We get it. It's Christmas.
But guess what, people: It's also Kwanzaa and Hanukkah. And, even if you are a "Christian," Happy Holidays does NOT mean people are taking the "Christ" out of Christmas. What it does mean is that you're being wished Happy Holidays. This includes Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. Hence the use of the word "holidays" to encompass all the holidays. It's so absurd to assume saying anything less than "Merry Christmas" is offensive.
It makes me think of the prayer in public schools issue. To talk to a proponent of prayer in schools, you would think that Christians are no longer allowed to pray in school. Not True. What you are not allowed to do is force the children to pray in school. You are the one trying to press your religious expectations on someone else, NOT the other way around. Likewise, expecting someone to say "Merry Christmas" makes you the aggressor. In my thirty-three years, I have never ONCE had someone tell me not to say Merry Christmas. Where does this idea even come from? Am I in my own little world and others are being scorned for it on a daily basis? No. It's a bandwagon issue that has never really even been an issue. Ask yourself the same thing: Has someone asked you not to say Merry Christmas? My guess is no. In fact, I'm certain the answer is no. So then: what is the issue? That someone else would chose to say something other that what you prefer? You tell me who is stifling the other's freedom.
You'll often hear saying you shouldn't be celebrating if you aren't celebrating Jesus's birth. But guess what, folks--you don't get to determine what everyone in the world celebrates, whether they subscribe to your beliefs or not. I've never heard of the pagan religion campaign against the celebrations of "Fall Festivals" and "Trunk or Treats" for those "opposed" to the Pagan Halloween holiday. In a parallel world, they would require you to subscribe to the "true purpose" of Halloween, otherwise you would be excluded from participating. And, of course, this isn't the case. Each and every holiday is what you make of it. Period. No matter how many Merry Christmases you proclaim, if you are not religious (or don't celebrate the "meaning" of Christmas in true form), you are simply a subject of a very expensive marketing campaign. And I venture to say that is the case for most.
[Don't agree with me? Try Walmart on Black Friday and PLEASE show me the joy of celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ.]
As for me:
Well, I fully support your right to say Merry Christmas. Or Happy Hanukkah. Or Happy Kwanzaa. Or whatever it is you may be celebrating. I believe that the purpose of the season is to bring peace and joy and love to those you hold dear (and to others whom you may have never even met). I believe that whatever religion you subscribe to, accomplishing this is a wonderful and amazing thing.
And, if you pass me on the street and wish me Happy Holiday, I will smile, thank you for the well-wishes and return the favor.
On a side note, I googled the subject after composing this post and came to realize this is a much hotter topic than I'd realized. Here is a related story from USA Today.
