Happy Holidays or Merry Christmas...Does it really matter? To me it doesn't. I don't see why people get so offended if someone says Happy Holidays. Some say it's the reverse, that people get offended if you say Merry Christmas, but I have yet to find a person even an atheist, who gets offended over Merry Christmas.
It makes me sad when people get offended over someone saying Happy Holidays....when I was growing up it was just another way to wish your fellow man good will. I have no problem saying Merry Christmas...I say it...but I don't say it to someone who is Jewish and celebrates Chanukah. If I know a person celebrates Christmas I say," Merry Christmas". I have a buddy who is from England so I tell him, "Happy Christmas". A complete stranger may get a "Happy Holidays". Not to mention, Thanksgiving comes first and New Year’s is shortly behind...Happy Holidays (notice the plural form of this word) it refers to all the holidays of this season. It offends me when I see someone rudely correct someone and say,” It's CHRISTmas.” When a person wishes someone a Happy Holidays, it’s not always “corporate” demanding you not say Merry Christmas. I think the whole Happy Holidays thing has gotten way out of hand, ever since people got offended by the company that told its employees not to say Merry Christmas. Usually a business or company will ask you to say Happy Holidays as to not discriminate against anyone. If a person offers you a Happy Holidays a simple thank you works just fine. You shouldn’t be rude or offended, because my theory is, let’s say you get wished a” Happy Holidays”, you rudely reply back,” It’s CHRISTmas!” So then, the next person that comes up to the one you were rude to, gets nothing. Not so much as even a Happy Holidays because the first person is afraid to offend someone else and then the chain of bestowing friendship, love and peace are broken. It’s like paying it forward. When we are nice to one person and make them happy, they in return pass that on to someone else.
This holiday season I would love for people to find some sort of holiday acceptance. I understand that Christmas is definitely the more prominent holiday but it’s not the only holiday this time of year. There are just so many more and there is just no possible way for a person to know what each person celebrates. I personally celebrate Christmas, but who am I to say that my holiday is more important than someone else’s. Each of the dozens of holidays celebrated this time of year each have their own special meaning. For someone to say “Jesus is the ONLY reason for the season!” is a little arrogant and hateful. It also does not represent Christianity in a positive light. I’m using Christians as an example because I’ve never had any other belief or religious group get on to me about saying Happy Holidays (or be offended about my beliefs for that matter). Now not all Christians are like this, but I can’t tell you how many anti-Happy Holidays post I’ve seen out there already. Whether it be on Facebook or out in public. I may even offend some family and friends by writing this, but I’m not ashamed to say I love everyone no matter what they believe.
For me, this time of year is about peace on Earth. It’s about being cordial to people you don’t know. It’s not about how you wish your holiday greetings. It’s not about what you celebrate. This time of year truly is the happiest time of year. It’s a time to put our differences aside and to go back to a simply time, when people would help one another without expecting anything in return. When buying someone a gift was because you genuinely wanted to not because you felt you HAD to. All I ask is, if you catch yourself boasting about your holiday. Take a step back and ask yourself, “Is that what Christmas is about?” I think you’ll find that it’s not.
Here is a link to a few dozen holidays that are celebrated this time of year: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_winter_festivals
