Merry Christmas vs. Happy Holidays
This post is my version of John Stossel’s “Give Me A Break” segment on ABC’s 20/20. If you’ve lived under a rock somewhere last year, I’m sure this is new to you. But if you are connected via the t.v, the newspapers, or the internet…this has been the talk of last year’s holiday season.
*This cartoon was borrowed from here.
Retailers and schools alike were afraid of insulting certain group of people, so they changed their “Merry Christmas” greeting to “Happy Holidays”. And to go one stupid step further, the Department of Parks and Recreation of Boston changed the public Christmas tree to a “Holiday” tree last year after many local outcries, even from the city mayor.
This is where I say “give me a break”!
My parents are practicing Buddhists and have raised all five children Buddhists. But it has never stops us from celebrating Christmas since we were little. To us, Christmas has little to do with the birth of Jesus. It is a time for:
- family get together,
- feasting on the many wonderful pot luck dishes with all of our relatives and friends,
- decorating the Christmas tree with beautiful ornaments on a fake tree that spins,
- watching your hubbie decorates the exterior with Christmas lights and praying that he doesn’t fall off of the ladder,
- seeing the excitement on the kids’ faces when there are bountiful of gifts under the trees,
- watching your relative’s expression when they got stuck with that secret Santa’s gift of a Chia Pet,
- enjoying people who are generally nicer around this time of year,
- and if there happens to be a white Christmas, making angels in the snow.
Apparently, there’s a different tune this year.
According to this article, after religious groups such as The American Family Association and the Catholic League boycotted Wal-Mart last year, among other big retailers, from excluding the word “Christmas” from their products, Wal-Mat has changed their tune this year to greet customers with “Merry Christmas” instead of the generic “Happy Holidays”. This is where I will eloquently say “no sh!t Sherlock!” Money talks folks! Hit them where it hurts, their bottom line and let’s see how fast things change.
I think, as a society, we try too hard to be politically correct, trying to be sensitive to everyone’s feelings. That’s a nice gesture but an impossible feat. I mean this is a country of all walks of life, religious and ethnicity, is it not? Everyone has the right to practice what he/she chooses without having other people impede on his/her personal beliefs because they don’t agree or like their practice. So to those people I say…get a life and give me a break!
For this Christmas, I’ll be passing out my “Merry Christmas” greeting to everyone unless you celebrate Hanukkah, Kwanza, and Ramadan, just let me know that and I’ll be happy to wish you otherwise. And don’t be timid to greet this Buddhist with a “Merry Christmas” either, unless you’re Scrooge himself.
What do you think about this subject? Do you feel that we need to change our “Merry Christmas” to “Happy Holidays” to accommodate everyone?
This post is my version of John Stossel’s “Give Me A Break” segment on ABC’s 20/20. If you’ve lived under a rock somewhere last year, I’m sure this is new to you. But if you are connected via the t.v, the newspapers, or the internet…this has been the talk of last year’s holiday season.
*This cartoon was borrowed from here.
Retailers and schools alike were afraid of insulting certain group of people, so they changed their “Merry Christmas” greeting to “Happy Holidays”. And to go one stupid step further, the Department of Parks and Recreation of Boston changed the public Christmas tree to a “Holiday” tree last year after many local outcries, even from the city mayor.
This is where I say “give me a break”!
My parents are practicing Buddhists and have raised all five children Buddhists. But it has never stops us from celebrating Christmas since we were little. To us, Christmas has little to do with the birth of Jesus. It is a time for:
- family get together,
- feasting on the many wonderful pot luck dishes with all of our relatives and friends,
- decorating the Christmas tree with beautiful ornaments on a fake tree that spins,
- watching your hubbie decorates the exterior with Christmas lights and praying that he doesn’t fall off of the ladder,
- seeing the excitement on the kids’ faces when there are bountiful of gifts under the trees,
- watching your relative’s expression when they got stuck with that secret Santa’s gift of a Chia Pet,
- enjoying people who are generally nicer around this time of year,
- and if there happens to be a white Christmas, making angels in the snow.
Apparently, there’s a different tune this year.
According to this article, after religious groups such as The American Family Association and the Catholic League boycotted Wal-Mart last year, among other big retailers, from excluding the word “Christmas” from their products, Wal-Mat has changed their tune this year to greet customers with “Merry Christmas” instead of the generic “Happy Holidays”. This is where I will eloquently say “no sh!t Sherlock!” Money talks folks! Hit them where it hurts, their bottom line and let’s see how fast things change.
I think, as a society, we try too hard to be politically correct, trying to be sensitive to everyone’s feelings. That’s a nice gesture but an impossible feat. I mean this is a country of all walks of life, religious and ethnicity, is it not? Everyone has the right to practice what he/she chooses without having other people impede on his/her personal beliefs because they don’t agree or like their practice. So to those people I say…get a life and give me a break!
For this Christmas, I’ll be passing out my “Merry Christmas” greeting to everyone unless you celebrate Hanukkah, Kwanza, and Ramadan, just let me know that and I’ll be happy to wish you otherwise. And don’t be timid to greet this Buddhist with a “Merry Christmas” either, unless you’re Scrooge himself.
What do you think about this subject? Do you feel that we need to change our “Merry Christmas” to “Happy Holidays” to accommodate everyone?
I understand that “Merry Christmas” might offend some people who are not Christian and I appreciate the effort.
but personally, like you, I’d rather people focus on more important issues right now.
We’re Christians, so for us the Merry Christmas has value, but we really don’t care how it’s said. It’s the sentiment that counts.
And I’m always in a hurry, so I’ve been known to even write (gasp) Xmas.
Watching a relative’sexpression when they open a Chia Pet?
Betty if that is not a reason for celebration I do not know what is…
I grew up in a very ethnic neighbourhood and we celebrated all of our various holidays as they were all about love…
I think that you are my hero!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
You know.. Even in my work we had to change saying “Merry Christmas” to “Happy Holidays” because we don’t know which patients practices what. Sad huh? But if they say it first, then we can return it.
I worked for several years at an office where some staff were Jehovah Witnesses. They do not celebrate holidays at all. Our Christmas party became a holiday party, and then an end of the year party. But because the Witnesses didn’t celebrate “holidays”, and New Year’s is a holiday, we finally changed it to an employee appreciation party and moved it to the beginning of the following year.
We tried. We wanted everyone to be happy. And it worked for awhile.
But eventually we all ended up saying “Happy Hanukkah”, “Merry Christmas”, whatever as appropriate. We just didn’t say it to the people who didn’t celebrate.
a couple of years ago we sent out cards that said “Happy Everything!”
that works for us.
as far as the wal-mart thing goes - i hate that store and i hate people who boycott things based on religious beliefs, so there is no sympathy from me on any side.
personally, i’m a little ticked when people assume i’m christian. it’s an arrogant notion to assume anybody is anything.
many of my friends have polar views from my own, and we get along great because we allow eachother to be individuals.
they don’t boycott me, and i don’t boycott them.
sounds like wal-mart and the organizations that boycotted them make fine bed fellows.
Well, this heathen loves saying Merry Christmas, but I never know what saying to put on my Christmas cards. Sorry, holiday cards. No, Christmas cards.
Oh shoot, it’s going to happen again this year.
Well there you have it - straight from the Buddhist’s mouth. If it’s good enough for you it should be good enough for everyone for pete’s sake!
People are wound waayyy too tight these days. Like I should be all uptight if someone wished me a Happy Hanukkah even though I’m not Jewish. Who cares?!! Take the nice wishes, thank them for their kindness and move on with your life!!! Now see what you’ve done - you’ve started a rant.
Great post Betty - and well said. Thanks…
Amen. (Or is that politically incorrect to write?)
I always go with “Happy Chrismukkah!” (alternatively, Merry Chriskwanzakah!”)
I agree, for us, it is about getting together with family, watching your children get excited about Santa, watching “It’s a Wonderful LIfe” again, eating lots of yummy foods. I do think it is too commercial, have you seen those huge blow up yard ornaments with carosel Santa and deer going around and around……? Crazy, huh? Even though I’m agnostic, I do teach my children what the holiday means for Christians and to respect that. I still say Merry Christmas, but I don’t mind Happy Holidays, or whatever someone wants to say.
WAYA - You are so cool. Really. I love you. OTJ
Betty, You are a riot! From a fellow Buddhist and your cousin from TX, HAPPY THANKSGIVING, MERRY CHRISTMAS and a JOYOUS, HEALTHY NEW YEAR!!! Love your postings
I so agree with you. This is becoming quite ridiculous!!!
Yup yup and yes, you’re absolutely right.
Being a pastor’s wife, it’s Merry Christmas all the way. We don’t do politically correct at my house.
Personally I don’t care one way or another as long as there’s presents.
Thank you, thank you, Thank. You. I was so sick of hearing about all of the hoopla last year. It’s Merry Christmas. I don’t have a problem hearing “Happy Holidays” as long as its not the main focus of every card, sign, and advertising slogan.
I think that sometimes things get so over-analyzed. It should just be what a person is comfortable saying.
I completely agree with you.
It’s almost ridiculous to call a blatant Christmas tree “Holiday Tree” or words that say “Happy Holidays” next to a huge Santa.
I don’t see anybody getting all upset about saying Happy Halloween, or Valentines.
Not at all. My parents are INC and when I greet them Merry Christmas, they reply with Happy Holidays and we’re all happy. It doesn’t matter what the words are. It’s the feeling of love and caring.
I think this fake controversy was mostly made up by a few Fox news commentators to get people stirred up.
I try to respect everyone and to me using the generic “Happy Holidays” doesn’t do any harm. If people say “Merry Christmas” to me, I say it back to them.
I figure it is not a big deal to me, but if I was in the minority position, I might feel a little slighted or sensitive at people assuming I was a Christian.