Every December for quite some time now, there has been a hubbub about the expression "Happy Holidays" taking the place of "Merry Christmas," with some people suggesting that there is a "war on Christmas" (http://www.smudailycampus.com/opinion/the-war-on-christmas-resurfaces-1.2962580#.UL1LeeTAdc0).
This is also the time of year when I have to admit to knowing absolutely nothing substantive about Hanukkah or Kwanzaa. I know even less about Yule, a December Solstice holiday celebrated by my friends in the Pagan community.
This is also the time of year when I have to admit to knowing absolutely nothing substantive about Hanukkah or Kwanzaa. I know even less about Yule, a December Solstice holiday celebrated by my friends in the Pagan community.
As with most things, I am of two minds on this. As someone who went to a Catholic school and church from kindergarten through my senior year of high school, I celebrate Christmas, as does almost everyone whom I know in person. Some of my former co-workers celebrated Hanukkah, complete with a ham, but I have never met anyone who has spoken of celebrating Kwanzaa. My aforementioned Pagan friends are people whom I have met on the internet who share a mutual interest in an otherwise non-religious niche community. Given the "Great American Melting Pot," however, it would be the height of hubris for me to restrict my greetings to my own traditions. The Huffington Post provides a partial list of religious holidays here. Simply put, Christianity is not the only show in town, and forcing it upon others more than we already do, with our television specials and light-strewn city streets, is just rude, in my opinion.
That said, if a city or other entity (such as a company) holds a ceremony during which an evergreen tree is lit, that is a Christmas tree. You can call it whatever you want, but everybody knows that it is a Christmas tree. Your local shopping mall might have any number of "holiday" decorations (and my guess is that they will be silver and gold, not blue and white or black, red, and green - the traditional colors of Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, respectively), but the tree is a Christmas tree and the jolly old soul in the red suit is Santa Claus. These are symbols of Christmas, and there are no two ways around that. Calling the evergreen a "holiday tree" insults everyone's intelligence.
So, when I wish a Christian stranger "Happy Holidays," it is not because I don't respect his Christianity. It is because I don't know what his beliefs are, and I do not want to impose mine upon him. If he says "Oh... I celebrate Christmas," then I talk about Christmas. If he says "Oh... I celebrate Hanukkah," then we talk about Hanukkah. Those will be two different conversations, of course, because I will put the second man into the role of representative and teacher, but that will help me to grow.
One of my friends posted a photo on Facebook earlier this week. It was one of those things with the arrow pointing to the person's name, and the wording "This person...." It went on to say "...say 'Merry Christmas. Get over it." That is, in my opinion, inconsistent with the overall message of Christmas - and of love in general, and I would encourage anyone thinking to follow in my friend's keyboard strokes to reconsider.
I don't want to take away Christmas from you or from anyone else. I just want you to know that, whatever you celebrate, I hope it is happy.
 |
| Kwanzaa http://www.dianasdesserts.com/... |
That said, if a city or other entity (such as a company) holds a ceremony during which an evergreen tree is lit, that is a Christmas tree. You can call it whatever you want, but everybody knows that it is a Christmas tree. Your local shopping mall might have any number of "holiday" decorations (and my guess is that they will be silver and gold, not blue and white or black, red, and green - the traditional colors of Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, respectively), but the tree is a Christmas tree and the jolly old soul in the red suit is Santa Claus. These are symbols of Christmas, and there are no two ways around that. Calling the evergreen a "holiday tree" insults everyone's intelligence.
 |
| Yule http://authorlauradeluca.blogspot.com... |
One of my friends posted a photo on Facebook earlier this week. It was one of those things with the arrow pointing to the person's name, and the wording "This person...." It went on to say "...say 'Merry Christmas. Get over it." That is, in my opinion, inconsistent with the overall message of Christmas - and of love in general, and I would encourage anyone thinking to follow in my friend's keyboard strokes to reconsider.
I don't want to take away Christmas from you or from anyone else. I just want you to know that, whatever you celebrate, I hope it is happy.
 |
| Christmas http://www.kpbs.org/photos/galleries/2009/nov/23/radio-city-christmas-spectacular-staring-rockettes/
In 2012....
Hanukkah begins in the evening on Saturday, December 8, and ends on the evening of Sunday, December 16. Yule is on Friday, December 21. Christmas Day is Tuesday, December 25. Kwanzaa begins on Wednesday, December 26 and ends on Tuesday, January 1, 2013. |
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