Regardless Of Your Belief, Merry Christmas

I’ve always been a little confused at the people who react negatively when someone says, “Merry Christmas.” Whether you’re Jewish, atheist, Kwanza-ist (or whatever those who believe in Kwanza are called) or even into Festivus for the rest of us, all the phrase means is that the person saying it want’s you to be happy. Sure, I’m all for respecting other’s beliefs and traditions. What you celebrate or recognize is your business. But that doesn’t mean that on Christmas Day or during the Christmas season, I can’t wish that you be merry.

And if I say “Merry Christmas” it doesn’t mean I’m trying to convert you, either.

In the South especially, there are billboards and commercials and political statements against businesses and individuals who use “Happy Holidays” so as to broadly appeal to any belief. It’s petty and ignorant (in my opinion). But more importantly, I not only think they’re missing the greater point of just wishing everyone have a wonderful end-of-year, but the Happy Holiday-sayers are missing the point that wishing someone a Merry Christmas shouldn’t step on anyone’s toes.

If you don’t celebrate Christmas, I still want you to have a merry one. Heck, all of us at SME would extend that sentiment and not all uf us celebrate the Christian holiday. We have, by my unofficial count, one Muslim and at least one, perhaps two, practitioners of the Jewish faith on staff here. I’m also partners with two other Jewish friends in Exploring Social Media. Yet, I feel confident speaking for them when I say we all want your Christmas to be merry. We also want your Hanukkah to be happy, your Kwanza to be joyous,  your Festivus to be festive and your Tuesday to rock.

So let’s put aside the nuance and nit-picking of the semantics and just hope everyone has an awesome day, every day, this Christmas/Kwanza/Hanukkah(Chanukah)/Festifus season. (Or whatever seasons I left out.)

Because that’s the point.

And if you consider that, you shouldn’t be offended by the sentiment of this, one of my favorite holiday songs:

Merry Christmas all. And thanks for making Social Media Explorer part of your routine.