One of my stepsons works at a pizza shop. Today he discovered that he didn’t like greeting customers with “Happy Holidays” because it feels coerced and politically correct, so he spent the last two hours of his shift using the “Merry Christmas” salutation. I asked if anyone had instructed him to use “Happy Holidays.” No one had.
So, I asked him another question. I told him to imagine that he visited a Jewish delicatessen on the day before Yom Kippur. Then I asked him if he would be offended if someone wished him a good Yom Kippur as they handed him his pastrami sandwich. He said that he obviously would not be offended.
The truth is, he was imposing political correctness on himself. He was imagining that people might be offended by being wished a Merry Christmas, when that is almost never going to be the case.
Yet, it is rude to knowingly ignore someone’s religious background. You ought not to wish a happy Eid al-Fitr to a person who you know is not a Muslim. Likewise, “Happy Holidays” is more appropriate than “Merry Christmas” for a person you know to be a Jew. Still, very few people get upset by what they have every right to consider an honest mistake.
The “War on Christmas” is imaginary. And, in blue states, Santa is whatever you want him to be.
Fox News host Megyn Kelly drew strong criticism recently for declaring on air that Santa and Jesus Christ are white. She was reacting to an article by Slate called, “Santa Claus Should Not be a White Man Anymore.”
“When I saw this headline, I kinda laughed and I said, ‘Oh, this is ridiculous. Yet another person claiming it’s racist to have a white Santa.’ And by the way, for all you kids watching at home, Santa just is white,” Kelly said on Fox News.
Macy’s flagship store in New York, in what appears to be a response, dismissed that claim by arranging the option for customers to request a black Santa with whom they could take pictures.
“Santa is all things to all who believe,” Macy’s said, according to New York’s CBS affiliate.
The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) also challenged efforts to tamp down Christmas greetings this year.
“Happy Holidays is what liberals say,” was printed onto a t-shirt the committee said they sold out of on Black Friday weekend. The NRCC subsequently introduced a mug with the same phrase in its online store.
Republicans are very sad and ridiculous people.
Happy Holidays.
Merry Christmas.
I am not Christian. But – unless it’s coming from a Tea Partier trying to make a point about his awful oppression – I react to “happy holidays” or “merry Christmas” exactly the same – it’s a festive season, with time off work or school, for pretty much everyone in this country. If someone wishes me enjoyment during the time, why would I be offended either way?
But then, this is the tribe that got apoplectic because the President of the United States took a selfie. Conservatives get angry about the most meaningless things.
The Orange Man’s got it covered:
http://www.thepeoplesview.net/2013/12/john-boehner-joins-war-on-christmas.html
I hope this isn’t huge:
Oh, ME LIKEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE THAT!!!!!
I especially liked the “Happy New Year”.
Could not agree more!
HAVE A MERRY… HAPPY… whatever floats your boat… TO ONE AND ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The only people who really make an issue about this are political wonks & pundits in a slow news cycle. When I say political pundits, I am talking both sides. No one truly cares except a few strays who just want to be crabby at something and this is instigated by the political classes of this country.
And we all lived peacefully together disagreeing on a few issues.
THE END
I said “Merry Christmas” to a young co-worker that I know to be Muslim whose parents are Palestinians (he was born in Texas). He smiled and said “Merry Christmas” back to me. I also said “Merry Christmas” to a co-worker that I know to be a Hindu. He smiled broadly and said “Merry Christmas” in return.
Yeah, the Republicans haven’t got anything legitimate to bitch about, so they fire up their followers with religious bullshit and hope it makes them look like the Good Guys.
It makes them look like spoiled, attention-seeking toddlers.
I would like to wish everyone here a very wonderful holiday-of-your-own-choosing with a heaping helping of Happy New Year, too. I love to come to Booman’s place every day and see the bright, shiny comments from the readers.
Thanks!
Thank you, Donnah! Likewise, plus have a belated Merry Festival of the Undying Sun.
As Pancho Claus says, “Fleas Naughty Dog!”
I think I have that right…
I usually just say happy holidays because it includes all special days, including New Years. And no one other than Fox News devotees is offended.
When lunatics rage about the “War on Christmas”, what they are complaining about is a lack of hegemony: complete cultural, racial, and political dominance. That is all it was, is, and ever will be.
This.
Their rationale, whether they know it or not, is that it’s offensive to them that you don’t do the same exact thing as they do.
That’s literally their reason for being so enraged about this.
Want to know who is waging a war on the spirit of Christmas?
The people who have totally commercialized it.
But those are the good guys to the enraged lunatics.
Fucking Walmart and Best Buy are the good guys.
But the people being nice to you are the enemy.
They’re lost.
And to you Booman and Cabin Girl and your son and your extended family and to pond dwellers everywhere, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays at your house. ps. I love this place.
And a very merry whatever-the-heck-you-want to all!
The little anecdote about your stepson underscores the incredible power of the right wing propaganda machine and its narratives. Even those of us who understand in depth what they are doing and what is wrong with their arguments are still influences subconsciously by their framing of the issues.
This is why most young women who believe strongly in equality feel the need to include the caveat “I’m not a feminist” when speaking about women’s issues. The demonizing of feminists has been incredibly effective in knee-capping the equality movement.
It’s why those who aren’t that hooked into politics believe shit like “Fox is conservative and CNN is liberal”. I’ve heard this from very smart people who lean left.
It’s why most people doubt global warming (see recent study on the population in the UK) and only a minority support universal health care.
I am not offended at all when anyone wishes me happiness or merriness, or joy, or anything else positive at any time or for any reason.
Having said that, the a couple of days ago during check-out at Trader Joe’s the clerk asked me if I had finished my “Christmas shopping”. Not offended, I smiled and replied that I don’t do Christmas shopping, so the answer was “no”. She seemed quite concerned, and pursued the questioning, leading up to my saying point blank that I do not celebrate Christmas, to which she responded with a rather concerned “Oh – why? Don’t you have family or friends to celebrate with?” I still wasn’t offended, but rather surprised that she would come to that question rather than at least suspecting that I am not Christian, but rather Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, secular, atheist, or one of hundreds of other non-Christian possibilities. Her naivete in this day and age was kind of fascinating.
And a simple “have a lovely Christmas” or “enjoy the holidays” would have avoided the whole thing. On the other hand, it would have been way less interesting.
I’m not sure how I would have reacted to that. I connect “Christmas shopping” with the secular commercialization of the holiday so I suppose I have every right to be as offended as a non-Christian. More likely though I would have realized the context of the situation and humored the clerk with the inanities of shopping-related small talk.
No doubt your exchange proved educational to her.
I, too, find “Christmas shopping” and the whole high-pressure-filled, months-long preparation to be a complete disconnect from the ostensible reason for the holiday, and am pretty offended by it on a completely non-religious level.
We used to celebrate Christmas as a secular family-and-friends holiday, and parts of that were nice. However, I finally lost interest in spending that many weeks under that kind of pressure, and gradually scaled back. Now I don’t even buy presents for the kids in the family because they already have more stuff than they know what to do with anyway.
Tonight I am joining a Jewish friend for this.
http://www.koshercomedy.com/
So, a Jew and an Arab walk into a Chinese restaurant on Christmas…
More people should celebrate ORTHODOX CHRISTMAS, so they have more time to do their shopping, and get in on the after-Christmas sales.
Here in the Soviet of Massachusetts I normally reply “Sol Invictus” to all the greetings of Happy/Merry/…
For the most part, everyone assumes I’m Catholic and its Latin for something to do Jesus rising.
Except for the priest who laughed out loud, said “wrong son” and kept on walking.
I use the two expressions interchangeably because I hope that everyone is both merry and happy every day.
I like Clement Moore’s usage best: “Happy Christmas to all”.
Happy Christmas Booman, and to everyone here at the frog pond. I’m spending the holiday visiting family so I’m in beautiful Ventura CA, looking at the ocean while I waste time before going to my sister’s for dinner.
Man, you’ve got me “California Dreaming” on this cold wet sloppy frozen Chicago day.
When I used to travel for the Navy, I’d meet ex-Chicagoans in California that told me “we miss the snow”. I’d smile thinking,”Yeah Right!” I now think they were sincere, but just forgot how miserable snow really is.