I guess it's that time of year again; time to pull out my holiday soapbox.Look, for the record (again), the phrase "Happy Holidays" is meant (in most cases) to be an all-inclusive wish for good tidings.
It's not meant to diminish or insult whatever specific holiday you, personally, choose to celebrate, okay?
Seriously, how freakin' sensitive do you have to be to get offended by "Happy Holidays"?!
And yet, there are those who are annoyed to the point of shrillness if - heaven forfend - someone should offer them a greeting or well-wish for a holiday they don't personally celebrate.
Really? It's such a brutal offense to your sensibilities to be wished a Happy holiday x just because you celebrate holiday y?
I've actually seen people respond to a perfectly cheerful "Happy Holidays" with a snide and venomous "Merry Christmas" hissed through clenched teeth like a curse rather than a blessing.
Really? That's your idea of holiday spirit, peace on earth, brotherly love and all that jazz?
Sheesh. Seriously, get over it.
Personally, I can’t imagine taking offense at any well-intentioned holiday wishes: Happy Chanukah, Merry Christmas, Happy Kwaanza, Happy Solstice, Blessed Yule, Happy Bodhi Day, Merry Giftmas, Happy Festivus or even the all-inclusive Happy Holidays that everyone seems to so revile – I just take them as I believe them to be meant – a show of fellowship, a wish for happiness.
Goodness knows most of us spend precious little time wishing each other good tidings the other 11 months of the year. So I choose not to begrudge someone the assumption that I celebrate the same holiday they do.
I choose instead to just accept and be thankful for the sentiment in any form.
So, Happy Chrismahanakwanzayulstice to you and yours, no matter what holiday, if any, you choose to celebrate.
Cheers,
Zen
If there is to be peace in the world,
There must be peace in the nations.
If there is to be peace in the nations,
There must be peace in the cities.
If there is to be peace in the cities,
There must be peace between neighbors.
If there is to be peace between neighbors,
There must be peace in the home.
If there is to be peace in the home,
There must be peace in the heart.
~ Lao-Tzu
Cheers!!
ReplyDelete"Merry Giftmas"... OMG I love it!
Okay, I'll admit I'm secretly hoping I'll remember it when someone says "Merry Christmas" to me, but I probably won't. Funny, tho.
I've also enjoyed the thought of making a t-shirt that says "Cookies are the reason for the season."
Sometimes I like to amuse myself. And the thought of provoking sheeple does the trick every time!
I am onboard the ZenMom Express when it comes to this topic. I'm wishing you a HAPPY whatever it is and you can't just smile and say thanks? Save your righteous indignation for something important like... um... whatever's going on with Carrie Prejean this week.
ReplyDeletewell said that woman!
ReplyDeleteYES.
ReplyDeleteI did a similar post recently. It's amazing how people's shorts get all in a bunch over a well-intentioned greeting!
I'm on the fence with this one. On one hand, I don't care at all if someone wishes me a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, whatever. But the anti-PC part of me gets irritated when businesses and organizations refuse to use the phrase "Merry Christmas" for fear of alienating or insulting someone. It's a Holiday Tree? Really? No, it's a freakin' Christmas tree, call it what it is.
ReplyDeleteHappy Chrismahanakwanzayulstice to you to!
Couldn't agree more. People who are offended by what I say can go stick it as far as I'm concerned. Once in a while I can be convinced a complaint is legitimate. However, usually, like you say, it's just over sensitive pansies.
ReplyDeleteMerry Holidays to you as well.
ReplyDeleteI hear ya! Simply love the Lao-Tze quote.
ReplyDeleteSee, for me the Happy Holidays thing pisses me off because somewhere along the line it became "Not OK" to acknowledge what YOU celebrate.
ReplyDeleteIf someone wished me a Happy Channukah, or whatever, I wouldn't be offended, yet somehow Merry Christmas got this horrible rap and now you can't even see a fucking Santa in a public school classroom.
Who are these people that are getting all offended. I don't know of any Jew (myself included) who gets outraged at "Merry Christmas" let alone "Happy Holidays."
ReplyDeleteSeriously, I have a hard enough time keeping track of when Hanukkah is year after year to expect anyone who isn't Jewish to know when is the best time to wish me "Happy Hanukkah".
If anyone gives me attitude if I wish them happy holidays or whatever, I will gladly replace it with "well, fuck off then."
Like most things I think the zealots on both sides have ruined this for everyone. Certainly as a white male, I don't really know what it's like to be marginalized. I suspect many of the people who get offended overreact, but by the same token the fact that the WASP faction gets so up in arms over NOT being able to say it validates it's importance and lends strength to the argument that those marginalized by it should be offended.
ReplyDeleteFor me it all comes down to intent. If you're wishing my happy Kwanzaa cause you genuinely wish me well, then thank you. If you do it to point out your different and to assert your rejection of my value system, then fuck you. Trick is knowing which is which.
Soooooo agree
ReplyDeleteThere are a lot of people that take things (and themselves) far too seriously.
ReplyDeleteHi Mom,
ReplyDeleteYour review is up at AAYSR.
I'm just glad you saw fit to include Festivus, otherwise I might not be able to continue following you.
ReplyDeleteSome people just need things to be angry about. They obviously do not have the in-laws I do, or they would not have to look that far.
I kid because I love.
I love it! And so very very true!
ReplyDeleteI love that you came out of the closet btw! :)
Right on, Zen Mom! Commenters who are still irritated because they don't like the assumed motives of someone else, I feel sorry that you can't get past that, let it slid and enjoy the season your own way. Have some holiday cheer or the spirit of your choice.
ReplyDeletevisiting from AASYR... you should have kept all your stars. you won my heart with the Lao Tzu...
ReplyDeleteMerry Giftmas to you (I'm totally stealing that.)
I always say this: Live and let live.
ReplyDeleteIt's a surprise how people have become so sensitive on such a happy and joyous time.
Merry Christmas got this horrible rap and now you can't even see a fucking Santa in a public school classroom.
ReplyDeleteSanta doesn't belong in the classroom, at least not in public school.
But then again I don't want any religion in public schools. I wrote a post about saying Happy Holidays a few years back and received threats for it.
I tend to use Happy Holidays as standard greeting 'cuz I like being inclusive. That way I am covered.