I can’t find my keys either.
Somebody (I forget who) had a visitor to their blog who said in comments that they disliked the greeting, “Happy Holidays,” instead preferring the perfectly innocuous alternative, “Merry Christmas.“ I don’t disagree; it just got me thinking.
Both, in my years as a Christian and now as an atheist, I’ve always used “Merry Christmas” as a greeting with those that observe Christmas; and I’ve used “Happy Holidays” with those that didn’t, or with people I didn’t know well. While I’ve never taken the time to draw up a position paper on this apparently vital matter, my casual reasoning has always been that it’s just kinda nicer, more polite, or more considerate, to avoid the assumption that everyone celebrates Christmas. That’s it. Pretty simple.
Things have changed, haven’t they?
You’d think, in wishing someone “Happy Holidays,” I was setting the Flag of This Great Country afire. The last couple of times I’ve assaulted someone with HH (I’ll both abreviate and whisper it from now on so as not to continue offending your eyes), I’ve had the sanctified version, “Merry CHRISTmas” spit back at me. And, with a sternness and slight nod of the head that let me know that I’ve. been. corrected.
Not very Christmassy.
It’s starting to make me cranky.
