| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
rusmeister
Joined: 15 Jun 2006
Posts: 867
Location: Russia
|
 Posted: Mon Dec 25, 2006 1:34 pm Post subject: |
 |
|
| spiral78 wrote: |
Actually, it's not just Christmas and New Year's, either. It's Hannuka (spelling, anyone?) and Kwanza, and, well, what else? Hajj, also?
This is an international forum by nature. So, it's clearly not just Christmas.
And, while it's not directly job-related, the recent discussion on learning languages as well as teaching them would seem to indicate that most teachers on this forum feel that there's some relationship between the two. So, it's a reflection of us and our jobs -
how many languages can we wish happy holidays (whichever ones you celebrate) in? 
Good going so far! |
I think that was Bayden's point - that the emphasis on every imaginable holiday that could be celebrated at this time of the year necessarily detracts from the relative importance of Christmas as a Christian holiday. If, as Christians believe, the holiday celebrates God Himself coming to Earth, it would be the most important event in all human history. To that point of view, insistance on celebrating other holidays at this time demeans the holiday of Christmas. It wouldn't matter where you are in the world.
Also, this is a forum of English teaching, not just any international forum. If its scope were broader, one could freely post on, say, the effects of philosophy on our teaching practice. Since the warnings clearly limit the scope of this forum to teaching English, posting on every faith and every imaginable holiday would be inappropriate. The only reason that one could even reference Christianity here is that it is still the dominant religion of the English-speaking world.
Having said all that, I'll just wish y'all a Merry Christmas!  |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
spiral78
Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 11534
Location: On a Short Leash
|
| Posted: Mon Dec 25, 2006 1:55 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| I didn't intend to limit the thread to Christian English teachers only. And the focus was meant to be linguistic, not religious. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
gaijinalways
Joined: 29 Nov 2005
Posts: 2279
|
| Posted: Mon Dec 25, 2006 3:37 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Chris-mas omedeto (Japan)! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
eha
Joined: 26 May 2005
Posts: 355
Location: ME
|
| Posted: Mon Dec 25, 2006 7:15 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Nollag Shona dhuibh go leir!!! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
rusmeister
Joined: 15 Jun 2006
Posts: 867
Location: Russia
|
| Posted: Tue Dec 26, 2006 4:07 am Post subject: |
|
|
To keep the focus linguistic,
"S Rozhdestvom Khristovym!!" /srazh-dyest-VOME khrees-TOE-vweem/ (choose your own transcription system) |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
jonniboy
Joined: 18 Jun 2006
Posts: 751
Location: Panama City, Panama
|
| Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2006 3:05 am Post subject: |
|
|
For future reference it is worth pointing out that the phrase 'Happy Holidays' will meet with blank stares from British English speakers. No one from UK/Ireland would ever say such a thing. Indeed an attempt in the mid-90s in Englands second city of Birmingham to rebrand Christmas as 'Winterval' was treated with the contempt that it deserved.
Other Christmas greetings...
Priecigus Ziemas Svetkus! (Latvian)
Bon nadal i felic any nou. (Catalan)
Zoriontsu Urte Berri On (Basque)
Craciun Fericit (Romanian) |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
jpvanderwerf2001
Joined: 02 Oct 2003
Posts: 1117
Location: New York
|
| Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2006 6:26 am Post subject: |
|
|
| c novim godom! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Justin Trullinger
Joined: 28 Jan 2005
Posts: 3110
Location: Seoul, South Korea and Myanmar for a bit
|
| Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2006 2:49 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Quote: |
| For future reference it is worth pointing out that the phrase 'Happy Holidays' will meet with blank stares from British English speakers. |
I've just tried this on the British English speakers I could conveniently find, and met with no blank stares. Most people, even if they were unfamiliar with the expression (which was not my impression) could figure it out. On December 24th, somebody says "Happy Holidays"- do you need to be a linguistic genius to figure out what they're on about? I don't think so...
Bon Natal.
Justin |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
dmb
Joined: 12 Feb 2003
Posts: 8397
|
| Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2006 3:02 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| And I hope you all have a great Hogmanay |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Justin Trullinger
Joined: 28 Jan 2005
Posts: 3110
Location: Seoul, South Korea and Myanmar for a bit
|
| Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2006 4:01 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Bonas festes.
(Happy holidays. Literally, happy parties. I like it.)
Justin |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
jonniboy
Joined: 18 Jun 2006
Posts: 751
Location: Panama City, Panama
|
| Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2006 7:53 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Justin Trullinger wrote: |
| Quote: |
| For future reference it is worth pointing out that the phrase 'Happy Holidays' will meet with blank stares from British English speakers. |
I've just tried this on the British English speakers I could conveniently find, and met with no blank stares. Most people, even if they were unfamiliar with the expression (which was not my impression) could figure it out. On December 24th, somebody says "Happy Holidays"- do you need to be a linguistic genius to figure out what they're on about? I don't think so...
Bon Natal.
Justin |
It'll be understood in the same way that someone saying in the USA that they're going to the toilet to change a nappy. It just sounds odd and 'foreign.' No one from UK/Ireland would use it in that context. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
spiral78
Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 11534
Location: On a Short Leash
|
| Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2006 7:58 pm Post subject: |
|
|
I think that was Justin's point. '
Anyway, instead of picking the thing apart, can't we just see how many ways of sending good wishes for whatever at this time of year are among us? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
yaramaz
Joined: 05 Mar 2003
Posts: 2384
Location: Not where I was before
|
| Posted: Fri Dec 29, 2006 6:55 am Post subject: |
|
|
| What sprial78 said. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
spiral78
Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 11534
Location: On a Short Leash
|
| Posted: Fri Dec 29, 2006 8:17 am Post subject: |
|
|
I can't resist pointing out that we first had anti-PC Grinches, then the Semantics Grinches kicked in ... 
But really, guys good wishes...in how many languages?! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
jonniboy
Joined: 18 Jun 2006
Posts: 751
Location: Panama City, Panama
|
| Posted: Fri Dec 29, 2006 1:39 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| spiral78 wrote: |
I can't resist pointing out that we first had anti-PC Grinches, then the Semantics Grinches kicked in ...
|
Heh heh... Guilty as charged m'Lord.
We seemed to covered most of the main European languages and maybe the top half a dozen Asian languages but not many indigenous languages from other continents. Doesn't anyone work in Africa or The Americas? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
