It’s that time of year again. The inboxes are filling up with emails and You Tubes decrying the lack of Christmas spirit. Turns out there are people and stores who don’t say, “Merry Christmas.” They say, “Happy Holidays!” or something similar.
Here are my thoughts on the issue.
It doesn’t bother me.
I don’t expect people who are not celebrating Christmas to wish me a Merry Christmas. I celebrate the Lord’s Day every Sunday but I don’t expect non-Christians to say, “Have a Blessed Lord’s Day,” to me just because I am celebrating that day. I see Christmas the same way. There are people who do not celebrate Christmas. Even some Christians don’t celebrate Christmas. I don’t think it is necessary to force anyone, in a free country, to acknowledge a day they are not celebrating.
As far as stores go, they are just trying to make a profit. They don’t care about Christmas, Hanukkah, or any other holiday unless it affects their bottom line. They are going to say what brings them the most customers. I find it disturbing that stores would think that faking a “Merry Christmas” will get them more shoppers. It seems a pretty good indication of how consumeristic this holiday has become. I don’t believe that boycotting stores that say, “Happy Holidays” and flooding stores that use Merry Christmas in their advertising is going to make Christmas any more religious, any more Christ-centered.
Coercing people into saying, “Merry Christmas,” will not spread the Gospel. I think it is more likely that we will just be forcing people to be pharisaical. We win the culture war. We get everyone in America to say, “Merry Christmas!” What does that mean? Are they all celebrating Christ’s birth now? Are they celebrating the secular holiday with Santa and his reindeer? I’m not sure those arguing for Merry Christmas-only really know what they are fighting for.
I have a better idea. If you celebrate Christ’s birth at Christmas time, why don’t you smile and make a point of not being easily offended? Let the stores do what they want. They are just a reflection of what consumers are buying. You won’t ever find the spirit of Christmas in a store because it cannot be bought or sold. Why don’t we drop the Happy Holiday vs. Merry Christmas war that is really little more than a conflict over appearances and just show Christ’s love and grace? Keep Christ in your own Christmas and stop worrying about how people are greeting you and how stores are advertising to you. Say a heartfelt, “Merry Christmas!” without expecting anything in return. Share the Good News, the expectant hope, the glorious joy.
Whether you say, “Happy Holidays,” or “Merry Christmas,” I’m not getting my Grinch on over it.
Daisy from The Quiet Life
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
That a girl! You tell them.
Well said!
EXACTLY!!!! Happy Hanukkah!
(standing in my chair) BRAVO!!!!! My thoughts exactly!
And I seem to remember before the CHRISTmas wars, receiving “Happy Holidays” and “Seasons Greetings” cards. I don’t think my parents were ever offended or thought that there was an ulterior motive.
The best way to put Christ in people’s faces is to act like Him.
If happy holidays seems to be used in place of Merry Christmas it irks me.
When Happy Holidays is used to mean Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year (and any other holidays that occur between Halloween and Valentines day), I just can’t say all that with my arms loaded down with gift shopping, I appreciate it.
But it isn’t because I’m celebrating a Christ-centered Christmas. As a christian, I am not. My family celebrates Christ every Sunday.
I find it to be an abuse of language and a misguided attempt to sneak in a bit of feigned political correctness in pursuit of money. But it is turned inside out. Customers are buying gifts to celebrate particular holidays and are not so dim witted that they don’t notice when Happy Holidays is only accompanied by a Christmas tree.
“I don’t expect people who are not celebrating Christmas to wish me a Merry Christmas.” Agreed. But I do celebrate it, and I wish plenty of people a Merry Christmas regardless of what THEY celebrate. They in turn, wish me holiday greetings for holidays I don’t particularly follow. That’s okay.
Christmas is a CHRISTIAN holiday, or at least it is to ME. Christians all around the world celebrate the birth of the Savior. I am constantly telling my friends that it’s not a Western thing. It’s a Christian thing.