Smithmas

[Guest]

Some people just want a reason to eat cake.

[Silhouette]

Some people just want a reason to eat cake.

You betcha!

[Wingnut]

Weird. Never heard of it, although I've heard of families who do something small to commemorate it, like a special Family Home Evening lesson or cake for dessert. Nothing at all on par with a full-blown Christmas celebration though.

 

Same here.  The only time I've ever heard the term "Smithmas" has been when it's used derisively.

[beefche]

 

 

Have you never looked up your birthday on Wikipedia?  It’s fun!

 

 

I actually never did that until now.  Fun read.

 

I share a birthday with Stan Lee (my inner geek is freaking out), Denzel Washington, and David Archuleta.  And the first cinema was debuted on my birthday (several years earlier--I'm not pam), which is appropriate as I love, love, love movies and going to the theater to see them.

[Maureen]

I guess I'm surprised that many members don't see how JS is commemorated by themselves. "Smithmas" may not be a familiar term but the idea of remembering JS's birth certainly is. When this Christmas rolls around, take sometime to notice how not only Christ is celebrated but how JS is also celebrated. Here's a past newspaper article, to give you a sample of what to look for.

 

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705395947/Two-December-births-to-celebrate-Jesus-Christ-and-Joseph-Smith.html?pg=all

 

M.

[beefche]

I guess I'm surprised that many members don't see how JS is commemorated by themselves. "Smithmas" may not be a familiar term but the idea of remembering JS's birth certainly is. When this Christmas rolls around, take sometime to notice how not only Christ is celebrated but how JS is also celebrated. Here's a past newspaper article, to give you a sample of what to look for.

 

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705395947/Two-December-births-to-celebrate-Jesus-Christ-and-Joseph-Smith.html?pg=all

 

M.

 

 

So, how is it celebrated?  I see that the article says to remember his birthday, but to worship on 12/25.  To me, remembering is not the same as celebrating.  

[PolarVortex]

And Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Tasha Tudor, Jack Kirby, Billy Grammer, Wayne Osmond, George Merrill, Daniel Stern, Scott Hamilton, Jennifer Coolidge, Shania Twain, Billy Boyd, Jack Black, Mary McCartney, Jason Priestley, Todd Eldredge, Janet Evans, LeAnn Rimes, Armie Hammer, Florence Welch, Quvenzhané Wallis, and a couple of, ahem, adult film stars.

 

Have you never looked up your birthday on Wikipedia?  It’s fun!

 

I did know that Goethe and I had the same birthday.  I tried to brag about this my German teacher once, but I used the wrong German word for "same" and actually ended up saying something like, "Goethe and I were born on the exact same day [in 1749]." 

 

As for the others... I never heard of any of them, except maybe Jason Priestley, who I thought played Eddie on "The Munsters."  (Turns out I was thinking of Pat Priest, who played Marilyn.)

[Maureen]

So, how is it celebrated?  I see that the article says to remember his birthday, but to worship on 12/25.  To me, remembering is not the same as celebrating.  

 

"Celebrate" is a word with a variety of definitions, one of which is to "honor or praise publicly".

 

M.

[Dravin]

I'm liking this use of the suffix -mas to indicate a recognized birthday. Who is up for celebrating Kingmas with me this upcoming January 19th? If that goes over well I propose we also celebrate Washingtonmas on February 16th.

Edited October 17, 2014 by Dravin

[Wingnut]

And Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Tasha Tudor, Jack Kirby, Billy Grammer, Wayne Osmond, George Merrill, Daniel Stern, Scott Hamilton, Jennifer Coolidge, Shania Twain, Billy Boyd, Jack Black, Mary McCartney, Jason Priestley, Todd Eldredge, Janet Evans, LeAnn Rimes, Armie Hammer, Florence Welch, Quvenzhané Wallis, and a couple of, ahem, adult film stars.

 

Have you never looked up your birthday on Wikipedia?  It’s fun!

 

I did know that Goethe and I had the same birthday.  I tried to brag about this my German teacher once, but I used the wrong German word for "same" and actually ended up saying something like, "Goethe and I were born on the exact same day [in 1749]." 

 

As for the others... I never heard of any of them, except maybe Jason Priestley, who I thought played Eddie on "The Munsters."  (Turns out I was thinking of Pat Priest, who played Marilyn.)

 

What?  You've never heard of any of the others?  Wow.

 

Tasha Tudor: illustrator of children’s books

Jack Kirby: comic book artist, and really, a pioneer in the world of comics

Billy Grammer: classic country musician

Wayne Osmond: one of The Osmonds

George Merrill: songwriter whose credits include Whitney Houston’s hit “I Wanna Dance With Somebody”

Daniel Stern: actor whose credits include Home Alone

Scott Hamilton: Olympic and world champion figure skater

Jennifer Coolidge: annoying actress

Shania Twain: country singer

Billy Boyd: actor whose credits include the Lord of the Rings trilogy

Jack Black: actor/comedian

Mary McCartney: daughter of Paul and Linda McCartney, a photographer

Jason Priestley: actor mainly known for his role in 90210 (the original series)

Todd Eldredge: another world champion figure skater

Janet Evans: Olympic and world champion swimmer

LeAnn Rimes: country singer

Armie Hammer: actor currently rising in popularity

Florence Welch: sing-songwriter currently popular, load vocalist of Florence + the Machine

Quvenzhané Wallis: actress, current, the youngest actress to ever be nominated for a best actress Oscar (she didn’t win – Jennifer Lawrence did, that year)

[Just_A_Guy]

"Celebrate" is a word with a variety of definitions, one of which is to "honor or praise publicly".

 

M.

 

True; but an article in the Deseret News saying "hey, by the way--it's Joseph Smith's birthday, too; isn't that nice?" is hardly putting Joseph Smith's birthday on par with Christmas.  The article is an observation; not a Mormon dog whistle for something bigger.

 

Incidentally, I took a history course from Kris Frederickson when I was at BYU around 2002-ish.  She is doubtless an active and believing Mormon; but she's hardly a dewy-eyed Joseph Smith fangirl.  I'm sure I've met more no-nonsense people than her . . . but it'd take me a while to name any of 'em.

Edited October 17, 2014 by Just_A_Guy

[Leah]

"smithmas" seems to be the fad of the day amongst those who latch onto any reason (real or imagined) to criticize the church. This lame topic has popped up on other boards in the last week or two. It's like a memo goes out.

[Maureen]

I'm liking this use of the suffix -mas to indicate a recognized birthday. Who is up for celebrating Kingmas with me this upcoming January 19th? If that goes over well I propose we also celebrate Washingtonmas on February 16th.

 

I think because Christmas day happens to be Dec. 25th and JS's birthday happens to be Dec. 23rd, is the reason why the suffix "mas" is used.

 

M.

[Dravin]

I think because Christmas day happens to be Dec. 25th and JS's birthday happens to be Dec. 23rd, is the reason why the suffix "mas" is used.

 

M.

 

Sure... it's simply because of it's proximity to Christmas. It's in no way an attempt to insinuate:

 

that Latter-day Saint celebrations of the birth of Joseph Smith (on 23 December 1805) rival or even overshadow our observance of the birthday of Jesus Christ....

 

I'll buy its simply due to the proximity to Christmas just like I'll buy someone dressed in a confederate flag trying to explain their calling a grown black man, "Boy." because, "He looks kinda young."

[MarginOfError]

I'll join the apostates and soundly mock anyone who does more to celebrate Smith's birthday than to say, "oh look, it's Smith's birthday"

It might even rival the mockery I give people when they complain that we don't celebrate pioneer day in Ohio.

[jerome1232]

It might even rival the mockery I give people when they complain that we don't celebrate pioneer day in Ohio.

 

 

We celebrate it in California, at least in my little section. 

[spamlds]

Here's an article that touches upon the "Smithmas" thing.

 

http://spamldsarchive.blogspot.com/search?q=smithmas

 

In our surveys of anti-Mormon traffic for a number of years, the Society for the Prevention of Anti-Mormonism discovered that there is a seasonal pattern to anti-Mormonism.  Our critics follow the calendar to touch upon various events to try to embarrass members.  From the article:

 

January: Polygamy and exaltation are often topics around this time of year. Martin Luther King Day often begins the "Mormons are racist" mantra that carries into February, which is Black History Month.

February: Black History Month usually brings a cascade of anti-Mormon attacks on the priesthood ban which ended in 1978. Although the Church has disavowed any racism that may have been a part of its past, and with an understanding that the Church is growing faster in Africa than in any predominantly white nations in Europe or elsewhere, it doesn't stop the predominantly white anti-Mormons from making this an issue.

March: Depending on when Easter falls in the year, usually the antis start cranking up rhetoric saying that Mormons don't put much emphasis on Easter and Christ's resurrection. This isn't true, but if going to Church and partaking the sacrament of the Lord's Supper weekly instead of just on Christmas and Easter isn't putting much emphasis on Christ, we'll have to ask you to re-examine your evidence. 

Also, with April general conference just weeks away, there are usually all kinds of negative articles that emerge. Past favorites have included baptism for the dead, These were generated annually by anti-Mormon Helen Radkey. Radkey had a group of covert "spies" inside the Church who used their LDS.org accounts to access temple ordinance information on deceased individuals she knew would create controversy: Hitler, Ghandi, Holocaust victims, etc. After the Church tightened its access policies and placed strict controls on the clearing of names for certain individuals for proxy ordinances, Radkey's work was foiled.

Also, I should mention, depending on the date Easter falls in the calendar, the Phoenix LDS Easter Pageant will draw anti-Mormon protesters every year. Out of one side of their mouths, they say we don't Easter enough emphasis and, out of the other side, they protest in front of our pageant that celebrates it. Go figure!

April: Coverage often depends on what is announced during Conference. For example, if temples are announced, or new missions opened, anti-Mormons will begin to organize opposition through the media to those projects. 

May: This month brings Mother's Day in the United States, so what better month than to attack the doctrine of a heavenly mother?

June: The month in which Joseph Smith was assassinated often brings out the most virulent anti-Mormons in defending his murder. It's as if they feel compelled to justify the murder of an American citizen by a mob of 200 men in Carthage, Illinois in 1844. Throughout the summer, outdoor pageants at Manti, Nauvoo, and the Hill Cumorah attract anti-Mormon protesters by the hundreds. They pass out lying tracts and literature, shout horrible oaths at passers-by, frighten small children, and seek to intimidate anyone who might attend these events.

July: This is the month we celebrate Pioneer Day, when the saints entered the Salt Lake Valley. This is always a time when polygamy surges back for its second round of annual treatment. There are also articles about how Utah is such an oppressive place to live if you want to drink, smoke, gamble, or own a bakery that makes phallus-shaped pastries.

August: The summer doldrums usually kick in here. Even anti-Mormons go on vacation or are out pulling up crabgrass or something. But sometimes, there will be preliminary articles leading up to one of their September favorites:

September: Since the tragic events of September 11, 2001, anti-Mormons never fail to bring up their favorite historical event: the Mountain Meadows Massacre. You can count on it from now until Jesus comes back--the antis will capitalize on the terrible losses of September 11 to bring this up.

October: General conference rolls around again. More of the same.

November: Thanksgiving in the USA brings families together. So what better time to bring up polygamy again? Also, it is common to see attacks on Mormon doctrines like eternal familes around this holiday time.

December: The Christmas season brings so many wonderful blessings. As Mormons, along with all of the rest of the Christian world, focuses on Jesus Christ and on kindness, reconciliation, and selfless giving, the anti-Mormons attack us and say we don't give enough emphasis to Christ at Christmas. They attack the fact that we believe that Jesus was actually born in April (when the shepherds abide in the fields, watching over their flocks by night--they don't do that in December in Israel!) Then, because someone might mention in December that Joseph Smith was born two days before Christmas n 1805, they'll go around saying we wished them a "Merry Smithmas" at Church. It's all bogus, but it gives them something to grouse about.

[Backroads]

Never heard of it. I'm bothered by the notion of people actually celebrating it and antis getting in a tizzy if I don't celebrate it.

[ztodd]

What's wrong with celebrating his birthday? We haven't been doing it but I don't see anything wrong with it.  It doesn't mean we worship him.  It doesn't mean his birth is anywhere near as important as Christ's birth.

 

I guess since it is two days before Christmas, we should probably make it especially low-key if we did celebrate it, because we don't want to take anything away from Christmas.  But that's all I can see that would be wrong with celebrating it.

 

We would still celebrate our own or someone in our family's birthday if it's on Dec 23, so what's wrong with celebrating Brother Joseph's?

 

To those against it, I'm curious if you are also uncomfortable with the hymn "Praise to the Man"?

 

Not really wanting to debate or cause controversy- but I don't understand the need to hold back our admiration and respect for the prophet of the last dispensation.

[jerome1232]

I have to admit, I do think it a bit odd to celebrate a prophets birthday. I mean I get it, I do get that Joseph Smith ushered in the last dispensation and he's a rather big, important prophet. I don't honor many birthdays outside of immediate families. I mean, Christ's birthday is a big celebration. Martin Luther King day I always post something on facebook, maybe I'll start posting a Joseph Smith quote on the 23rd and that'll be my honorary.

I doubt it though, unfortunately for the prophet, his birthday is just in an unfortunate calender spot and I'll probably be too Christmastimed out to give him a nod. He should've been born in April haha!

[Backroads]

You celebrate the birthday of someone present. Celebrating the birthday of ssomeone not present takes on a different tone that, yes, does cross into "worship" territory for me.

I'm trying to understand why people would celebrate this, but in the end I just can't shake the feeling of being disturbed. It doesn't sit right with me.

As for "Praise to the Man", it does bother me if I think hard about it, but I like the tune.

[jerome1232]

You celebrate the birthday of someone present. Celebrating the birthday of ssomeone not present takes on a different tone that, yes, does cross into "worship" territory for me.

I'm trying to understand why people would celebrate this, but in the end I just can't shake the feeling of being disturbed. It doesn't sit right with me.

As for "Praise to the Man", it does bother me if I think hard about it, but I like the tune.

I think that's taking it a bit far, there's an awful lot of dead guys birthdays, or simply days set apart to celebrate their achievments that are celebrated in some fashion that I wouldn't think twice about. (George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr., Columbus day probably some more that I'm forgetting) A select few who are really into the subject might even have a little celebration on those days.

 

[Backroads]

Like Jerome pointed out, there are other ways to honor someone.

If Joseph Smith's birthday weren't so close to Christmas, would people be more inclined to make a bigger deal over it? That would be even more disturbing.

Now, if people are just looking to eat cake and have fun, I have no weirdness radar. But if anyone truly is "we must celebrate this birthday", it's odd.

[Backroads]

I think that's taking it a bit far, there's an awful lot of dead guys birthdays, or simply days set apart to celebrate their achievments that are celebrated in some fashion that I wouldn't think twice about. (George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr., Columbus day probably some more that I'm forgetting) A select few who are really into the subject might even have a little celebration on those days.

It's not the recognition that bothers me, it's the thoughtful party.

[Blackmarch]

Never heard of it. I'm bothered by the notion of people actually celebrating it and antis getting in a tizzy if I don't celebrate it.

damned if you do, damned if you don't.