It’s that time of year again; holidays. Always the controversy over whether to say Happy Holidays, or Merry Christmas. Don’t forget you also have Happy Hanukkah, and Merry or Happy Yule. Some of us tend to be over sensitive, thinking others will be offended if we wish them the wrong holiday, so we tend to use the generic Happy Holidays. Yet others will wish you a Merry Christmas and be offended if you wish them Happy Holidays.
You are probably thinking yeah so what is your point? Or maybe, I also wish people a Merry Christmas because people need to keep Christ in Christmas so get to the point already; or something similar.
Well my point is, we all believe in the same thing just in different ways. We need to be respectful of the other person. How you might ask? Well don’t get all bunged up when someone wishes you the wrong holiday. I have a co-worker who’ll wish a Merry Christmas no matter what as it’s the spirit of the season. We both agreed, in the end, we all believe in about the same thing just in different ways.
For example, Hanukkah is also known as the Festival of Lights. The story of how a days worth of oil lasted eight days is often told depending on the tradition. Yule is the celebration of the end of darkness and the beginning of light along with the rebirth of the God to the Goddess. Christmas in the Christian faiths is the birth of their savior; also known or referred to as The Light.
So you see, three of the major religions, in their own way, are celebrating the rebirth of light. A typical end of the year or Mid Winter celebration looking forward to the Spring when we have more light and life coming into the world. I try to respect everyone and their beliefs regardless, for that is how I was raised by Mom and how my Mom was raised by her Mom and so on. Feels kind of nice to come from a long line of very Liberal thinking people.
I digress a little bit. Back on topic about the Holiday Season. I have one request for you and that is not to be so easily offended when someone wishes you the wrong Holiday. My suggestion is to either mirror them or wish them your Holiday in return. (Example: “Merry Christmas” “Happy Yule” “Happy Hanukkah”).
On that note let me wish everyone a Merry Yule, Merry Christmas, or Happy Hanukkah!
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