I ran into a gentleman a few years ago who had a button that said “It’s okay to wish me a Merry Christmas!” When I admired it, he took it off and gave it to me. Turns out he had a whole box of them from his church. I think I still have it somewhere…
There are people, of course, who loudly protest the idea of wishing anyone anything else besides “Merry Christmas.”
(I just realized that reading this post would make a great drinking game--take a drink every time say “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Holidays!”)
Their argument runs along the lines of: “This is America! We are a Christian nation! We celebrate Christmas! Saying “Happy Holidays” offends us!” I think they somehow see it as another attack on American values in favor of making sure nobody’s feelings get hurt.
And I bought into that for a while. I’d say “Merry Christmas” with the best of them, even if others said “Happy Holidays” back. There wasn’t any malice in my refusal to comply, but there was ignorance. Christmas was Christmas, and everyone deserved a merry one, right?
That’s a nice thought, as far as it goes. But I think it’s incredibly self-centered. Because by insisting on Christmas, you negate all the other holidays that take place during this time of year. Some might argue that to be wished a Happy Holiday-that-they-don’t-observe is a sign of goodwill. Like the person is reaching out to include them. And I get it. But I keep thinking, “What gives me the right to decide that my holiday matters more than someone else’s?” That just seems rude, let alone insensitive.
So, for everyone who celebrates something, have a merry/happy/peaceful:
And all the other holidays out there. And if you don’t celebrate anything, then Happy Thursday!
No comments:
Post a Comment