Recently, an old friend expressed to me her displeasure with the use of the term 'Happy Holidays' instead of the more familiar 'Merry Christmas' invocation. The following is my heartfelt response to her concern and to all those who are plagued with what they might consider to be the imposition of an inordinate amount of 'political correctness' during this festive season.
In the wonderful multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, and multi-religious country of the United States of America it will be 'Merry Christmas' for some and 'Happy Holidays' for others. Let's start embracing the concept of 'both/and' and stop thinking in terms of 'either/or'. The values of respect for diversity, genuine inclusiveness, and acceptance of our naturally evolving human landscape gives us all the opportunity to joyfully embrace the entire American family. The December holiday season is celebrated in a variety of ways, especially as we, as a nation, are becoming more diverse. Another aspect to consider is the value of opening our collective, Christian hearts to recognize and appreciate the richness of our different attitudes, customs, and ways in which we all honor the Divine. To do so is not an expression of political correctness but rather an expression of compassion, love, and our common humanity. I honor my Christian roots by joyfully celebrating the birth of one of the greatest prophets the world has ever seen and happily declare 'Merry Christmas'. While I don't especially like the idea of X-ing out 'Christ' with the rather insipid pronouncement of 'Merry/Happy Xmas', I also appreciate and recognize the wide range of spiritual traditions better expressed by a simple wish of 'happy holidays'. One does not preclude the validity or existence of the other. Again, it's a 'both/and' proposition. I have a strong feeling that JC would want it that way!
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