Yes, dear readers, it's true, Merry Christmas seems to have won "the War on Christmas." If you remember, 2005 was the year that the Christian right declared that they were doing holy battle against the evil-doers who were waging a War on Christmas. Who were these evil-doers? People like me, and many others who were simply saying "Happy Holidays" to friends and family who do not celebrate Christmas because - well gosh - they aren't Christian! Many retail businesses were also using "Happy Holidays" displays and advertising to attract consumers of all religious beliefs. And many people, myself included, objected to religious displays on public property, such as courthouse lawns.
"JUST SAY MERRY CHRISTMAS" was the rallying cry of the Christian right, and they crusaded mightily against the heathens among us who would object. Separation of church and State - bah humbug!
The 2006 holiday season is upon us - I'm sure you've noticed. And guess what? It looks like Merry Christmas is the winner. Every advertisement by Target stores for a recent major national television program was a Merry Christmas advertisement. "Merry Christmas" ads and banners have sprouted everywhere in retail land. Starbucks is once again selling their Christmas Blend, but try to find a bag of the Holiday Blend and you'll be very disappointed, even though the Starbucks staff will tell you that they're supposed to have the blue bags and labels for the same beans that are in the red bags. A very reliable source at Starbucks tells the following story: a customer asked what the diference is between the coffee in the red Christmas Blend bags and the blue Holiday Blend bags (it seems some stores have the blue bags). The Starbucks person explained that it is the same coffee, just in different bags. "Oh, I get it," replied the customer, "the blue bags are for Jewish people, and the red bags are for Americans!"
Just say "Merry Christmas."
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I grew up in Maywood, Ill in the late 1940's and 1950's. There were still suburbs that had signs as one entered the town, "No dogs, No Jews." And we all remember how the African-Americans (then called "negroes by polite society, and worse by others) were treated.
ReplyDeleteI used to love the beauty of Christmas and was taught to honor the holiday of my Christian friends.
I had to memorize the entire New Testament story of the birth of Jesus as a part of the public school curriculum. It seemed to me with my Yiddish speaking grandparents, Hanukah menorah and Kosher food that I was less of an American than the other kids.
But as I learned that America was a place for all I realized I, the other non-Christians, and other races were as much a citizen as anyone else.
I like to say Merry Christmas to people who celebrate the holiday and am now joyously a part of a very diverse family. But I strongly agree with my husband Paul, the "Just Say Merry Christmas" campaign has been successful. But the success is not one for either the Christian religion which is about the birth of Christ, nor for the country.
The irony for me is that holiday means "holy day," an inclusive term that encompasses the traditions of many religious celebrations during the season. This is really a phony controversy created by the likes of Bill O'Reilly. Too bad, that some fall for it and forget the true meaning of the season "peace and good will for all."
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