Season's Greetings?
By Lynne Bell
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ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ So here's the deal: Even though we live in a world where medieval barbarism is indiscriminately unleashed upon the innocent, where racism still rears its ugly head and where (especially in this area,Μύ this year) job losses andΜύ economic uncertainty are affecting so many people, why, oh why do we still insist on arguing about a simple greeting during what is supposed to be the season of peace and goodwill?
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Every year, this debate surfaces (I'm looking at you, Facebook), and every year it remains unresolved, ready to resurface just in time for next year's Christmas season, because-according to the Holy Bible, no less-we insist upon honouring the letter of the law, rather than the spirit of the law.
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ If we greet someone in the spirit of seasonal goodwill or if we receive a greeting wishing us well, does it really matter if the greeting is 'Merry Christmas' or something else?
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ In modern parlance, I self-identify as a Christian (see: work in progress). And I wholeheartedly disagree with the watering down of Christmas (for those of us who celebrate it), but I also think it shouldn't be used as a tool in the us versus them wars, simply because that is not in keeping with the true spirit of the season. Nor does it reflect well on the guy whose birth we Christians are supposed to be celebrating...
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ As someone who has spent a few Christmases in the belly of the seasonal beast-both as a shopper and as a retail employee-I've witnessed both sides of this debate firsthand, as I'm sure most of us have.
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ There's the lady I saw who kindly wished a harried cashier a 'Merry Christmas' and in return, received a sharp rebuke regarding the store staffer's spiritual leanings, accompanied by a touching sermonette on tolerance (oh, the irony...). And on the other side, I've also seen a smiling someone wish a fellow shopper 'Happy Holidays' only to receive a lecture about the greeter's lack of Christmas spirit (more irony)...
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ I agree that currently, our culture seems to be overrun by grievance collectors ready to take offence at the slightest (usually unintentional) provocation. But does this mean we should join them? I don't think so. And once again, it's because the guy whose birth we're honouring gave us an example that's better than that.
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ As we're all struggling and stumbling through this world-and Christmas season- together, why don't we all cut each other some seasonal slack and assume the best of each others' greetings and good wishes?
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ ΜύSo in that spirit, I wish you all a Merry Christmas and/or Happy Holidays-but most of all, βon earth peace and good will toward men.β (Luke 2:14).
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ And please, let's assume that St. Luke meant women and children, too!
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Merry Christmas
By Kelly Running
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ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Itβs that time of year again, do we say βMerry Christmas,β βHappy Holidays,β or simply avoid any allusions to it being Christmas time at all?
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Well, my question to you is this, even if you donβt celebrate Christmas, how is it offensive for someone to wish you good tidings for the season by saying Merry Christmas?
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Theyβre wishing you well. Maybe youβre an atheist, Muslim, or are Jewish, but regardless of your religion or lack-there-of how is it insulting for someone to wish you merriment?
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Canada was founded as a Christian country, the British were mostly Anglican and the French were mostly Catholics, while Protestants dotted the landscape as well, but the majority of people this nation was founded upon were Christian.
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Today our holidays surround Christian holy days and this includes Christmas. What days off do most people have in December? Christmas Day. So, by saying Happy Holidays people are referring to Christmas anyways - which if weβre being picky holiday is actually a contraction of βholy dayβ so thatβs inappropriate as well if Christmas is inappropriate.
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ If someone were in the spirit of the season and wished me a Happy Hanukkah would I be offended? Not in the least, they were wishing me well during a time that is important to them. The same as Christmas greetings, people are simply wishing each other well during an important time for them. Whether theyβre a Santa-focused Christmas group, a religious-focused Christmas group, or if they are focused on Christmas being a time of giving, theyβre simply wishing you merriment.
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Since, merriment is the message being spread, how then can Merry Christmas be considered offensive? Unless, that is, youβre against people wishing joy to the world specifically in December.
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ So, to everyone out there this holiday season, Merry Christmas, I wish you a wonderful month and good tidings in the New Year.
