OUR VIEW: A perfect time for 'Merry Christmas'
It isn't an insult, it's a phrase of kindness
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Today is perfect for “Merry Christmas.” Say it to the checkout clerk; the beggar; a colleague or a teacher if you wish. “Merry Christmas” does not say: “I assume you are Christian.” By saying “Merry Christmas,” one is thoughtful and inclusive, wishing cheer to anyone stable enough to accept kind words.
Why is today perfect for this wish? Because it’s the first day since Dec. 12 that it’s not Hanukkah. It’s not Ramadan, and it’s not Kwanzaa. The major holiday our culture celebrates between today and Dec. 26 is Christmas.
For some reason, the ever-so-sensitive intelligentsia tell us that anyone who isn’t Christian could take horrible offense at a Christmas wish. Yet inclusion and the sharing of cultural traditions are part of American life. One mustn’t be Irish Catholic to enjoy St. Patrick’s Day, or African-American to honor Kwanzaa.
Talk radio and some Christian groups have countered “Merry Christmas” attacks by casting “Happy Holidays” as part of a “war on Christmas.”
The whole conflict is mass lunacy. Those who consider “Happy Holidays” an affront to Christians may need help. Likewise, for non-Christians who take “Merry Christmas” as an affront. To react negatively to a Christmas wish is to insult Christians — just as a negative reaction to a Seder invitation could insult Jews, or a harsh reaction to Ramadan traditions could insult Muslims.
Words and phrases have specific meanings. “Happy Holidays” has served as a greeting for ages as we’ve headed into winter holidays. It’s not a conspiracy against Christians, and “Merry Christmas” isn’t insensitive. No sincere well wish is a bad thing. A victim-obsessed culture, which views cheerful words as attacks and insults, is twisted and confused. Special occasions are good. So let’s all straighten up, and have Happy Holidays and a Merry Christmas — no matter what we believe, or how we label ourselves. — Wayne Laugesen, editorial page editor, for the editorial board
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