With a wink and a nod

On By Peggy BereIn Musings

 

Christmas-Image

The “Happy Holiday” vs. “Merry Christmas” debate heats up every year around this time.  Well, let’s be honest people, the holiday debate probably starts in September when the department stores start to set up their Christmas displays in a pitiful effort to outdo the sales of their competition.  Shameful!!

Since when has saying a very simple “Merry Christmas!” become such a crime?  I know, touchy subject.  But, bear with me and let’s see if we can’t sort this entire mess out.  OK?

If I understand it correctly, when in public, I’m supposed to avoid the words “Merry Christmas” at all costs for fear of completely offending someone to their core if they are not a Christian?  Is that correct?  Now, if someone came up to me and said “Happy Kwanzaa!” I’d be like, right on!…”Happy Kwanzaa to you as well!”  Of course I myself do not celebrate Kwanzaa but I also don’t find the expression offensive in any way, shape or form.  Oddly enough, I also don’t find the words Happy Hanukkah offensive.

Maybe we’ve all just gotten a bit too sensitive and things have gotten blown out of proportion.  So, this year, instead of getting upset over this same, stale topic, let’s see if we can’t sort this misunderstanding out.  Shall we?

Maybe instead of saying anything at all to each other, maybe we should just give each other a big spirited wink and a thumbs up as we pass each other on the street.  That would be jolly!  Or, we could all wear hats and jauntily tip them to each other as a silent signal of holiday greeting.  No words, no offense!  We could heartily slap each other on the backs as a happy greeting or we could simply shake each others hands.  No, wait.  Then we get into the entire spreading germs debate.  I know!  We could all wear bow ties and bow to each other in greeting rather than shaking hands!

Maybe if we shifted our focus to these fascinating (and fun!) new greetings rather than staying stuck in the quagmire of the old, boring argument of whether or not we’re offending each other, things would settle down and we’d all get back to just enjoying the season for what it is.

Or, we could all just accept the “Merry Christmas” greeting for what it is – a simple expression of the joy of the season.  Not a sinister, thought out plot to offend one another.

If you don’t believe, try not to get offended at someone the next time they say “Merry Christmas” to you. Think about what they are wishing you, what they are sharing out of their own belief. And if you do believe, and someone says “seasons greetings” or “happy holidays” or ‘joyous Kwanzaa”   just smile and say, “And to you  as well.”  Your countenance alone might just extend to them the meaning of the season; at the very least it will warm your own heart, and you’ll be that much happier for doing so

So, Merry Christmas, Christians; Happy Hanukkah, Jews; Super Solstice, Pagans; Hurray, Human Light Humanists; Joyous Kwanzaa to African Diaspora and to everyone all together — Wishing you a wonderful holiday season!

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23 thoughts on “With a wink and a nod”

  5. I prefer midnight mass, worship, Christ in our eyes. Later the distribution of jerseys down a homeless shelter or bus shelter, raisins for the children NOT an entire month of eating chocolate and shopping and ice skating and pleasure for devilry’s sake, Sure you agree, it is quite immoral egc

    And somebody please to turn off the Christmas lights when they are very, very confusing in traffic..

    Thank you for your blog, happy Winterval.

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    1. That name made me chuckle. Not in a jolly way, but in a “that’s so ridiculous” way. Seems to me that the world was a much calmer place before we all became so obsessed with being politically correct.

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  11. I do say different things because there are many Jewish folks in my building. I really don’t care what people say to me. The war on Christmas is a stupid Fox News thing, thanks a lot Bill Reilly. To you Peggy, Merry Christmas!

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  13. I find that I am more often questioned for saying Happy Holidays.
    Folks assume that those who say Happy Holidays are trying to avoid saying Merry Christmas.
    It’s all ridiculous!
    Frankly, I’d like to see more people getting as upset about the fact that many are in need in this country as they do about Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, and Starbucks cups.
    Actions not words …

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