Happy Holidays

This time, I'm going to tackle something that really, really upsets me. Not that people say 'Happy Holidays'. I'm all for saying 'Happy Holidays' because it takes in everything from Halloween to Valentine's Day. Okay, not quite, but you get my point. It is all-encompassing. What is wrong with an all-encompassing greeting? It's sort of like saying 'Aloha' in Hawaii. It could mean hello, goodbye, and a few other things.

But suddenly, I'm hearing that Christmas is under attack. No, not from the Martians that kidnapped Santa Claus. Actually, I'm not sure who is supposedly attacking Christmas. Perhaps this is yet another attempt to distract the American public from what is really going on in the White House, the war in Iraq, etc. but this is ridiculous. Yes, there have been some issues regarding having nativity scenes on county and/or state property. Yes, the Ten Commandments have been removed from one courthouse. Yes, there is an effort to remove 'under God' from the Pledge of Allegiance and 'In God We Trust' from our money. Those are not, despite what some of the religious right will insist, attacks on Christianity. It's called THE SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE. But the lesson on the U.S. Code (yes, people, the whole issue of freedom of religion and separation of Church and State is found in the United States Code, not in the Constitution) will be for another day. This post is about Christmas and how it is being attacked.

The Catholic Advocacy Group has called for a boycott of Wal-Mart because the chain as supposedly banned Christmas. Now I'm all for a boycott of Wal-Mart if it's for the right reasons. Okay, I admit it ~ I'm all for a boycott of Wal-Mart no matter what the reason. I disagree with boycotting a store just because they try to have some tolerance and understanding that not everyone that goes through their doors celebrates Christmas. When I am leaving a store, I tell the cashier/clerk/whatever 'Happy Holidays'. Don't like it? Tough. If you want to save Christmas, make Jesus Christ the focus of the season, or whatever it is that you want the season to be about, do it in your own home. Tell your family and friends to have a Merry Christmas. Tell the cashier to have a Merry Christmas. Paint "Merry Christmas" across the back window of your car.

But do not declare that Christmas and Christianity are under attack just because not everyone else says "Merry Christmas". If someone doesn't believe that Jesus Christ is their Lord and Savior, and that someone does not believe in celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, than having him or her wish you a Merry Christmas is worth about as much as that envelope from the Publisher's Clearing House declaring that you may just be the next big prize winner. If McDonald's decided to have all of their employees wishing customers 'Happy Kwanzaa' or Sears put 'Happy Chaunakaa' at the top of its catalog, I would understand people being upset. But 'Happy Holidays' is a nice greeting that does not offend anyone.

I still wish my friends and family a Merry Christmas. I put out the nativity in my house. Sometimes, I put up a tree and when I do, I call it a Christmas tree. If I put up lights outside, I call them Christmas lights (if I put up lights inside, I call it 'fire hazard', but that too shall be for another post). I celebrate the birth of Christ in my home and in church; I do not celebrate the birth of Christ in the mall or the retail store, nor do I expect anyone else there to. If you really believe that Christianity and Christmas are under attack, all you have do is keep them alive in your family, your home and most importantly, your own heart. So long as you know why you celebrate Christmas, what difference does it matter what the cashier in Wal-Mart says?