Merry Christmas vs. Happy Holidays

It's that time of year again, when we all come together is the spirit of peace and good will, to argue about what the season is supposed to be called. So, I thought I might as well weigh in, and I'd like to do so by addressing the folks on both sides of the debate.

First to the people on the "Keep the Christ in Christmas" side of the fence. This is my message to you: Chill out. Yes, this is a time of year to commemorate the birth of Christ, but you (or anyone else, for that matter) are not mandated by the Scriptures to do so. I've read the Gospels pretty extensively, and I don't recall the verse where Jesus says, "Hey guys, don't forget my birthday." If it had been important, we would have been told about it. So if you choose to celebrate your faith this time of year, that's fine. But if someone doesn't believe, what good are you going to do by making them call it Christmas? I seriously doubt you've done anything to advance the Kingdom of God if you succeed in forcing an atheist Old Navy clerk to say Merry Christmas to a Jewish customer. I'm pretty sure Jesus looks at December 25th the same as any other day. And Jesus isn't your grandmother: you can't ignore him 364 days out of the year, show him a little attention on his birthday, and then expect him to be grateful for it.

And now, to the "Non-Religious Winter Season Holiday" crowd. This is my message to you: Chill out. You know what they say, "Jesus is the Reason for the Season". And as cheesy as that looks on the bumper stickers, it's true. Everything that is celebrated this year is either Christmas or a response to it. From what I understand about Hanukkah, it's not exactly a High Holiday on the Jewish calendar. If Jewish parents didn't need something for their kids to do while their Gentile friends were being visited by Santa, it probably wouldn't be so widely celebrated. Kwanzaa is alternative for African Americans who believe that Christmas is a white person's holiday, and want something that aligns with their cultural identity. And those who celebrate in a completely secular fashion are only celebrating because of that "other" holiday that happens to fall at the end of the season. Point is, you don't have to celebrate Christmas; but at the same time, if it wasn't for Christmas you wouldn't be celebrating anything in the first place. So take it easy. When someone says "Merry Christmas", they're not proselytizing , they're not saying that their beliefs are better than yours, and they're not threatening your religious liberties. You have every right to celebrate this season however and for whatever reason you choose. But remember that the reason society does anything at all this time of year is because the Christians were originally celebrating the birth of Jesus. It is what it is.

And why do we have to turn it into a battle anyway? It's the most wonderful time of the year. Kids are happy, families are coming together, and people are more likely to try and help out the less fortunate. Can't we all agree that these are good things, no matter the motivation behind them? I mean, if the season helps to make people better people, for whatever reason, does it really matter what we call the tree? So here's wishing you all Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Joyous Kwanzaa, and a Wonderful Sparkle Season.