Thursday, December 22, 2005
holiday self-consciousness
so has anyone else this year felt weird about saying Merry Christmas to people? i have been saying 'happy holidays' instead. i don't know if this is my response to people making such a big stink in washington about merry christmas vs the other religious holidays that fall at this time of year. or if i am just more conscious that not everyone celebrates christmas. and even some of those who do celebrate christmas sure don't celebrate it as a christian holiday. just something else to think about.
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6 comments:
I like "happy holidays" because it does include the non-Christians but also because it includes the New Year's Eve/Day festivities. I've always been a "Happy Holidays" (versus "Merry Christmas") girl but maybe that has to do with not being Christian! : )
we went out to dinner last night, and i noticed that the waiter said "merry christmas" to the table next to us, and "happy holidays" to us. i wondered if he assumed dave is jewish (which he is).
for the past couple of years, i've avoided "merry christmas" for the more inclusive "happy holidays," as well, on our christmas cards. a lot of my family is very (christian) religious, but a lot of our friends are not very religious, so it kind of catches all.
also ... we bought little holiday gifts for our neighbors, but made sure to find something with snowmen, instead of santa, just in case. it's funny, because i wouldn't be offended (in fact, it i'd probably think it's nice) if someone wished me "happy hannukah," but i don't want to risk hurting someone's feelings. maybe you're right... might be a little over-sensitive. :)
good question!
(oh, and thank you for the beautiful "holiday" card! you look great in that photo!)
I agree that everyone is a bit sensitive this year. Again, I don't mind Merry Christmas, and wouldn't necessarily be offended, but I prefer happy holidays because it is all-inclusive. Gosh, and I am not religous at all...imagine what a "real" Jew would feel about the Merry Christmas thing! (This is ironic coming from a girl who is spending tomorrow Christmas shopping with a brood of Catholics, attending midnight mass tomorrow night AND eating Christmas dinner (and exchanging presents) on Sunday.) Oh, and I forgot to mention the Christmas tree decorating our front window. However, we are an equal opportunity house because Casey insisted on putting my Menorah in the front window!
we did a story today about a local minister who is a converted jew. he celebrates both christmas and hannukah and calls it Merry Chrismukah. and preaches on the hannukah story in his christmas service. personally i think encorporating other traditions makes it a richer holiday spiritually since i seem to be fiscally poorer at the end of it.
I say Happy Holidays usually because I want to include everyone and yes, I like Erica, am also referring to the New Year. And I do the same thing as Jen with the Snowman or whatever. Even on the stickers i sealed our "holiday" cards with I made sure my Jewish friends didn't get a Santa. I don't mind people wishing me a Merry Christmas. I just prefer to do the HH as to include everyone.
i think we all should just shorten it to "HH." :-)
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