By MICHELLE RENN, West York Area High School
Teen Takeover staff
’Tis the season for boycotts, bickering and belaboring the pointless.
What is supposed to be a season of joy to the world and peace on Earth has disintegrated into a meaningless squabble over the very words intended to convey such messages. Because of our nation’s recent inclination to be adversarial, the simple season’s greetings “Happy Holidays� and “Merry Christmas� find themselves facing each other on the battlefield of our sensibilities.
Although the phrase “Merry Christmas� pertains directly to the birth of Jesus Christ, the selected alternative greeting “Happy Holidays� also is immediately derived from “holy� days’ celebrations. To the trained secular eye, this greeting should be equally objectionable. So why does it seem that “Happy Holidays� is the more acceptable seasonal greeting? Perhaps it is because of the implication that “holidays� is inclusive of Hanukkah and Kwanzaa while “Merry Christmas� excludes all but one.
Through all the use, misuse and disuse of these greetings, do we end up missing the point? Is it worth depriving ourselves of intended well wishes because of the words with which they are offered?
Consumer spending is highest during this time of year, so why wouldn’t retailers be drawn into this controversy?
In 2005 Wal-Mart made “Happy Holidays� its official season’s greeting. The ensuing boycott (resulting in lower revenues) prompted Wal-Mart to swiftly reverse its policy for the 2006 shopping season.
Others, such as Macy’s, have decided to keep “Happy Holidays� despite opposition.
And so I’m offering this simple phrase, for kids from 1 to 92: Get over it.
There’s no grinch stealing Christmas, nor room in the celebration of the season for paranoia and hatefulness.
Choose your season’s greeting. Choose your shopping destination. And please choose to be merry and accepting of the well wishes from your neighbors. Let the tidings of comfort and joy, peace and goodwill toward men ring true in our hearts.
Though it’s been said many times, many ways, Merry Christmas, to you.
Thank you! This whole "war on Christmas" is silly, and just promoted by people like Bill O'Reilly. There is no such thing. There are no "Christmas Nazi's" taking away all your Christmas decorations. Plus, Christmas' origins are Pagan, NOT Christian. So, it's not really a Christian holiday.
I strongly disagree with this article. I'm only 17, and I feel that I'm better knowledged in this area of discussion. I'm VERY conservative, and to take away MY right to say Merry Christmas, because it's going to upset the minorities of this country? That's not going to happen. If they can't accept the fact, that they came to OUR country, where far beyond the majority is of a Christian faith, believing in Jesus Christ, they don't have to celebrate it. It was their choice to come here. Wasn't it? Christians are NOT going to take the back seat to this nonsense any longer. Bill O'Reilly feels the exact same way, and until America gets it's act together, he WILL continue to promote the "war on Christmas".