Sorry, Merry Christmas people, I’ve decided to make the change to saying Happy Holidays.
Let me explain.
Yes, I love Christmas and believe that it is actually the birthday of Jesus Christ—to me, it is a holy day. One of many holy days that are celebrated during the winter months: Hanukah, Kwanzaa, Winter Solstice and so on. Each day is legitimate to those who celebrate it.
So I think it behooves me as a Christian to honor other traditions, to acknowledge that my holy day isn’t the only one.
I also believe that Christmas has been co-opted by merchandisers and other profiteers. That bothers me, because I think it has replaced the sharing of Christmas with wholesale consumerism and greed.
Now, I do draw the line at calling Christmas Trees Holiday Trees or Christmas cookies Holiday cookies and so on. We wouldn’t tolerate calling a Hanukah Menorah a Holiday Menorah, would we? And I must admit that parodies of the “Twelve Days of Christmas” leave me cold. Using Christmas Carol melodies as the basis for songs to encourage gift giving (which I heard on a Target ad) offends me. Recordings by name artists of Christmas Carols where they torture the beautiful melodies and words are offensive because they use songs that are actually hymns to sell records. I am sure that many of those melodies are public domain which means that the artist pays no royalties to sing them—once again using Christmas to make money.
So, if you are a Christmas person and I know it, I will wish you a Merry Christmas. But I think the generic Happy Holidays is much more suitable for those I encounter in the business of living—clerks in stores, servers in restaurants, personnel in offices. That way, I know I am wishing them well for whatever holiday they celebrate.
Merry Christmas to all of you! Enjoy your holidays!
I agree 100% with you,Kathy! I feel the same way!
Merry Christmas!
I couldn’t have put it better.
As an atheist, I like the lights, and I think Christian religious music is great, but I think we’ve let the whole holiday thing get way out of control. We debate terminology and display competing holiday symbols in a spiraling excess of religious animosity. On TV we see ads that equate love with buying the right products and show wholesome families unlike any family you and I know sitting down to holiday dinners loaded with unwholesome additives like fat, sugar, salt, and artificial preservatives. To me, Christmas is only a food festival–an excuse to get together with friends (family spans the globe and is unavailable for an expensive and overrated visit) to share a special holiday meal. Please don’t wish me a happy holiday on any day but the actual day. Repetition over several weeks dilutes the content. Bah, humbug.
Whether you celebrate the Sun’s life-giving reversal or an adopted belief system that followed, I wish you a Joyous Season.
Merry Christmas to you Kathy!
You are right Kathy – there are many different holidays being celebrated at this time of you, so Happy Holidays is fine when you are not sure who is celebrating what!
I also agree with your comments on the consumerism focus which so many people have bought into. Its not what’s important to me…
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Good point!
Hope you had a good day yesterday. Was thinking about you.
Mel