Posted by Morbo
A recent Associated Press dispatch focused on right-wing outrage over the use of the phrase “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas.” An actual organization has been formed to promote the use of the latter because clearly, there is an effort afoot to undermine America’s Christian foundation!
Morbo can think of one good reason why someone, especially a clerk in a store, might wish another “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas.”
Mainly, more than one holiday is celebrated at this time of year.
Christians celebrate Christmas. Jews enjoy Hanukkah (and spell it many different ways, too!). The Muslim holiday Eid al-Fitr often occurs in December. Pagans do the Solstice. Some Humanists are promoting a new late-year holiday they call Human Light. Some African-Americans go for Kwanzaa. And let’s not forget, New Year’s Day is Jan. 1 — just one week after Christmas.
I will try to explain this in a way that even Jerry Falwell can understand: Your average minimum-wage store clerk at the mall probably doesn’t know what religion you are. And I doubt he really cares. He employs the phrase “Happy Holidays” so as to cover all the bases. That way, he has given you good thoughts no matter which occasion you celebrate. Really, he’s just trying to be nice; it’s not a major anti-Christian conspiracy.
And by the way, the same principle can be used to address all of this whining about how the public schools now have “Winter Concerts” or “Holiday Concerts” instead of “Christmas Concerts.”
Children of many different religions go to those schools. Some don’t celebrate Christmas, yet the school wants everyone to feel welcome. That is so nice of them. We should applaud, not attack, the schools for this.
But what if you’re really into religious Christmas carols? Great! At this time of year, people sing those a lot in a place called “church.” Find one near you. You can also get these songs on CDs and enjoy them in your own home and possibly your car! Try this site: www.amazon.com.
Some folks clearly have too much time on their hands.