There's only one problem. Many people do not celebrate Christmas. Some celebrate Hanukkah. Some celebrate Kwanzaa. Some don't celebrate anything at all. A blog entry I read recently by a Pagan woman who does not celebrate Christmas hit this issue home for me. Basically, if you don't know what exact holiday this person celebrates, wish them a "Happy Holiday". If you do know what holiday they celebrate and wish to tailor to their individual beliefs and holiday preference, then wish them whatever it is they celebrate, be it Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Christmas, or even Festivus.
At the same time though, if you do not celebrate Christmas, there is no need to be offended if someone wishes you a Merry Christmas. They simply want to wish you a day filled with joy, love, and care. What's wrong with that? Maybe they are a bit ignorant and don't realize what they are doing, but maybe they just want to be nice and are doing it the way they know how. If someone wished me a Merry Kwanzaa, I would never say "I do not celebrate Kwanzaa. I celebrate Christmas". That is rude and totally unnecessary. I would thank them and wish the same for them. I truly think it is all about manners. If I see someone I do not know, I wish them a happy holiday. They could be celebrating any holiday. If I see someone I know, I'll cater to the holiday I know they celebrate.
I can see both sides of the issue. I totally understand why people are sick and tired of Christmas taking up the spotlight. There are other equally important holidays that simply are not recognized enough, and that is not right. However, flipping out at an innocent store clerk or Salvation Army bell jingler because he or she says "Merry Christmas" is not very considerate either. On the other hand, insisting that we say "Merry Christmas" instead of "Happy Holidays" is a bit ethnocentric and selfish as well. We cannot expect everyone to wish us a Merry Christmas when some simply do not celebrate it.
The point of the holidays is not to nitpick at other people's word choices and become confrontational if he or she violates your own personal creed. The point of the holidays is to come together for a common cause and appreciate all we are given on this beautiful earth. Saying "Happy Holidays" is a warm wish for everyone, regardless of the holiday they celebrate. It is a totally appropriate and considerate in the diverse world in which we live.
I see both sides of this issue as well. The majority of people in America celebrate Christmas, and there are many examples of how Christmas dominates our culture - we have the 25 days of Christmas on ABC family, and multiple Christmas movies.
ReplyDeleteI do agree that we should keep other cultures in consideration, but I also think that some who want our culture to completely abandon saying "Merry Christmas" is too extreme. It is a large part of our culture, and I don't think we should abandon it.
I agree with what you're saying about being considerate to other people that do not celebrate christmas, but at the end of the day if someone wishes you a Merry Christmas and you don't celebrate it just go along with it and let it go. No reason to fret over something so insignificant.
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