are given an alternative, flexible holiday day off instead.

I believe that our lack of holidays in America and our desire to overwork contributes to some of our biggest health problems negatively.

Also, I think that we need to have more "half day" holidays. Halloween should be a half day of work so that parents and kids can get home early to prepare for that evening, and then they should have off the first half of the day for All Saints Day (celebrating Catholics and Christians can go to church that morning; everyone else can recover from their sugar highs and get extra sleep).

I have no problems with "gift giving" holidays like Valentine's Day because it's nice to show EXTRA love and acknowledge on a day. Sure, I'm a girl, but I like giving V-day gifts, too. I buy my mom her favorite chocolate, I bake a favorite dessert for my significant other.

Also, if you don't agree with the message of the original holiday, celebrate something else instead. Columbus was a huge douche and I do not see a reason to memorize him, but I'd love to use Oct 12 as a day to go leaf peeping and drink some cider as a "Happy Fall Day".

We really need to sort out Memorial Day versus Veterans Day here in the U.S. I always find it a little weird when people wish a happy Memorial Day to their surviving veteran friends and relatives. If anything, wouldn't you express to them how glad you are that the day doesn't apply to them?

You have the opposite problem on Veterans Day of course, but that's compounded by the fact that in many other countries, this date actually is reserved for commemorating those lost in war.

On a mostly unrelated note, late summer and autumn is a wonderful time of year for me holiday-wise, as it seems as though almost every holiday from every religion falls on a Thursday and/or Friday, meaning I don't have to move my car those days, sometimes for weeks at a time.  :D

Quote from: Laura Bianca on November 03, 2013, 08:18:02 AM
....

Also, I think that we need to have more "half day" holidays. Halloween should be a half day of work so that parents and kids can get home early to prepare for that evening, and then they should have off the first half of the day for All Saints Day (celebrating Catholics and Christians can go to church that morning; everyone else can recover from their sugar highs and get extra sleep).

....

Why the distinction? The latter includes the former.

Quote from: 1995hoo on November 03, 2013, 10:52:01 AM

Quote from: Laura Bianca on November 03, 2013, 08:18:02 AM
....

Also, I think that we need to have more "half day" holidays. Halloween should be a half day of work so that parents and kids can get home early to prepare for that evening, and then they should have off the first half of the day for All Saints Day (celebrating Catholics and Christians can go to church that morning; everyone else can recover from their sugar highs and get extra sleep).

....

Why the distinction? The latter includes the former.

Getting more off topic, but some more fundamentalist Christian sects don't consider Catholics to be Christian.

Dude. Some of the more fundamentalist sects don't consider Jesus to be Christian.

Nah, just take your kids to the polls with you.  There's no law that says they can't be there, they just can't cast ballots.

Quote from: Big John on November 03, 2013, 11:02:57 AM

Quote from: 1995hoo on November 03, 2013, 10:52:01 AM

Quote from: Laura Bianca on November 03, 2013, 08:18:02 AM
....

Also, I think that we need to have more "half day" holidays. Halloween should be a half day of work so that parents and kids can get home early to prepare for that evening, and then they should have off the first half of the day for All Saints Day (celebrating Catholics and Christians can go to church that morning; everyone else can recover from their sugar highs and get extra sleep).

....

Why the distinction? The latter includes the former.

Getting more off topic, but some more fundamentalist Christian sects don't consider Catholics to be Christian.

Glad you pointed out my typo. I meant to say "Catholics and other Christians". Catholics, Anglicans, and Episcopalians are the only ones (as far as I know) that celebrate All Saints Day on 11/1. Methodists roll the holiday into the next Sunday. Many denominations don't celebrate it at all. Being someone who attends Catholic and Methodist churches, I had no intention of excluding Catholics from other Christians!

Quote from: Laura Bianca on November 03, 2013, 05:49:21 PM
Glad you pointed out my typo. I meant to say "Catholics and other Christians". Catholics, Anglicans, and Episcopalians are the only ones (as far as I know) that celebrate All Saints Day on 11/1. Methodists roll the holiday into the next Sunday. Many denominations don't celebrate it at all. Being someone who attends Catholic and Methodist churches, I had no intention of excluding Catholics from other Christians!

Count Lutherans in the camp that celebrate All Saints Day the following Sunday. Depending on the synod, it may get bumped another week due to the celebration of the Reformation.

Cancel the Christmas season, never! For me it is one of the best times of the year. How people can get so annoyed over the upcoming season has always been something of a mystery to me.

Call me odd, but I even like going to the mall on the weekends in between Thanksgiving and Christmas, there is just so much energy and excitement. (Disclaimer: I ride the bus on days like that so parking is not an issue.)

Christmas too early is sometimes annoying. Christmas at the right time is always good.

Quote from: 1 on November 03, 2013, 09:37:30 PM
Christmas too early is sometimes annoying. Christmas at the right time is always good.

Agreed. I had to stop at Kohls this past Friday, and they already had our "favorite" songs playing on the PA system. :no:  Granted, at least it was only in the range of one Christmas song for every five of their regular [overplayed] mix. Mid-November is when I could better tolerate the Christmas songs starting.

I don't really like to see the Christmas departments being stocked earlier and earlier, but at least those are easier to avoid than the music. Living in a colder climate explains it, but I don't really get into the holiday spirit until the high temps are 40 and below on a regular basis.

Quote from: 1 on November 02, 2013, 03:15:25 PM
I still have no school on Election Day this year.

Growing up in Marblehead, MA in the 1970s & 1980s; we never had a day off from school due to elections being held.  Either the state made a change since then or such varies by town.

Quote from: NE2 on November 03, 2013, 12:02:53 PM
Dude. Some of the more fundamentalist sects don't consider Jesus to be Christian.

Um, he wasn't.  Technically, he was a Jew in what is now Israel.  The term "Christian" was not used until decades afterwards.

Quote from: Brandon on November 04, 2013, 10:58:41 AM

Quote from: NE2 on November 03, 2013, 12:02:53 PM
Dude. Some of the more fundamentalist sects don't consider Jesus to be Christian.

Um, he wasn't.  Technically, he was a Jew in what is now Israel.  The term "Christian" was not used until decades afterwards.

To add, while the term Christian wasn't used until after Jesus ascended (post-resurrection); it was first recorded (& used) in Scripture in book of Acts (of the Apostles).

...The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch. 
- Acts 11:26 (NIV)

Quote from: vdeane on November 03, 2013, 01:10:39 PM
Nah, just take your kids to the polls with you.  There's no law that says they can't be there, they just can't cast ballots.

Yes, that's what we did back when we had in-person voting.  We took the kid, we took turns voting and staying with the kid.  Seeing the whole neighborhood at the polls is a good way to socialize the kid to the importance of elections.

Quote from: kkt on November 04, 2013, 12:29:12 PM

Quote from: vdeane on November 03, 2013, 01:10:39 PM
Nah, just take your kids to the polls with you.  There's no law that says they can't be there, they just can't cast ballots.

Yes, that's what we did back when we had in-person voting.  We took the kid, we took turns voting and staying with the kid.  Seeing the whole neighborhood at the polls is a good way to socialize the kid to the importance of elections.

Oh, so then I shouldn't be selecting "Write-In" then typing in my dogs names?

Hey - at least I'm voting!!!

Now that Halloween has come and gone, we'll get bombarded with Christmas Everything until we are red with anger and green with nausea!

Quote from: 1 on November 03, 2013, 09:37:30 PM
Christmas too early is sometimes annoying. Christmas at the right time is always good.

Agreed. For me, November 30 is too early. December 1, go nuts.

I am fine with Christmas season beginning on Black Friday although the madness that retailers pull on that day does need to stop.

The red, white, and green garland decorations over the streets went up in my neighborhood on Halloween. This is unacceptable.

The college I went to had a policy in the dorms that students were not allowed to put up any Christmas decorations until after Thanksgiving, and they had to all come down before we went home for Christmas break.
But I think this rule existed because the college was worried about Christmas lights and stuff being a fire hazard or a trip hazard, and while they weren't going to be total scrooges and say no decorating period, they weren't going to allow such things for longer than they had to because of the liability. We also weren't allowed to have candles. Or toasters. Or irons. Or hair driers! :rolleyes:
One year we had a Christmas decorating contest between floors where we all went nuts decorating the hallway. Which was great fun until someone in charge of safety for res life found out we were wrapping Christmas lights around the sprinkler pipes. They made us take those down.  :-/

Stores Nationwide Begin Holiday Season Early Despite Negative Reaction (http://markholtz.info/c2). In my not so humble opinion, the only stores who should have Christmas stuff available before November is the craft stores. However, I have been told, with the long lead times, stores end up running out of storage space and are forced to put Christmas stuff out.

I suspect those stores that run out of storage space and put Christmas stuff out right after Halloween are the same ones that complain about disappointing Christmas sales year after year.

Why do stores go crazy over Christmas this time of year?  Go into a Walmart/Target etc and see how much Halloween stuff they are trying to get rid of at 75% - 90% off.  People bitch that it's Halloween in October so don't sell Christmas stuff, but then they aren't going out there and buying the Halloween stuff either.

Quote from: ZLoth on November 07, 2013, 02:17:45 AMStores Nationwide Begin Holiday Season Early Despite Negative Reaction (http://markholtz.info/c2). In my not so humble opinion, the only stores who should have Christmas stuff available before November is the craft stores. However, I have been told, with the long lead times, stores end up running out of storage space and are forced to put Christmas stuff out.

Don't forget shipping to far off places.

We've had Christmas adverts for about 3 weeks, however the first was Furniture ("Don't Do This to Gran this Christmas", with her eating Christmas dinner off her lap) and it was only the beginning of last week that other Xmas ads happened (food store Lidl advertising stuff that would keep) and Debenhams (clothes department store, probably doing it early as they know that their main rival's ad is always big news). However tomorrow night is the big one - the John Lewis ad!

Saw some Xmas lights on Monday - a business right next to the tracks leaving Waterloo. With the dark nights, it's a good way to draw attention to your firm with so many people passing it daily. However, the business is a fairly local one, and the trains passing close enough to read are the long distance ones...

Quote from: PHLBOS on November 04, 2013, 09:15:23 AM

Quote from: 1 on November 02, 2013, 03:15:25 PM
I still have no school on Election Day this year.

Growing up in Marblehead, MA in the 1970s & 1980s; we never had a day off from school due to elections being held.  Either the state made a change since then or such varies by town.

As I recall, you would get Election Day off only if the school was used as a polling place.

Quote from: roadman on November 08, 2013, 01:54:05 PM

Quote from: PHLBOS on November 04, 2013, 09:15:23 AM

Quote from: 1 on November 02, 2013, 03:15:25 PM
I still have no school on Election Day this year.

Growing up in Marblehead, MA in the 1970s & 1980s; we never had a day off from school due to elections being held.  Either the state made a change since then or such varies by town.

As I recall, you would get Election Day off only if the school was used as a polling place.

Not in Marblehead.  Nearly all schools, including the ones I attended (Eveleth & Glover), were polling places on Election Day back then and were simultaneously open for classes.  The only change was that gym class, normally done in the auditorium in elementary schools, was done at a different location for that day.

Quote from: PHLBOS on November 08, 2013, 02:32:17 PM

Quote from: roadman on November 08, 2013, 01:54:05 PM

Quote from: PHLBOS on November 04, 2013, 09:15:23 AM

Quote from: 1 on November 02, 2013, 03:15:25 PM
I still have no school on Election Day this year.

Growing up in Marblehead, MA in the 1970s & 1980s; we never had a day off from school due to elections being held.  Either the state made a change since then or such varies by town.

As I recall, you would get Election Day off only if the school was used as a polling place.

Not in Marblehead.  Nearly all schools, including the ones I attended (Eveleth & Glover), were polling places on Election Day back then and were simultaneously open for classes.  The only change was that gym class, normally done in the auditorium in elementary schools, was done at a different location for that day.

I get school off because it's a polling place.

Quote from: 1 on November 08, 2013, 02:35:22 PM

Quote from: PHLBOS on November 08, 2013, 02:32:17 PM

Quote from: roadman on November 08, 2013, 01:54:05 PM

Quote from: PHLBOS on November 04, 2013, 09:15:23 AM

Quote from: 1 on November 02, 2013, 03:15:25 PM
I still have no school on Election Day this year.

Growing up in Marblehead, MA in the 1970s & 1980s; we never had a day off from school due to elections being held.  Either the state made a change since then or such varies by town.

As I recall, you would get Election Day off only if the school was used as a polling place.

Not in Marblehead.  Nearly all schools, including the ones I attended (Eveleth & Glover), were polling places on Election Day back then and were simultaneously open for classes.  The only change was that gym class, normally done in the auditorium in elementary schools, was done at a different location for that day.

I get school off because it's a polling place.

Obviously either the rules & policies statewise have since changed since I was in school (1971-1984) and/or the rules & policies can vary from town-to-town. 

Again, as I mentioned earlier in this thread, I was only providing info. regarding how the Marblehead School System handled its school operations while polling was taking place back then.

I normally don't read the Boston Herald, but this came to my attention.  I thought this was an excellent op-ed in line with this topic:

http://bostonherald.com/news_opinion/opinion/op_ed/2013/11/holiday_openings_a_raw_deal

One other thing about retailers and the Christmas holiday that's always puzzled me.  Why is the (supposedly) biggest shopping day of the season (Black Friday) named after one of the worst economic events in the country (stock market crash that triggered the Great Depression)?

Quote from: roadman on November 24, 2013, 10:16:53 AM
Why is the (supposedly) biggest shopping day of the season (Black Friday) named after one of the worst economic events in the country (stock market crash that triggered the Great Depression)?

Wrong Norse God. Tiw was responsible for the crash, but Freya gives us post-turkey capitalist excess.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Friday_%28shopping%29#Origin_of_the_term
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wall_Street_Crash_of_1929

I find it rather absurdist that retailers claim to tie economic success with a single sales day of the year. You're either too unprofitable, unwieldy,  dismal at customer service, or sell junk nobody wants the other 11 months out of the year. Let me know the economic figures in January, before crying foul.

Then again, I buy most items via internet, because the last time I went Black Friday shopping was 1998, and had nothing better to do. I value my time too much on Thanksgiving night to save fifty bucks.

Quote from: roadman on November 24, 2013, 10:16:53 AM
One other thing about retailers and the Christmas holiday that's always puzzled me.  Why is the (supposedly) biggest shopping day of the season (Black Friday) named after one of the worst economic events in the country (stock market crash that triggered the Great Depression)?

I thought it was named after the idea that stores were "in the red" until the Christmas shopping season.

Quote from: Scott5114 on November 02, 2013, 02:48:16 PM

Quote from: Duke87 on November 01, 2013, 08:53:27 PM
The lack of availability of bank tellers outside of 9 to 5 is not a big problem since 99% of trips to the bank can be completely taken care of by an ATM, and those are available 24/7.

Yeah, if you like $20 bills. I don't (I use cash mostly in situations where I'm spending around $10, so I prefer $10s).

PNC has made it so some ATM's will actually dispense $1 bills. So for example, if I need $23, I can get $23. I don't need to get $25, $30 or $40. Of course it's hit or miss as to whether a particular ATM is one of those that does this.

In any case to get back to the topic at hand, I don't think we need to get rid of anything except maybe the minor commercial holidays (the Sweetest Days, Secretaries' Days and Bosses' Days of the world).

Quote from: formulanone on November 24, 2013, 12:24:53 PM
I find it rather absurdist that retailers claim to tie economic success with a single sales day of the year. You're either too unprofitable, unwieldy,  dismal at customer service, or sell junk nobody wants the other 11 months out of the year. Let me know the economic figures in January, before crying foul.

You'd be surprised. Stores that sell things that are typically only given as gifts for special occasions (like jewelery) do have sales throughout the year for weddings, birthdays, and anniversaries, but then thanks to Christmas shopping can easily sell more in November and December than in the other 10 months of the year combined. So even if you're not operating at a loss the rest of the year, the Christmas season can still be extremely important to your bottom line.

Quote from: JMoses24 on November 24, 2013, 03:28:06 PM
PNC has made it so some ATM's will actually dispense $1 bills. So for example, if I need $23, I can get $23. I don't need to get $25, $30 or $40. Of course it's hit or miss as to whether a particular ATM is one of those that does this.

In my experience ATMs are typically restricted to $10 and $20 bills... and sometimes they run out of $10s and only have $20s. Although I did unexpectedly get a $50 bill out of one once.

Quote from: Duke87 on November 24, 2013, 07:08:41 PMIn my experience ATMs are typically restricted to $10 and $20 bills... and sometimes they run out of $10s and only have $20s. Although I did unexpectedly get a $50 bill out of one once.

The ATMs from my mother's bank in Marblehead, MA dispenses $5s & $20s.

Quote from: vdeane on November 24, 2013, 12:25:23 PM

Quote from: roadman on November 24, 2013, 10:16:53 AM
One other thing about retailers and the Christmas holiday that's always puzzled me.  Why is the (supposedly) biggest shopping day of the season (Black Friday) named after one of the worst economic events in the country (stock market crash that triggered the Great Depression)?

I thought it was named after the idea that stores were "in the red" until the Christmas shopping season.

If the average retailer is in the red until the Christmas shopping season, then something is truly wrong with how they're operating their business.

Quote from: roadman on November 25, 2013, 03:48:30 PM

Quote from: vdeane on November 24, 2013, 12:25:23 PM

Quote from: roadman on November 24, 2013, 10:16:53 AM
One other thing about retailers and the Christmas holiday that's always puzzled me.  Why is the (supposedly) biggest shopping day of the season (Black Friday) named after one of the worst economic events in the country (stock market crash that triggered the Great Depression)?

I thought it was named after the idea that stores were "in the red" until the Christmas shopping season.

If the average retailer is in the red until the Christmas shopping season, then something is truly wrong with how they're operating their business.

Agree 100%.

Quote from: roadman on November 25, 2013, 03:48:30 PM

Quote from: vdeane on November 24, 2013, 12:25:23 PM

Quote from: roadman on November 24, 2013, 10:16:53 AM
One other thing about retailers and the Christmas holiday that's always puzzled me.  Why is the (supposedly) biggest shopping day of the season (Black Friday) named after one of the worst economic events in the country (stock market crash that triggered the Great Depression)?

I thought it was named after the idea that stores were "in the red" until the Christmas shopping season.

If the average retailer is in the red until the Christmas shopping season, then something is truly wrong with how they're operating their business.

Depends on how you define the Christmas Shopping Season.  If you define it as Oct. 15-Jan. 15, it's 25% of the year, and lots of businesses thrive on profit margins way less than 25%.

Wal Mart verses the defunct NJ retail store Two Guys.  Both had the same idea and concept, but Two Guys had to shut down, but Wal Mart as we all know is still alive and dominating the industry.

Why is that?  My uncle once told me that it is not the lack of customers nor bad timing that makes a business fail, but BAD MANAGEMENT!

FWIW, I heard one news report this morning that 15 to 20% of many retailers overall annual sales are purchases made during the Christmas season.

The bad thing about holiday sales is that those of us who go to Walmart to buy cat food, cat litter, dog food, paper towels, shampoo, etc., have to fight with the people buying electronics and toys and small appliances.

Quote from: PHLBOS on November 26, 2013, 10:43:19 AM
FWIW, I heard one news report this morning that 15 to 20% of many retailers overall annual sales are purchases made during the Christmas season.

That's not a surprise. There are always more people during the holiday season, and stores stay open longer and have more sales.

And if the Christmas season starts around Halloween (which it sometimes does), then 15% is only average.

Quote from: 1 on November 26, 2013, 02:26:03 PM

Quote from: PHLBOS on November 26, 2013, 10:43:19 AM
FWIW, I heard one news report this morning that 15 to 20% of many retailers overall annual sales are purchases made during the Christmas season.

That's not a surprise. There are always more people during the holiday season, and stores stay open longer and have more sales.

And if the Christmas season starts around Halloween (which it sometimes does), then 15% is only average.

I can't say for sure; but I believe one one mentions Christmas Season in terms of retail stores; they're more likely referring to the season starting at either Black Friday or Thanksgiving week at the earliest.  Counting Halloween in the figure is misleading and could be considered cooking the books as it were.

If the meant or were referring to sales for the last quarter of the year; then why not just simply say such?

Quote from: PHLBOS on November 25, 2013, 03:54:24 PM

Quote from: roadman on November 25, 2013, 03:48:30 PM

Quote from: vdeane on November 24, 2013, 12:25:23 PM

Quote from: roadman on November 24, 2013, 10:16:53 AM
One other thing about retailers and the Christmas holiday that's always puzzled me.  Why is the (supposedly) biggest shopping day of the season (Black Friday) named after one of the worst economic events in the country (stock market crash that triggered the Great Depression)?

I thought it was named after the idea that stores were "in the red" until the Christmas shopping season.

If the average retailer is in the red until the Christmas shopping season, then something is truly wrong with how they're operating their business.

Agree 100%.

Well, then you enter the world of accounting.  If you want to look at simple cash: revenue vs. expenses, certainly it makes sense to want to be making money all year long.  But once you start looking at financial statements, ledgers, trial balances, etc, a business can be in the red for many months out of the year, if not for several years, but still doing ok. 

Quote from: jeffandnicole on November 26, 2013, 02:41:44 PM
Well, then you enter the world of accounting.  If you want to look at simple cash: revenue vs. expenses, certainly it makes sense to want to be making money all year long.  But once you start looking at financial statements, ledgers, trial balances, etc, a business can be in the red for many months out of the year, if not for several years, but still doing ok. 

Yes, but only the type of business that won't give Bob Cratchit the day off or only sell Christmas festoonery.

Quote from: hbelkins on November 26, 2013, 02:24:15 PM
The bad thing about holiday sales is that those of us who go to Walmart to buy cat food, cat litter, dog food, paper towels, shampoo, etc., have to fight with the people buying electronics and toys and small appliances.

It was the Christmas shopping season a few years ago that motivated me to switch most of my routine shopping like that to Amazon.

Quote from: realjd on November 26, 2013, 03:35:08 PM

Quote from: hbelkins on November 26, 2013, 02:24:15 PM
The bad thing about holiday sales is that those of us who go to Walmart to buy cat food, cat litter, dog food, paper towels, shampoo, etc., have to fight with the people buying electronics and toys and small appliances.

It was the Christmas shopping season a few years ago that motivated me to switch most of my routine shopping like that to Amazon.

You buy your groceries at Amazon?   :-o  To each their own. 

My advice to those that normally shop at Walmart for groceries but don't want to deal with the Black Friday/Christmas shopping crowds would be to either:

1.  Shop at a conventional supermarket for your groceries during that period; even if the prices are slightly higher.

2.  Stock up & purchase any non-perishable goods at Walmart or equivalent before the Christmas shopping push starts.

HB, most of your listed grocery items could be best handled under category #2.

Quote from: PHLBOS on November 26, 2013, 04:01:33 PM
1.  Shop at a conventional supermarket for your groceries during that period; even if the prices are slightly higher.

2.  Stock up & purchase any non-perishable goods at Walmart or equivalent before the Christmas shopping push starts.

HB, most of your listed grocery items could be best handled under category #2.

Already planning on #2. They may think I run a kennel or a cattery by the time I get done, buying a month's worth of critter rations.

Quote from: PHLBOS on November 26, 2013, 04:01:33 PM

Quote from: realjd on November 26, 2013, 03:35:08 PM

Quote from: hbelkins on November 26, 2013, 02:24:15 PM
The bad thing about holiday sales is that those of us who go to Walmart to buy cat food, cat litter, dog food, paper towels, shampoo, etc., have to fight with the people buying electronics and toys and small appliances.

It was the Christmas shopping season a few years ago that motivated me to switch most of my routine shopping like that to Amazon.

You buy your groceries at Amazon?   :-o  To each their own. 

Not perishable groceries. I buy stuff like paper towels, dish and laundry detergent, pool chemicals, TP, shampoo, cat food, and stuff like that on Amazon. It's usually cheaper than regular stores (even WalMart), has free shipping with Amazon Prime, and some items you can even set up a "subscription" so they send it to you on a fixed schedule, often including a 15% discount with the subscription.

Not to mention that it saves me gas and time not having to go to a physical store. Plus, no sales tax.

Quote from: realjd on November 26, 2013, 06:18:14 PMPlus, no sales tax.

Wouldn't work for me, since Amazon has a physical presence in Kentucky, so purchases from them are subject to a 6 percent sales tax.

Quote from: hbelkins on November 26, 2013, 08:40:56 PM

Quote from: realjd on November 26, 2013, 06:18:14 PMPlus, no sales tax.

Wouldn't work for me, since Amazon has a physical presence in Kentucky, so purchases from them are subject to a 6 percent sales tax.

For NJ being a high-tax state, we have a very large number of products exempted from the sales tax.  Many of the essentials mentioned previously wouldn't be taxed in this state anyway.  Basically: If you purchase something to help prepare a meal, it'll be exempt from sales tax.  If the meal is prepared, then it is taxed.   If it's not essential (pool chemicals), then it is taxed.  If it is essential (most clothing), it's not taxed.

Then there's oddities:  Paper straws - not taxed.  Plastic straws - taxed.  Magazine subscriptions - not taxed.  Magazines sold individually - taxed.  Candy: Taxable unless product contains flour (e.g., Nestle Crunch) or requires refrigeration.

Going back to an earlier discussion: Christmas songs. In a sample of 963 songs on 106.7 FM in Boston:

Top 3:

Winter Wonderland: 67
Sleigh Ride: 60
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas: 58

Compare with these, which should be played more:
Deck the Halls: 15
Little Drummer Boy: 10
Jingle Bells: 6
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen: 3
Blue Christmas: 1
Silent Night: 0

Also:
Anything instrumental: 57
Anything religious: 113 (44% of that is "Do You Hear What I Hear")
Anything in the top 10 songs played: 432

Quote from: 1 on November 27, 2013, 04:03:06 PM
Sleigh Ride: 60
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas: 58

I probably have heard these two, but cannot place them by name.

Quote from: agentsteel53 on November 27, 2013, 04:13:35 PM

Quote from: 1 on November 27, 2013, 04:03:06 PM
Sleigh Ride: 60
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas: 58

I probably have heard these two, but cannot place them by name.

Sleigh Ride is, when properly done, instrumental. Not that this will help, but It's in cut time.

Quote from: agentsteel53 on November 27, 2013, 04:13:35 PM

Quote from: 1 on November 27, 2013, 04:03:06 PM
Sleigh Ride: 60
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas: 58

I probably have heard these two, but cannot place them by name.

Sleigh Ride (Instrumental):


Sleigh Ride (with lyrics):


Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas:

My key complaints about Christmas music:

1) Every major song has a zillion different versions. I can, to some degree, enjoy listening to the Christmas CDs my parents owned when I was a kid. Problem is, once I become familiar with a song, I expect it to sound exactly the same every time I hear it. So, any rendition of a given song that's not the specific one I grew up listening to grates on my ears.

2) It's too time of year topical. Really hard to appreciate a good song when for most of the year it just sounds wrong to hear it, and then for the remaining bit you get bombarded with it incessantly.


It is still nice during Christmas parties and when putting up your tree. But then once Christmas passes it's nice to be done with it. My father started a tradition several years back where we would listen to The Beach Boys when taking down the Christmas tree. :sombrero:

Quote from: Duke87 on December 01, 2013, 04:49:11 PM
1) Every major song has a zillion different versions. I can, to some degree, enjoy listening to the Christmas CDs my parents owned when I was a kid. Problem is, once I become familiar with a song, I expect it to sound exactly the same every time I hear it. So, any rendition of a given song that's not the specific one I grew up listening to grates on my ears.

I don't like those new Christmas songs, the ones that don't sound like ones my parents used to listen to on the radio. Usually the same ones that only sing about snow, or Santa, or anything that I think really has nothing to do with Christmas. >.>

The good ones:

All religious Christmas music
Jingle Bells
Carol of the Bells
Here We Come A-Wassailing (which never gets played)
Deck the Halls
White Christmas

The BAD ones:

Santa Baby
All I Want for Christmas is You (both)
Last Christmas
Merry Christmas Darling
My Grown Up Christmas List (one radio announcer said it was her favorite  :pan:)
Christmas Canon (not even a real song, just the Pachelbel Canon with words that are slightly Christmas-themed)
Where Are You Christmas
My Favorite Things (NOT A CHRISTMAS SONG  :banghead: :banghead: :banghead:)
"In 500 Feet Turn Left On Seymour Street" (commercial that sounds like an annoying GPS)

Songs that are played too much but otherwise neutral:

Do You Hear What I Hear
Sleigh Ride
Winter Wonderland
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

Quote from: Duke87 on December 01, 2013, 04:49:11 PM
My key complaints about Christmas music:

1) Every major song has a zillion different versions. I can, to some degree, enjoy listening to the Christmas CDs my parents owned when I was a kid. Problem is, once I become familiar with a song, I expect it to sound exactly the same every time I hear it. So, any rendition of a given song that's not the specific one I grew up listening to grates on my ears.

2) It's too time of year topical. Really hard to appreciate a good song when for most of the year it just sounds wrong to hear it, and then for the remaining bit you get bombarded with it incessantly.


It is still nice during Christmas parties and when putting up your tree. But then once Christmas passes it's nice to be done with it. My father started a tradition several years back where we would listen to The Beach Boys when taking down the Christmas tree. :sombrero:

My dad and mom hate it when an R & B artist sing a traditional church type of song like Silent Night, O Come All Ye Faithful, etc sings it their way.    They think adding an "ooh ooh ooh" is butchering the song.  You remind me of that.

To me I think it is very interesting to hear each artist do the song in their own way.  It makes it more better to hear the different renditions!  I love Sinatra's version of Jingle Bells with the " I love the holiday J-I-N-G-L-E Bells, Oh, those holiday J-I-N-G-L-E Bells, I love those J-I-N-G-L-E B-E- Double L-S, I love those Jingle all the way."  It adds to it making it a completely different song, but in the way keeping it traditional.

I do not like the Jackson Five version of I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus as they stole lines from Warner Brothers Sylvester and Tweety's I thought I saw a Putty Tat in the end of the song when ole Michael is saying "I did, I did see Mommy kissing Santa Claus.  However, I do like their version of Frosty the Snowman.

I love Mariah Carey's All I Want For Christmas Is You and even though I find it interesting that others are now covering it each season more and more, I guess in a way I could see your point as hers is still the one I prefer.

Quote from: 1 on December 01, 2013, 05:19:57 PM
The good ones:

All religious Christmas music
Jingle Bells
Carol of the Bells
Here We Come A-Wassailing (which never gets played)
Deck the Halls
White Christmas

The BAD ones:

Santa Baby
All I Want for Christmas is You (both)
Last Christmas
Merry Christmas Darling
My Grown Up Christmas List (one radio announcer said it was her favorite  :pan:)
Christmas Canon (not even a real song, just the Pachelbel Canon with words that are slightly Christmas-themed)
Where Are You Christmas
My Favorite Things (NOT A CHRISTMAS SONG  :banghead: :banghead: :banghead:)
"In 500 Feet Turn Left On Seymour Street" (commercial that sounds like an annoying GPS)

Songs that are played too much but otherwise neutral:

Do You Hear What I Hear
Sleigh Ride
Winter Wonderland
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

For the most part, I agree with that list. I would add to good:
Thank God It's Christmas (only if Queen)
Happy Christmas-War Is Over (only if Lennon)
Please Come Home For Christmas
It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas (only if Crosby)
Little Drummer Boy/Peace On Earth (only if Crosby/Bowie)
You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch (only if Ravenscroft)
anything off Michael Bublé's Christmas album

I walked into Wegman's today, and there was Christmas music ... everywhere... As a non-Christian, I don't really want to listen to or become familiar with these songs. I understand a lot of people like them, but when I tune into my radio stations, I want to hear my songs, not weird holiday songs*. And when I walk into a store, it would be super-awesome if they could just play non-denominational tunes. (I would ask for no holiday tunes at all, but I get that they think holiday tunes make people buy holiday stuff.)

*there are about two christmas song covers I can stand, and then Christmas with the Devil.

Quote from: Steve on December 02, 2013, 07:54:56 PM
I walked into Wegman's today, and there was Christmas music ... everywhere... As a non-Christian, I don't really want to listen to or become familiar with these songs. I understand a lot of people like them, but when I tune into my radio stations, I want to hear my songs, not weird holiday songs*. And when I walk into a store, it would be super-awesome if they could just play non-denominational tunes. (I would ask for no holiday tunes at all, but I get that they think holiday tunes make people buy holiday stuff.)

*there are about two christmas song covers I can stand, and then Christmas with the Devil.

Conversely, I listen to a talk show hosted by a Jewish host. He's an observant Jew and takes off for all the major Jewish holidays/observances. He loves Christmas music and started playing it as his bumper music two weeks ago. As for me, I don't listen to much music on the radio (I prefer my iPod or my CDs) but it irks me that many radio stations go 24/7 Christmas before the candle is blown out of the Halloween jack-o-lantern.

Being non-religious [Atheist] and all, I don't really have any feelings for the holidays other than good food and free gifts. (sorry) However, I do respect the beliefs of others, and if they want to play Christmas tunes or other holiday tunes during December, then so be it.

Christmas is somewhat odd in that while the celebration of it in the US is almost entirely secular and really need not be dependent on one's religion, Americans who do not come from traditionally Christian families are still largely excluded.

What will be interesting to see, going forward, is whether celebration of the holiday will grow or shrink. Lots of immigrants from Asia, India, and the Middle East are not Christian and don't care about it. But at the same time religion is becoming less important to a lot of people - I know a Jewish family that has been celebrating Christmas (secularly) for years because their kids were exposed to Santa and all that from TV, school, etc. and wanted to be part of it. They still sort of celebrate Hanukkah but don't give it nearly as much attention since none of their friends or neighbors do and they don't have the means to visit their extended family that lives far away from them.

Quote from: Steve on December 02, 2013, 07:54:56 PM
I walked into Wegman's today, and there was Christmas music ... everywhere... As a non-Christian, I don't really want to listen to or become familiar with these songs. I understand a lot of people like them, but when I tune into my radio stations, I want to hear my songs, not weird holiday songs*. And when I walk into a store, it would be super-awesome if they could just play non-denominational tunes. (I would ask for no holiday tunes at all, but I get that they think holiday tunes make people buy holiday stuff.)

*there are about two christmas song covers I can stand, and then Christmas with the Devil.

Christmas in the US is both a Christian holiday and a secular national holiday. Songs about Santa and snow and jingle bells and such are non-denominational and non-religious.

Regardless, Wegmans is privately owned and can play what they like.

A lot of christmas songs are non-denominational anyway. The ones I mentioned I like for various reasons, being either that I grew up with them, that I use the lyrics to make the best of the cold season, that they sound good or are from a band I enjoy, or that they simply sound like a bunch of friends making music together.

I like to spend time with my friends/family and give gifts as an atheist at christmas time because it makes me feel good. I guess I don't act any differently, but what it's really about, for me, is having optimism in a time that normally has terrible snowstorms and bitter, cold days.

Though I don't particularly enjoy them, when some of the religious christmas songs play on the radio, I enjoy singing along and harmonizing them (if I weren't a musician, that would probably change).

repost:

Quote from: NE2 on October 26, 2013, 03:17:12 AM

I reckon that some radio stations start playing Christmas music, including switching to an all-Christmas music format as early as the first half of November is a tad too early.  It actually makes me change the channel, but for some people, it is a popular thing to do.  Not to say that I don't like Christmas music, but too much Christmas music is too much for me.

I do like some Christmas songs, such as this holiday themed parody of Black Sabbath's Iron Man.

I don't mind the Christmas music, except that it's seemingly repetitively-played; I'm not a fan of songs (of really any genre) which I've heard five times in a week, for example. I don't whether it's religious or not, although even as an atheist, I've noticed usually the religious-flavored songs are sung by folks with actual talent.

But growing up a Jew, I realized early on that the repertoire of secular and/or popular Chanukah music was essentially non-existent, save The Dreidle Song. It wasn't until the 1990s until Adam Sandler belted out a few songs and the Rugrats finally had a TV show about the holiday.

On the other hand, I couldn't - and still can't - really fault much else to do with Christmas. Sure, it's a looming deadline of sorts (but what isn't in many of our lives?), and services seem to be wonky because people take time off. There's more that's enjoyable about it, probably moreso because I have kids that still believe in Santa Claus (I think)...it's for them. Adults I know can mostly buy whatever they want.

Unless it's overly loud, I don't even notice the music in most stores/restaurants.

New version of "Jingle Bells":

Ovechkin's accent reminds me of that Chinese Restaurant scene in that movie about the kid who wants the BB gun. (http://www.monumentalnetwork.com/videos/washington-capitals-2013-holiday-card)

Paul McCartney's 'Wonderful Christmastime' is the absolute worst Christmas song of all time, period.

I would like to know why My Favorite Things is played at Christmas Time when the song was written by Rodgers and Hammerstein for The Sound Of Music movie.

True many may say, what does Sleigh Ride and Winter Wonderland have to do with Christmas?  However, it does mention the season of Winter and things related.  At least Christmas and New Years are in that season it talks about.

Fogelberg's Same Auld Lang Syne (excuse my spelling Mr NE 2 if I got it wrong) has not been played since he died, but that song is not Christmas either, except for the mention of meeting his old girlfriend on Christmas Eve.  Yet when he and the song were alive it was played exclusively at Christmas.

Quote from: roadman65 on December 13, 2013, 12:17:04 PM

Fogelberg's Same Auld Lang Syne (excuse my spelling Mr NE 2 if I got it wrong) has not been played since he died, but that song is not Christmas either, except for the mention of meeting his old girlfriend on Christmas Eve.  Yet when he and the song were alive it was played exclusively at Christmas.

I have heard it played this year on radio, along with every year at Christmas time only.  Agree that this is not a Christmas song.

Fogelberg's song is a great song. Do not get me wrong, but it should not be just a Christmas song or should it be mixed in with  Hark The Herald Angels Sing etc.

It is a song about meeting an old flame years later and could be played even in July or August as it is a general story. 

I have to admit protecting his old girlfriend's identity was a great thing to do and so noble.  However, his ex came forward years later long after his death. 

To me it falls with his other classics like Leader Of The Band and I do not see it as Christmas season material.

Quote from: roadman65 on December 13, 2013, 12:17:04 PM
I would like to know why My Favorite Things is played at Christmas Time when the song was written by Rodgers and Hammerstein for The Sound Of Music movie.

There are lots of wintery things in the lyrics:  "warm woolen mittens", "brown paper packages tied up with strings", "crisp apple strudels", "sleigh bells", "snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes", "silver white winters".

Auld Lang Syne is linked with Hogmanay (Scottish New Years), so Fogelberg's would be thrown into the Christmas mix for that.

Plus it's more Christmassy than The Power of Love, which is on two Christmas compilations that I have (one is the Frankie Goes to Hollywood original version, the other is the version done for the John Lewis Christmas advert last year) - which isn't Christmassy at all. And it has Christmassy lyrics, unlike Stay Another Day - another UK 'Christmas Classic' that only has bells to make it Christmassy (and is about the lead singer's brother's suicide).

OK, both were number ones in December, and Stay Another Day was number one at Christmas, but they have become Christmas songs for no discernable reason (you might hear Stay Another Day at other times of the year, but never The Power of Love). Other Christmas number ones that weren't deliberately Christmassy (eg I Want to Hold Your Hand, Bohemian Rhapsody, Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2), Don't You Want Me, I Will Always Love You, etc) get played relatively often, but are never specifically associated with Christmas, or treated as a Christmas song.

Quote from: roadman65 on December 13, 2013, 12:17:04 PM
I would like to know why My Favorite Things is played at Christmas Time when the song was written by Rodgers and Hammerstein for The Sound Of Music movie.

And by "movie", you of course mean "stage production". ;-)

QuoteTrue many may say, what does Sleigh Ride and Winter Wonderland have to do with Christmas?  However, it does mention the season of Winter and things related.  At least Christmas and New Years are in that season it talks about.

Barely...Christmas falls on the second or third day of winter in the northern hemisphere. And while to me, winter imagery is as much a part of Christmastime as anything, my southern Californian wife likes to remind me how large a percentage of the world's Christians live where wintry conditions cannot be expected during Christmastime, if at all.

^^ Power of love actually came out in the summer of 1985. How is that even remotely a Christmas song?

Quote from: Big John on December 13, 2013, 01:58:55 PM
^^ Die Hard actually came out in the summer of 1988. How is that even remotely a Christmas movie?

Quote from: roadman65 on December 13, 2013, 12:17:04 PM
True many may say, what does Sleigh Ride and Winter Wonderland have to do with Christmas?  However, it does mention the season of Winter and things related.  At least Christmas and New Years are in that season it talks about.

I for one am more than happy to sing Sleigh Ride, Winter Wonderland and Let it Snow during February.

I remember my dad once had an eight track (just to show you how long ago it was) that was The Best of Fiedler and Boston Pops.  It had the Boston Pops version of Leroy Anderson's Sleigh Ride, that we listened too even in the Summer.  As a kid I thought it was unusual, but it was one of his great hits during his reigning days over the famous orchestra.

On Kenny Loggins Greatest Hits and the Eagles Greatest (the one after the reunion with some new songs like Hole In The World) it has their Christmas songs on it.  Loggins with Celebrate Me Home and Eagles with their version of Please Come Home For Christmas where I end up hearing the songs all year round upon listening to those CDs.  This now  I do not mind as I consider it to be the same when I hear a Beach Boys tune in the midst of Winter.

Quote from: Big John on December 13, 2013, 01:58:55 PM
^^ Power of love actually came out in the summer of 1985. How is that even remotely a Christmas song?

Given it was UK's best-selling single for the weeks ending 8 December 1984 (original version) and 9 December 2012 (Gabrielle Aplin version for John Lewis ad), I can't see how a summer '85 release would allow for the former. Oh, wait, you have the-US-is-all-there-is blinkers on and it was released 19 November 1984.

Though you are quite right - it's not a Christmas (even in the broadest sense) song. Despite stupid people on compilations trying to make it one.

Quote from: NE2 on December 13, 2013, 02:17:48 PM

Quote from: Big John on December 13, 2013, 01:58:55 PM
^^ Die Hard actually came out in the summer of 1988. How is that even remotely a Christmas movie?

Die Hard 2 was also a July-released Christmas movie. Didn't it have something to do with much higher grossing in the summer than the winter as there was only really one time of year to release blockbusters back then (now there is a winter one - cf Hobbit and Hunger Games).

I like the fact that Holiday Inn with Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire is considered a Christmas Movie when in fact it covers a whole couple of years from the time the movie's story begins to its end.  It even has Easter in it in one spot.  So technically the famous movie is about any typical year gone by.

I believe it was White Christmas being introduced to the world in it that made it noticeable as such.

Quote from: roadman65 on December 13, 2013, 04:01:22 PM
Holiday Inn

How dare you mention that movie that started the War on Christmas?

Quote from: Big John on December 13, 2013, 01:58:55 PM
^^ Power of love actually came out in the summer of 1985. How is that even remotely a Christmas song?

The only Power of Love I know of is by Huey Lewis and the News.  When I hear that, I think Marty McFly and DeLoreans that can travel through time, not Christmas.

Quote from: roadman65 on December 13, 2013, 04:01:22 PM
I like the fact that Holiday Inn with Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire is considered a Christmas Movie when in fact it covers a whole couple of years from the time the movie's story begins to its end.  It even has Easter in it in one spot.  So technically the famous movie is about any typical year gone by.

I believe it was White Christmas being introduced to the world in it that made it noticeable as such.

Yes, and White Christmas being performed later in another movie with those actors, also titled "White Christmas".

No not quite, as it was Danny Kaye in the second.  Fred Astaire, I believe, did not like ole Bing leaving with the lady in the end.  However, it was Fred's character twice stole the lady from Bing so I actually liked the fact that Bing stuck it to him in the end!

Quote from: roadman65 on December 13, 2013, 05:03:12 PM
No not quite, as it was Danny Kaye in the second.

Geeze, how did I forget that when it was Clark W. Griswold who proclaimed, "We're gonna press on, and we're gonna have the hap, hap, happiest Christmas since Bing Crosby tap-danced with Danny fucking Kaye (http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/National_Lampoon%27s_Christmas_Vacation)."

Hey I used to think Frank Gorshen (Batman TV Series Riddler) was on Perry Mason as Perry Mason's rival Hamilton Burger.

Quote from: roadman65 on December 13, 2013, 04:01:22 PM
I like the fact that Holiday Inn with Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire is considered a Christmas Movie when in fact it covers a whole couple of years from the time the movie's story begins to its end.

It's a wonderful life, anyone? :bigass:

Quote from: Brandon on December 13, 2013, 04:44:05 PM

Quote from: Big John on December 13, 2013, 01:58:55 PM
^^ Power of love actually came out in the summer of 1985. How is that even remotely a Christmas song?

The only Power of Love I know of is by Huey Lewis and the News.  When I hear that, I think Marty McFly and DeLoreans that can travel through time, not Christmas.

I was thinking Celine Dion.

I can think of at least five different songs called Power of Love.

Quote from: Takumi on December 15, 2013, 02:32:39 AM
I can think of at least five different songs called Power of Love.

The one I know if the Sailor Moon version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzNLZ37ZTZs

Quote from: Takumi on December 15, 2013, 02:32:39 AM
I can think of at least five different songs called Power of Love.

Yes?

Quote from: vdeane on December 15, 2013, 04:20:32 PM

Quote from: Takumi on December 15, 2013, 02:32:39 AM
I can think of at least five different songs called Power of Love.

The one I know if the Sailor Moon version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzNLZ37ZTZs

Heh. That's what came to mind for me as well. Thanks for the link, I haven't heard that song in at least 10 years.


Also, power of love = energy of love / time of love = force of love * distance of love / time of love?

I remember when "Christmas" was acceptable in commercials instead of "the Holidays" 

holy crap war on Christmas

Huey Lewis's Power of Love is the only one I've ever heard of, primarily because of Back to the Future, my all-time favorite film.

Quote from: Duke87 on December 15, 2013, 05:48:57 PM
Also, power of love = energy of love / time of love = force of love * distance of love / time of love?

Force of love only works if love has a mass. If so, seek immediate medical attention.

Quote from: Steve on December 15, 2013, 09:04:47 PM

Quote from: Duke87 on December 15, 2013, 05:48:57 PM
Also, power of love = energy of love / time of love = force of love * distance of love / time of love?

Force of love only works if love has a mass. If so, seek immediate medical attention.

On the contrary, if your love is lacking in mass, they make pills for that.

Quote from: texaskdog on December 15, 2013, 08:19:45 PM
I remember when "Christmas" was acceptable in commercials instead of "the Holidays" 

Also when Holidays included New Years as well.  Now New Years is said to be just plain ole New Years after the "so called" holidays end at Christmas Night.

Quote from: Duke87 on December 15, 2013, 09:11:17 PM

Quote from: Steve on December 15, 2013, 09:04:47 PM

Quote from: Duke87 on December 15, 2013, 05:48:57 PM
Also, power of love = energy of love / time of love = force of love * distance of love / time of love?

Force of love only works if love has a mass. If so, seek immediate medical attention.

On the contrary, if your love is lacking in mass, they make pills for that.

However, if it lasts for more than 4 hours, then see a doctor.

Nothing is worse than that stupid Christmas Shoes song.

Quote from: Laura Bianca on December 16, 2013, 11:26:55 PM
Nothing is worse than that stupid Christmas Shoes song.

Yes, there is.  Three words: "Dominic The Donkey". :barf:

"Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer."

Barf

I have no problem with the joke songs (grandma got run over by a reindeer, Dominic the donkey, etc.), because they are light hearted, fun, and don't take themselves seriously. I like them in small doses, though.

I really like McCartney's simply having a wonderful Christmas time because it reminds me of friends just being together, having a good time, throwing a little jam together. (It reminds me of the parties my college friends had).

But Christmas shoes... That song was created from a CHAIN LETTER. Meant to contrive emotion. It's so sappy for all the wrong reasons.


iPhone

Quote from: Laura Bianca on December 17, 2013, 12:00:06 PM
I really like McCartney's simply having a wonderful Christmas time because it reminds me of friends just being together, having a good time, throwing a little jam together. (It reminds me of the parties my college friends had).

Well, it's better than his Beatles cohort's Christmas song. Talk about being NOT festive and joyful.

Quote from: hbelkins on December 17, 2013, 01:33:08 PMWell, it's better than his Beatles cohort's Christmas song. Talk about being NOT festive and joyful.

"And what have you done?" is the only line (other than the coda bit where the title comes from) that sucks out the season. It's not "Santa Claus is coming to town", where every line is a joy-sapping "do you deserve Christmas? the pedophile watching you sleep gets to decide. Watch out! Don't do anything that might upset him!"

Quote from: Laura Bianca on December 16, 2013, 11:26:55 PM
Nothing is worse than that stupid Christmas Shoes song.

Ugh, thanks for reminding me! It's fortunately been a few years since I last actually heard that song.

Quote from: Laura Bianca on December 16, 2013, 11:26:55 PM
Nothing is worse than that stupid Christmas Shoes song.

I don't believe I've ever had the displeasure of hearing this song; at least it doesn't sound familiar based on the title.  But if it sounds as awful as the title implies, I certainly hope that I never do hear it.

Yeah, this year Magic 107 did not play the song considering that they played it years and years on their Christmas Music Station.

It really is not a stupid song, except for the fact that momma is dying and she wants Jesus to see her on the other side with them on.  It tells the story of a man who gives a kid some money to buy a pair of shoes when he overhears the salesman say that he does not have enough money to pay for the shoes.  He reaches into his pocket and just pays the difference out of Christmas Spirit.

Why I say it is not good to want to wear a pair of shoes when you die is the fact in real christian belief is that only your body goes into the after life.  Your possessions and clothing you wear get destroyed with the previous world.  In essence, she would not be wearing those shoes in the here after.

Quote from: hbelkins on December 17, 2013, 01:33:08 PM


Well, it's better than his Beatles cohort's Christmas song. Talk about being NOT festive and joyful.

that's one of the few Christmas songs I honestly like.

most of it is generally inoffensive, and ranges from tolerable to miserable (usually the determining criterion is how "unique" the singer wants to make his phrasing as to not sound like a direct copy of Bing Crosby or whomever).  the one that needs to have its eyebrows singed off with an H-bomb is that awful "baby, it's cold outside".  hooray for rape!

One of my favorite Christmas novelty songs:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t039p6xqutU

Another of my favorite Christmas novelty songs (and it's actually road related too):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ua4qUUMm93s

Quote from: signalman on December 18, 2013, 09:07:21 AM

Quote from: Laura Bianca on December 16, 2013, 11:26:55 PM
Nothing is worse than that stupid Christmas Shoes song.

I don't believe I've ever had the displeasure of hearing this song; at least it doesn't sound familiar based on the title.  But if it sounds as awful as the title implies, I certainly hope that I never do hear it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJcPVB-we7g

So Mike had not hear it, so we watched the music video together....and were both depressed afterwards. the song is really quite sad. I forgot how sad it was because I was so focused on the fact that it's pretty schmaltzy and has an early 90's feel even though it came out in 2000.

So I think I have to move it up my list now, depending on my mood.

No matter how much of a bah-humbug mood I may sometimes get into, seeing the legendary light display at 1601 Collingwood Road south of Alexandria, Virginia, always changes that. Click to play video. I like it that he has just lights, no blow-up dolls or "Santa Stop Here" signs or other such crap. Just 270,000 lights all synced to music playing over a low-power FM transmitter (music not audible because we had gotten out of the car).

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi31.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fc378%2F1995hoo%2Fth_MiscellaneousDecember2013052_zps96e1b632.jpg&hash=a75dc1136d4b170d55f3f1c6bc791293dd045940) (http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c378/1995hoo/MiscellaneousDecember2013052_zps96e1b632.mp4)

How about the Mr. Grinch song?  It is all negatives with negative on negatives ie. "Your soul had the worst assortment of deplorable rubbish imaginable" at one point in the song using three negatives for that particular line.

I think the song is a novelty and all the bad words in the song make it funny the way the writer has come up with an used them throughout the song.  Then the "39 and 1/2 foot pole" or choosing a seasick crocodile over Mr. Grinch is another one.

Correction about the rubbish line.  It really goes like this:
Your sole is a appalling dump heap
Overflowing with the most disgraceful
Assortment of deplorable rubbish imaginable,
Mangled up in tangled up knots.

(https://scontent-b-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/1517633_10152103896471469_837291256_n.jpg)

I hate now as some R & B/ Rap artists are butchering Bing Crosby, Dean Martin, etc songs by dubbin in their own beat to the song. 

I am sure ole Bing is turning in his grave knowing that his classic song that he himself sung, is now part of a rap song.

There are some remixes of holiday songs being featured in commercials that I like.

The Pringles commercial with the snippet from "Nutcracker" and Verizon's "Winter Wonderland" come to mind.