It’s better to be politically correct these days
It just makes sense to say “Happy Holidays” this time of year.
Saying “Merry Christmas” excludes other holidays, such as Thanksgiving, New Year’s Day, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Festivus and winter solstice celebrations. Why not just incorporate all of them into one phrase? No, not “Merry Chrismakwanzaa;” “Happy Holidays!”
I’m not totally against saying “Merry Christmas,” if it is Christmas day and you are positive your Yule tidings fall on Christmas-celebrating ears, but it is mighty ethnocentric to assume that everyone celebrates Christmas.
Fifty years ago, things were simpler. Americans lacked a sense of political correctness and cultural sensitivity. These days, you say the wrong thing to the wrong person and you are slapped with a lawsuit before you can finish talking. People won’t prosecute you for wishing them a Merry Christmas, but looks are sometimes worse than legal action.
Some people might not like having something with a religious connotation thrown in their faces. “Happy Holidays” says it all without saying the wrong thing. Think about how many businesses and public relations entities approach the matter. Some places can’t have anything as symbolic as a Christmas tree displayed because, quite frankly, some people could get pissed off and feel oppressed. Just think of how weird you feel when you are being pressured to accept someone else’s beliefs. It’s not right.
Another matter that ruffles my goose feathers is that it seems like many of the traditions that Christmas was founded on have died. Caroling, baking goodies for your neighbors, taking a moment to respect the Holy Spirit and giving selflessly have all passed into the depths of time.
Christmas has become the most commercialized holiday and is now a sickeningly selfish American consumer frenzy. It’s sadly more about receiving than giving, and I really don’t think Jesus would be cool with that if he was still around.
Even the beginnings of Christmas are under speculation.
“No one knows what day Jesus Christ was born on. The answer lies in the pagan origins of Christmas,” reads www.essortment.com. “In ancient Babylon, the feast of the Son of Isis (Goddess of Nature) was celebrated on December 25. Raucous partying, gluttonous eating and drinking, and gift-giving were traditions of this feast.” The Romans integrated these festivities into Christmas, so really when you say “Merry Christmas,” you are partially referring to history older than Jesus.
People say this is the season for peace on Earth and good will toward men. Why can’t that happen the entire year instead of a few weeks in December? Like the great Elvis Presley sang, “If every day could be just like Christmas, what a wonderful world this would be.” That is, if Christmas hadn’t turned into such a whirlwind of materialism.
Don’t get me wrong, I celebrate Christmas with my family and enjoy every moment of it. I love getting into the spirit, putting up lights and singing those classic, heartwarming holiday melodies. I just know that other people in the world celebrate the season differently or not at all, and I respect that.
I am not a humbug. I wish a Merry Christmas to all who accept it, and Happy Holidays to everyone. It’s sad to think that wishing someone a Merry Christmas could offend, but that’s just the way it is now.
Thank you corporate consumerism and political correctness, you have finally
ruined Christmas.
Opinions expressed in editorial and opinion articles are the views of individual NIC students. These views do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Sentinel, North Idaho College, or any other organizations or groups there-in. North Idaho College is not responsible for the accuracy of statements or opinions shared.
