Just Say Merry Christmas!
What's wrong with saying Merry Christmas? Why does it have to be a "Holiday Party" when it clearly is a Christmas Party? Why do I keep losing my shoe trees? All these questions will be explored and hopefully answered.
First let me begin by saying that I understand why there has been a fervent switch to Happy Holiday land. We are in a world of fear. Fear of offending people. That's all fine and good but there has to be limits. Let's think about who would be offended by hearing Merry Christmas? Virtually all Americans — 95 percent — say they celebrate Christmas, 4 percent celebrate Hanukkah and 3 percent Kwanzaa (Jordan, you idiot! That's more than 100%! You're stats suck and i stole your shoetrees! Well believe it or not, some people like to celebrate more than 1 holiday. Truth. Now stop stealing my sh*t). Yep, that's right. 95% celebrate Christmas. 95/100 people across America. I'm a Jew and I do not pretend to speak for the rest of my religion but personally I don't feel uncomfortable when someone tells me, "Merry Christmas!" I don't yell back "he's not my lord!" I love Christmas. People are nicer, there's eggnog, presents, large nice smelling trees, pretty lights...i mean, life is good. Lastly, I doubt all this fuss is caused by the 3% of the Kwanza celebrating folk. They seem like a nice folk. So who are the Grinch's out there hatin' on Christmas?
Ironically enough, it's probably the people who celebrate Christmas themselves. They feel guilty for having such a great holiday. They don't want to rub it in our faces. Well, just so you know, we can take it. The Jews have been through a fair amount across the years and we are tough enough to take someone daring to wish us a Merry Christmas.
Last year, three weeks after Hanukah and before Christmas, someone told me "Happy Holidays!" I said thank you but then asked, "which Holidays are you specifically talking about?" There was of course a pause. What could she say? There is only one holiday left! Seems kind of obvious that she's talking about Christmas. It's Christmas season for baby Jesus' sake.
Finally, don't call it a Holiday Party when it clearly is a Christmas Party. Signs that it is a Christmas Party:
1. Mistletoe
2. Eggnog
3. Anything red or green
4. A party around Christmas time
5. A fat guy giving out presents
6. Your Jewish friends call it a Christmas party
7. Your friends call it a non-denominational Hanukkah-Kwanza-Fiesta
The point of all this? Just say Merry Christmas if it's Christmas time. Seems simple enough. At the VERY LEAST, please do not be afraid to say Merry Christmas. Of course I am being very close-minded. Please someone who is offended by calling Christmas Parties, Christmas Parties and people who need to see Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas, leave a comment. Tell me why you are offended. I love learning.
Merry Christmas, Happy belated Hanukkah, and have a Glorious Kwanza (whenever it is celebrated)!
First let me begin by saying that I understand why there has been a fervent switch to Happy Holiday land. We are in a world of fear. Fear of offending people. That's all fine and good but there has to be limits. Let's think about who would be offended by hearing Merry Christmas? Virtually all Americans — 95 percent — say they celebrate Christmas, 4 percent celebrate Hanukkah and 3 percent Kwanzaa (Jordan, you idiot! That's more than 100%! You're stats suck and i stole your shoetrees! Well believe it or not, some people like to celebrate more than 1 holiday. Truth. Now stop stealing my sh*t). Yep, that's right. 95% celebrate Christmas. 95/100 people across America. I'm a Jew and I do not pretend to speak for the rest of my religion but personally I don't feel uncomfortable when someone tells me, "Merry Christmas!" I don't yell back "he's not my lord!" I love Christmas. People are nicer, there's eggnog, presents, large nice smelling trees, pretty lights...i mean, life is good. Lastly, I doubt all this fuss is caused by the 3% of the Kwanza celebrating folk. They seem like a nice folk. So who are the Grinch's out there hatin' on Christmas?
Ironically enough, it's probably the people who celebrate Christmas themselves. They feel guilty for having such a great holiday. They don't want to rub it in our faces. Well, just so you know, we can take it. The Jews have been through a fair amount across the years and we are tough enough to take someone daring to wish us a Merry Christmas.
Last year, three weeks after Hanukah and before Christmas, someone told me "Happy Holidays!" I said thank you but then asked, "which Holidays are you specifically talking about?" There was of course a pause. What could she say? There is only one holiday left! Seems kind of obvious that she's talking about Christmas. It's Christmas season for baby Jesus' sake.
Finally, don't call it a Holiday Party when it clearly is a Christmas Party. Signs that it is a Christmas Party:
1. Mistletoe
2. Eggnog
3. Anything red or green
4. A party around Christmas time
5. A fat guy giving out presents
6. Your Jewish friends call it a Christmas party
7. Your friends call it a non-denominational Hanukkah-Kwanza-Fiesta
The point of all this? Just say Merry Christmas if it's Christmas time. Seems simple enough. At the VERY LEAST, please do not be afraid to say Merry Christmas. Of course I am being very close-minded. Please someone who is offended by calling Christmas Parties, Christmas Parties and people who need to see Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas, leave a comment. Tell me why you are offended. I love learning.
Merry Christmas, Happy belated Hanukkah, and have a Glorious Kwanza (whenever it is celebrated)!
posted by Jordan Grant at 8:04 PM
2 Comments:
A response I received:
Okay - brace yourself - I don't like your piece. I think it completely oversimplifies what is in fact an interesting sociological question - is it "rude" to wish people a happy holiday that isn't "their" holiday. It's the ultimate question of ethics about manners - can THE MOST well intentioned greeting - a holiday greeting (maybe even accompanied by an expensive party, for their benefit), be considered RUDE?
We live in a society not only bounded by fear, but also garnered with ideas about the proper way to respect friends, family, neighbors etc. I think that wishing someone Merry Christmas if they are Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Sikh etc, is not "offensive" or even "rude" per se, but it can certainly make them feel comfortable.
Your article was very black and white - literally. Where are the Indians? The Pakistanis? The Chinese? You made it seem like it's just about the Jews and the Christians! In most of America, (or in Middle America you might say) where almost everyone is Christian, saying Merry Christmas probably IS the norm, and no one cares. But you and I, as members of metropolitan communities, know that only a certain (and in my case, very small) percentage of our friends/acquaintances are Christian, and therefore, Happy Holidays is simply more appropriate and inclusive. Just a fun fact - met my [job omitted] colleagues this weekend in [city omitted]. Out of the 25 or so women, I was one of 5 that were white.
So, sorry if it seems like I've shot you right between the eyes on this piece. I wouldn't do it if I didn't know you could handle it, and if I didn't like you so much.
My response:
First off, I love your response. I completely agree with 99% of what you said—unfortunately your conclusion resides in that last 1%.
To answer your first question: can THE MOST well intentioned greeting - a holiday greeting (maybe even accompanied by an expensive party, for their benefit), be considered RUDE?
Can it be? Sure. But I would love to talk to a Jew, Muslim, Buddhist who became offended when someone wished them wholeheartedly a “Merry Christmas!” Furthermore, if I moved to New Delhi during Navratri season (largest holiday in Hinduism), I would not be shocked nor offended if they wished me a Happy or Merry Navratri (in Hindi of course since that is the national language). I won’t get into the whole “this is a Christian country” talk but I will say with darn near certainty that this is a “Christmas celebrating country” (95% of America would agree with me).
Now in Los Angeles and New York it is easy to think that America is one big, happy Melting Pot (they say Salad Bowl now though since Melting Pot means that their culture is melted down and mixed rather than be whole yet all still be in a happy Bowl). The truth is there are a fair amount of America in between New York and LA. In the end, I feel the stat speaks for itself: 95% of AMERICA celebrates Christmas. That means that only 5% of the people in America could possibly be offended by someone wishing them a Merry Christmas or attending a Christmas party. I cannot believe that that 5% are offended. They are in America. A place where 95% of people celebrate Christmas. I think a reasonable expectation would be, “I’m moving to a country where I am a shockingly small minority and thus they may not take all of my former countries beliefs/holidays into account.” Fair assumption.
I don’t like making people feel uncomfortable. Honestly, I don’t. But the whole point of my article was to show that there are limits to the fear of offending people. It also was to show that we are forgetting about the most important people in this whole debate: The people who actually celebrate Christmas!! Is it fair that during their holiday we make them be fearful to wish someone a Merry Christmas? “Uh oh, that person may be in the minute 5% who don’t celebrate Christmas so I better not risk it!” 95% celebrate Christmas.
Final point, I am not suggesting to go running around and slapping people in the face with “Merry Christmas” and “I love Jesus” stickers. Yes, you always want to be respectful. But in a random passing if you only have enough time to say one thing, it is around Christmas time, and the person is not spinning a dreidel while getting Bar Mitzvah’ed, I feel it is fine to wish that person a Merry Christmas.
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