Happy holidays. Yep. Holidays. When I say this, I mean that from a bit before Thanksgiving until the New Year, I hope you are happy. It's really that simple. I am not saying that my beliefs negate yours. No one can take Christ out of your Christmas. It's your holiday. Just like even if you don't want to admit it's your birthday, it is still the day you were born. You love Christmas. You love Christ. I get it. I do too. However, I don't understand how saying the all-inclusive "Happy Holidays " can be offensive? Going out on a giant limb here, but the Jesus whose birth I celebrate would be more likely to say "Happy Holidays" to his Jewish friends, or even, Him-forbid, say "Happy Hannukah". I'm just saying. This is a season where we encourage peace and love, right? Then why is there still some sort of strange battle here? Isn't it beyond time for us to start respecting each others differences and realize that someone else's belief that in something/someone else doesn't take the value out of our own beliefs?
FYI:I learned this from a Baptist pastor in small town Arkansas, but wikipedia agrees:
"
Xmas" is a common abbreviation of the word "
Christmas". It is sometimes pronounced
/ˈɛksməs/, but it, and variants such as "Xtemass", originated as handwriting abbreviations for the typical pronunciation
/ˈkrɪsməs/. The "-mas" part is from the Latin-derived
Old English word for "
Mass",
[1] while the "X" comes from the
Greek letter
Chi, which is the first letter of the Greek word
Χριστός, translated as "
Christ".
[2]There is a
common misconception that the word Xmas is a secular attempt to remove the religious tradition from Christmas
[3] by taking the "Christ" out of "Christmas".
So, if I write Merry Xmas, I am not taking Christ out of Christmas. Basically, I am just too lazy and find that writing those five extra letters too strenuous.
Peace on earth. Good will to men. All men. I wish it for all of you.
Happy Kwanukkahmas!
