It's Okay To Say "Happy Holidays!"
On Black Friday, I continued my yearly tradition of barricading myself in our house until mid-afternoon, when I'm relatively sure that the majority of fevered shoppers have long left. As it happened, a couple of light bulbs needed replacing, so I took a quick drive down to the Home Depot.
As the cashier rang my purchase up we made small talk: she asked me if I'd gotten some good deals that morning. I laughed and informed her how this was my first outing for the day. As I paid for the light bulbs and got ready to leave, I wished her a very Happy Holiday.
Her response? A big smile and "The same to you."
For the last couple of years, we've been bombarded by various groups going absolutely nutters around this time over the "War on Christmas." Never mind the fact that a number of other holidays are celebrated during this season: Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Winter Solstice and/or Yule. Or the fact that it was Conservatives -- in the form of 17th century New England Puritans -- that first attacked the holiday, banning its celebration for almost 200 years. Or the fact that you don't have to look much further than a major retail chain store opening up on Thanksgiving night to pushing, screaming, pepper-spraying customers to see where the true "War on Christmas" probably resides.
Look, I'm not saying I don't understand: I get why someone might get upset if a town Christmas Tree gets renamed "Holiday Tree" (although technically the tradition of decorating a fir tree for the yule season pre-dated Christianity, but I digress). And when Atheists erected giant billboards reading "Christmas is a Myth" last year, I got miffed. Not that I'm a religious guy: I simply think that everyone has the right to believe -- or not believe -- what they want without having to shove it down everyone else's throats.
But getting upset because someone wishes you a "Happy Holidays?" That's one I've never understood.
A few years ago I read a rather polarized comment on a message board. To paraphrase, it went along the lines of, "I wish everyone a 'Merry Christmas.' If they are Jewish they can just tell me that they celebrate Hanukkah and I'll know better for the next time." I was blown away by this level of insensitivity. I was tempted to ask the individual how he would feel if someone cheerfully wished him a "Happy Hanukkah" but I decided against it. I suspected I already knew the answer.
I have a simple rule: If I know you deck the halls, I'll wish you a 'Merry Christmas.' If I know for a fact that you're a master at the Dreidel spin, I'll wish you a 'Happy Hanukkah.' But if I'm just meeting you for the first time -- or I don't know what your religious beliefs are (if you even have any at all) -- I'm going to wish you "Happy Holidays."
It has nothing to do with political correctness. On the contrary -- it's about respect. And frankly, if you really believe that anyone who says "Happy Holidays" is insulting you or your beliefs -- then maybe you don't truly understand your beliefs in the first place.
So the next time someone wishes you "Happy Holidays," take it in stride. In fact, why not say it yourself? It's all-inclusive, respectful and more importantly, if it was good enough for Bing Crosby to sing, it can't be all that bad.
(What are your thoughts on "Happy Holidays?" Share them below)
Tom LaSusa
10:45 am on Thursday, December 1, 2011
A quick follow-up: A good friend of mine reminded me of an important fact that I should have included in my blog: That the word "Holiday" was derived from "Holy Day" (actually the Old English word ha-ligdæg which basically meant 'days of religious observance'). I think it's important that this be mentioned given the backlash against the use of "Happy Holidays" -- in fact you're essentially saying "Happy Holy Day."
Long Islander
3:55 pm on Thursday, December 1, 2011
If your celebrating Christmas, then say Merry Christmas! Why call it another name? Maybe to water down the holiness of the day we are actually celebrating?
Tom LaSusa
4:21 pm on Thursday, December 1, 2011
Long Islander,
Thanks for your thoughts. That's sort of the point I'm making in my blog: If you and yours celebrate Christmas, then of course you'd wish all of them a "Merry Christmas." But for those people you're not intimate with enough to know their personal beliefs, "Happy Holidays" is a very respectful greeting.
maria sorbello
3:59 pm on Thursday, December 1, 2011
Oy! I say Happy Festivus! ;)
Tom LaSusa
4:23 pm on Thursday, December 1, 2011
It's for the Rest Of Us! :)
Thanks Maria!
T
Eddie
9:29 pm on Friday, December 9, 2011
"Happy Holidays" would be disrespectful to a Christian. It would be denying Christ for me to offer a "Happy Holiday" to another Christian, and would not be the right thing for a believer to do. That's how I see it and how the Christian world sees it, which is the reason for so many of the boycotts against business and media pushing this anti-Christmas agenda.
I'm surprised you don't know that. Or at least your story ignores that.
Tom LaSusa
11:22 pm on Friday, December 9, 2011
Hi Eddie,
Thanks for your thoughts on the subject, but it seems that you may have missed the point of my article -- or at least part of it.
As I said above, of course the if I know someone is a Christian and celebrates Christmas I wish them a "Merry Christmas." But tell me, can you tell a Christian from an Atheist, from a Jew, from a (Fill in the blank) just by looking at the person? Personally, it's not always so easy for me.
The cable guy that just came by a few days ago...the young girl that rang me up at the Target tonight: I has no idea what their beliefs were (if they had any at all), so I wished them warmly "Happy Holidays." And lo and behold, neither of them freaked out or informed me what religious background they came from. Like the lady at the Home Depot (in my blog above) they both said "Thank you. You too."
Let me ask you something: Would it be fair for a Jew shopping for a Hanukkah gift to go into a store and be assailed by signs for "Christmas Sales?" Or is it reasonable for these stores to make the shopping experiences during this time of the year accessible to all?
But still you say there is an anti-Christmas agenda. Funny, when I went into Home Depot I saw plenty of "Christmas Trees" for sale. Plenty of inflatable and plastic Nativity sets too. And if I'm not mistaken, "Silent Night" was playing over the speakers. Tell me again how the businesses are turning their back on Christmas? (cont...)
John Rennhack
12:00 am on Saturday, December 10, 2011
Well Eddie, no it would not be disrespectful. At all. The entymology of the word is as follows "holiday - O.E. haligdæg, from halig "holy" + dæg "day;" in 14c. meaning both "religious festival" and "day of recreation," but pronunciation and sense diverged 16c."
Christmas is considered a HOLY DAY, isn't it? Of course it is. Also as a believer, a TRUE believer, nothing should be able to either shake faith or feel offended by any other faith. You do know that the Epihany was the holiest day for a very long time, right? That and Easter were the high holy days and christmas was not.
There is no "agenda" unless you consider being mindful of others faiths an "agenda." Christmas is the only religious federal holiday even though the Constitution says there isn't supposed to be a federal religion.
How would you like to be greeted with "Eid Sa'eed" or "Shana Tova" all the time?
Tom LaSusa
11:23 pm on Friday, December 9, 2011
(cont...)
Frankly if you ask me, the true "War on Christmas" started when we started becoming indoctrinated into the idea that a small token of appreciation exchanged between loved ones wasn't enough. It started when a stocking full of candy, fruit and perhaps a small toy no longer sated a child on Christmas Morning.
The "War" began when Greeting Card companies made you feel guilty if you didn't buy five boxes of cards to send out when instead you could have wished that loved one a "Merry Christmas" directly.
It began the day after Thanksgiving (and now the night of) when people who were giving Thanks for the past year's blessings just a few hours earlier now pushed and shoved, screamed and cursed at one another just so they could save maybe $40 on a coffee maker.
It began when Media Mouthpieces started chastising corporations for their 'anti-Christmas' behavior in one breath and then in the next cried how unfair everyone was being to these big businesses for trying to make 'an honest living' -- and people didn't bother to listen to the double-talk.
But people having different beliefs and wanting only the right to be able to celebrate them equally during the same time of the year? That's no war. At least it shouldn't be, Eddie.
Best
Tom
Long Islander
11:28 pm on Friday, December 9, 2011
Your article is ridiculous! We all keep missing the point but you Tom! Really! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you! I hope you are not offended that I wished you happiness for the new year!
Tom LaSusa
11:36 pm on Friday, December 9, 2011
Not at all Long Islander. I appreciate the gesture and since I KNOW that you celebrate it as well I wish you a Merry Christmas too.
To my Jewish friends, I wish them Happy Hanukkah. To my New Age /Pagan friends I wish a Blessed Yule. And to the rest of the folks whom I don't know what they celebrate -- or if they celebrate anything at all -- I cheerfully wish them Happy Holidays!
John Rennhack
12:25 am on Saturday, December 10, 2011
Yes... the POINT is that there are many religious celebrations at this time and not all of them are christmas. Heck, many pre-date christianity. Happy Holidays is recognizing that not everyone shares the same holiday and for retailers, that means not leaving out any other religion. Merry Christmas is said often and widely. There is no "war on christmas" unless you want to admit to being a part of the "War on Hanukkah" or the "War on Eid" or the "War on Yule," etc, etc, etc.
If you TRULY want to "Keep Christ in Christmas", toss the tree and the wreaths and the lights and the santa and the marching soldiers and lighted snowmen, pull down the mistletoe, and the reindeer. None of that has to do with Christmas. Build a creche and put a spotlight on that. Don't be part of the consumerism. Don't partake in the pagan-derived celebrations. Attend mass. Read and follow scripture.
D
12:01 am on Saturday, December 10, 2011
Tom
I wholeheartedly agree with you. I see your point. This whole "war on Christmas" makes me a little angry. If our beliefs as Christians is true, no one can take that away. Especially by saying Happy Holidays. And there is more than one holiday! Some Christians also celebrate Kwanza, there's advent, and New Year's Eve.
Let's put this in to prospective Eddie and other Long Islanders. There are literal wars happening with innocent people dying and there are people around the globe who are literally being persecuted for their Christian beliefs. A well intended greeting really should be taken that way. I have enough rude people and other uncontrollable ills in my life. I don't need to start looking for insults in actual well wishes.
Tom LaSusa
9:08 am on Saturday, December 10, 2011
Thanks for your thoughts, D! Merry Christmas!
laocoon
9:23 pm on Saturday, December 10, 2011
Only AOL's Patch would print anti-christian garbage like this.
The shame is that this mutt doesn't even realize he's offending.
Tom LaSusa
1:40 am on Sunday, December 11, 2011
Laocoon,
If I may ask, what exactly did you find offensive? How exactly am I being 'Anti-Christian?' Is it the part where I said that anyone I know who celebrates Christmas I wish them a "Merry Christmas?" Or is it the part where I acknowledge that other religions celebrate holidays during this time of the year?
P.S. Mutt? Really?
John Ren
4:29 am on Sunday, December 11, 2011
Only someone posting anonymously would go for the ad hominem attack. Also what is incredible is that someone claiming someone else is "anti-Christian" is probably not as " christian" as they pretend to be.
Tanii C.
12:51 pm on Wednesday, December 21, 2011
FYI the United States and the world for that fact is not a Christian place. And as I have stated in other posts, the choice of December 25th as Christ's birthday was a tactic by the early Church to more easily convert Pagans to Christianity, most of the Christian holidays are centered around early Pagan celebrations. Merry ChristmaHanuKwanzica! and Happy Festivius!
Nick Tonno Sr
8:22 pm on Sunday, December 18, 2011
It is America,i was brought up that Christmas is MERRY CHRISTMAS and my grandparents grandparents said MERRY CHRISTMAS ,this is our holiday and lets respect the founding fathers and folks from america,it is MERRY CHRISTMAS,for those choose happy holidays ,wish me a happy holiday on 4th of july ,memorial day ,flag day ,veterans day labor day.CHRISTMAS IS CHRISTMAS ITS MERRY CHRISTMAS ,your here from another country that doesnt call it Christmas oh well.IM NOT BEING HARSH IM SICK OF ALL THIS CRAP and now theres some nut in nrday today say rudolph the red nose reindeer shouldnt be watched cause it is considered bullying ,what the hell is this country doing ,this is such crap.just leave our holiday alone and stay out of it if you do not celebrate Christmas.MERRY CHRISTMAS