I'm sure you're familiar with "Peace on Earth, Good Will to Men," and all sorts of other Christmas buzz-words. We hear them pop up in all sorts of carols and Christmas movies, and it's not just because they sound pretty. They exist as a constant reminder of what the Christmas holiday is supposed to be about. It's a time in which we are called to put aside our hateful, selfish tendencies and join together in a spirit of warmth and brotherhood with all humankind, (and all animalkind, while we're at it). And while it's true that we, the keepers of Christmas, make up for a whopping 90% of Americans, "all humankind" does, in fact, include the other 10%.
Making an effort to say "Happy Holidays" doesn't mean we can't still love Christmas. It's merely an effort to be all-inclusive in the spirit of this festive season. America is supposed to be this wonderful melting pot of cultures. (Not that it always is, but it's supposed to be.) So if we can appreciate each other's cultures during the rest of the year, then why shouldn't we do the same during the holiday season? On the other hand, if you're the type of person who hates other people's cultures in general, then we've got a much bigger problem on our hands.
If you really must, just think of it like you're putting Thanksgiving and New Year's Eve into the mix when you extend your well-wishings.
Now, there is a flip-side to this coin, and this is for my friends who don't celebrate Christmas. In recent years, I've become painfully aware of the fact that people take offense to things a lot more often than people mean offense. One of the best examples by far is when people take a simple holiday greeting and manage to turn it into a huge insult.
If your biggest complaint about Christmas is how much it gets pushed by corporations, unfortunately there isn't much to be done about that at this point in time. Numbers don't lie, and because, as I said earlier, 90% of Americans do celebrate Christmas, companies are well aware that advertising Christmas will make them more money. This isn't to say they shouldn't make an effort to throw in a few nods to other holidays here and there, but, from a corporate standpoint, focusing too much on them just isn't going to turn a profit the way that Christmas does. But hey, if it makes you feel any better, even a lot of us Christmas types are getting pretty annoyed with the commercialization, and the fact that the Christmas season now begins in roughly the middle of October.
Or maybe you're upset that the overwhelming presence of Christmas feels like an infringement of your right to practice, (or not practice), your own faith. Perhaps it's not as much about the holiday itself as it is that you think people are trying to convert you to Christianity. Well, as it turns out, half of the Americans who keep Christmas do so as a secular holiday, not a religious one, so hopefully that will ease your mind.
Personally, I'm most concerned with the matter of the greeting. Again, I have absolutely no problem with saying "Happy Holidays," (even though I will never not find the joke at the beginning of this clip funny). However, given the fact that I have celebrated Christmas for all twenty-eight years of my life, there will always be times when my default setting will kick in and I'll wind up saying "Merry Christmas." And yet, while I say it with every intention of being friendly, (which is not always the easiest feat for a shut-in like myself), there are people who take great issue with it.
Some people have this idea that, by saying "Merry Christmas," we're attempting to force others into celebrating our holiday, which, to me, seems almost as silly as claiming that saying "Happy Holidays" is the same as declaring war on Christmas. If I say "Merry Christmas," it's nothing more than an honest sentiment aimed to convey friendship and goodwill. It means only that I hope you have a merry time on the day that is widely recognized as Christmas by millions of people and the federal government. If you really think about it, even if you aren't partaking in the festivities, today is still Christmas Day. So, really, someone saying "Merry Christmas" to you is basically the same as someone saying "Merry December 25th."
Similarly, no amount of me not celebrating Hanukkah will change the fact that it will be Hanukkah for eight days in December. And I feel like it would be a little bit ridiculous for me, when faced with a "Happy Hanukkah," to get all huffy and forcefully remind people that I'm not Jewish. I imagine I'd feel touched that someone took the time to wish me well, even if it was in honor of a holiday I don't observe.
I guess what I'm trying to say is, whether you're holding your festivities for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Winter Solstice, Festivus, or anything else you choose, let's all try our best to spread the joy and love of the season, rather than letting ourselves get angry with the people who do. We're all celebrating, so we might as well celebrate together.
Merry Today, everyone.
CURRENTLY LISTENING TO: "Silent Night" - Bing Crosby (Merry Christmas)
