I had to run to the grocery store this morning — there were a few odds-and-ends I needed to pick up. Things like tea. I’m not a tea person, unless it’s mint tea, but it’s a good thing to have around.
Also, I needed bathroom cleaning supplies. Thousand Flushes Blue, that sort of thing.
As I was checking out, the cashier said, “Happy holidays.”
Those who argue most passionately for the War on Christmas — people like Bill O’Reilly — say that society must stem the rising tide of secularism by using the phrase “Merry Christmas” instead of the more inclusive “Happy holidays.”
Not to freak out the Christmas Warriors, but it bothers me not in the slightest for someone to wish me a Merry Christmas. Hell, I wish people a Merry Christmas.
Christmas is different things to different people. For the religiously-inclined, it’s a religious festival, the birth of Christianity’s Messiah. Hence, of course, the name “Christmas.”
But there’s a lot of Christmas that actually has nothing to do with the Christian religious festival. Things like Christmas trees and misteltoe aren’t Christian. Those are the things I like to celebrate. And Santa Claus Conquers the Martians — that’s something else I like to celebrate. 😉
It might be the growing perception that Christmas is a generic winter festival that the Christmas Warriors are worried about. If so, they shouldn’t be decrying the use of “Happy Holidays” — they should actually be encouraging it, so that “Merry Christmas” is used by people for whom it actually means what they want it to mean – the Christian religious festival.
For this atheist, I have zero problem with someone wishing me a Merry Christmas. It’s the intention that matters. It’s the sentiment that matters.
I agree that it’s the sentiment that matters. So in most cases, I don’t mind someone wishing me a Merry Christmas. Only the Christmas Warriors, who obviously don’t have that sentiment in mind.
bravo! well said and i’m all for merry xmasing people but i never like to dis my jewish pals.
more often than not i say the happy holiday to be polite, not to dis the christians – perhaps they forget they aren’t the only religious group that celebrates at midwinter
happy solstice! 😉