Update: NORAD tracks Santa
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So those of you who follow politics know that Bill O'Reilly has been leading the fight to defend "Merry Christmas", going so far as to protesting Walmart for saying "Happy Holidays" (instead of, you know, protesting them for locking their workers in at night and so forth :P). I think the protesting is idiotic, of course, and I find "Happy Holidays" to be a perfectly fine way of inclusively wishing people well.
Yet, when people were leaving work Friday, and some coworkers wished me "Happy Holidays", I was surprised to find it kinda grating. It just sounded so artificial and hollow to me. I didn't even feel comfortable saying it back, so I instead replied, "You too!"
On a person-to-person level, I guess I find "Happy Holidays" too artificial and hollow. I have no problem with and in fact prefer department stores saying "Happy Holidays", but that's because their season's greetings are hollow to begin with. In the case of an actual person, I realize that I would rather they just say "Merry Christmas" to me.
To be fair, I came to this country with no religion, and I adopted the local Christmas celebrations in a secular way, no differently than how I adopted, say, Halloween. I can see how someone who has a non-Christian religion might find it offensive to be wished a Merry Christmas just because Christianity is the dominant religion. But really? I mean, Christmas is such a secularized holiday anyway, and it's the only religious national holiday. Besides, my homeward bound coworkers are officially getting Monday off for Christmas.
When I was at Motorola, there were a large number of Indian people at our site, and so almost everyone had lunch together at an Indian restaurant for Diwali. I didn't say, "Hey, I'm not going to go because I'm not Hindu." Plenty of non-Indians went. I thought that was really neat. Some people told stories about how they celebrated Diwali as kids, and it was culturally enlightening. For Chinese New Year, a bunch of us, including many non-Chinese, went out to a Chinese restaurant. We got to see some of the normally quiet Chinese immigrant chug rice wine and play drinking games. Also culturally enlightening. :) Of course, those were unofficial outings, and the company only paid for our Christmas party, and I thought that was fine, too. Like I said, Christmas is already an official national holiday, right? It's pretty natural to me for minorities to participate in some way with traditions of the dominant culture.
I guess what I'm saying is, "Happy Holidays" is like being so afraid of focusing on one religion that you end up taking all meaning and culture out of the greeting. Let's have more culture, not less. I'd rather be wished a Merry Christmas, but also a Happy Diwali, and a Happy Chinese (or Lunar) New Year. I understand that corporations and the government can't cover all the bases, so it's fine for them to hold back, but when you're talking to an actual person, say a greeting that actually means something.
So for now, Merry Christmas!
P.S.: This would be a good time to remind everyone of the true Spirit of Christmas. :D o/~ Dreidel dreidel dreidel / I made you out of clay / Dreidel dreidel dreidel / With dreidel I will play! o/~
Comments (3)
I think it's a little different for us, TK, because Asian traditions are much more digestive and ourc celebrating a holiday is not particularly indicative of being converted or anything. While Christmas is a recognized holiday in India as part of its attempt to recognize the other major religions (something the United States has never even seriously considered doing), plenty of Hindus celebrate it. I have always wished people a Merry Christmas in the few days before hand, if I remotely suspected they celebrate Christmas in any form whatsoever. If anything, O'Reilly's GWOC only made me do it less than usual.
It gets much more sticky for people who have historically felt a pressure to acknowledge Christmas (or Easter) as part of pressure to convert to Christianity--mostly Jews. Indeed, the very Romanization of Christianity was the seed for much of the anti-Semitism that has historically plagued the Jews. If you think about it, it seems a bit weird that a religion which is founded on the monotheistic, non-idol worshipping base of Judaism should have such elaborately pagan holidays and so much history of anti-Semitism. And the two are linked. The Jews were not enemies of Christianity so much as enemies of Rome, but in order for Romans to become Christian, the Jews were recaste as enemies of Christianity as well---and and the nonJewish elements of Christianity were rubbed in their face. Well, it's pretty hard to rub "love thy neighbor as theyself" in someone's face, but much easier to shove a Saturnalia-based Mass of Christ the Lord or the paganization of the Passover-Last-Meal into Eshtar into the face of people who are resolute in their opposition to idol worshipping. To a lesser extent Muslims, Pagans, and Indigenous people have felt a similar pressure to acknowledge Christmas and Easter.
So for you and me it's not biggie, just like Halloween. But I understand why it's grating on other people, and I have a lot of respect for the idea that they shouldn't have to deal with that grating reminder in the public square, or even at work.
Besides which, I'm all in favor of Winter Solstice being the secular public holiday. It's astronomical and even if you don't believe in any God at all, you can appreciate that the days are finally getting longer again. In high school--when I had a lot more friends whom I didn't want to grate with a Merry Christmas--we usually celebrated Winter Solstice.
Posted by SSR | December 24, 2005
Oh, as a side note, one might also consider that the foundations of the comparative Anglo-American tolerance for Jews is actually not unrelated to the fact that the Puritans banned Christmas. Both actions were based on a literal interpretation of the Bible and a deliberate attempt to ignore 1400+ years of the Roman influence. (Natch, they ignored the part where the Roman emperor collates the Bible.) It always amuses me how modern American conservative Christians will draw some traditions from the Calvinists--the work ethic, the predetermination, the faith and no need for good works, and the prudery--and not others--the foundation of public education and the seeds of equality, as well as this streak of anti-anti-Semitism. Note that another founding sect, the Quakers, were indifferent to Christmas (and all holidays) and very anti-anti-Semitic.
Of course, the Quakers are totally awesome anyway for fighting slavery and war.
Posted by SSR | December 24, 2005
Hee hee. "Fighting war". :)
I know what you mean, though.. Oddly, Judaism is probably the major religion I know the least about. I just don't know very many practicing Jews, I guess.
I dunno.. I still find myself having a negative gut reaction to "Happy Holidays" after hearing someone actually say it to me, though. I just sounds like "Happy Whatever-the-Hell-Holiday-You-Celebrate" to me. :\ But yeah, I actually noticed the conspicuous absence of any mention of Hannukah in my post, and I guess that's where the real issue lies.
Bonus: Here is a rather silly and very NSFW comic about Saturnalia. :P
Posted by ToastyKen | December 24, 2005