Christina VarvisPoint: We shouldn’t be forced to use generic, non-denominational holiday greetings
Mitchell Sorensen
Referring to the period in late December when everyone is at home from work or school as “the holidays” not only causes uneasy greying of culture, but also is horribly boring.
Using the threat of offence on religious grounds as reason to say “Happy Holidays” is counterproductive. One should be able to say whatever it is they want, regardless of religious connotations.
Granted, Christmas has almost entirely diverted from its origin as a Christian holiday into a lousy excuse to grovel at the feet of Santa and his pimps, Hasbro and Mattel. Though this is certainly the case, those who celebrate it should be able to call it whatever the hell they want. If atheism or agnosticism is more your style, say “Happy Holidays.” If you celebrate Kwanzaa or Hanukkah or whatever the heck it is, tell me. I want to know. “Happy Holidays” does not prevent rifts from forming, it greys areas which should remain unique and proud of it.
Trying to pre-emptively end a potential dialogue before it begins is pointless. The social forces at play that seem to guilt the population into saying “Happy Holidays” paint everyone with the same brush, and that’s not what this time of year is about. It’s about togetherness, de-stressing and (though I’m admittedly drinking the Kool-Aid here) peace on earth.
“Happy Holidays” tries to prevent a conflict that shouldn’t exist in the first place. Acceptance of others, not homogenization into a dull sludge of humanity, is what we should be working towards, and a generic greeting does nothing for this. If you hear someone tell you “happy Pancha Ganapati,” don’t let your quizzical look prevent a genuine conversation. Who knows, you might learn something.
So long as it’s positive, genuine and backed by good intentions; say whatever the hell you want. Let conversations happen as they will, be open, and mankind will be better for it.
Counterpoint: Holiday greeting should be more inclusive towards all cultures
Oumar Salifou
Society is slowly becoming more and more assimilated every time someone decides to use “Merry Christmas” instead of “Happy Holidays.” Culturally, the holidays have become nothing more than a shopping vacation with the added benefits of spending money on gifts for significant others. There isn’t any religious meaning to Christmas anymore. For the majority of people that celebrate, it’s about the gifts, not wishing baby Jesus a happy birthday. So there’s no reason to let the majority impose their greeting on everyone.
People are entitled to say whatever they want, but with this in mind, our language needs to be more inclusive and less assimilative. When you say “Merry Christmas,” it’s actually homogenizing society more than the holiday alternative. It’s no secret that the majority of Canadians are Christians that are completely fine with wrongfully imposing everyone else to their beliefs. A lot of people don’t want to let Jesus Christ into their life and that’s completely fine. An alternative to this is was made by Seinfeld’s “Festivus” parody holiday that jokes on the imposing nature of Christmas. During the Christmas season we need a “Festivus for the rest of us” that doesn’t partake in the glorification of Jesus. “Happy Holidays” makes it easier for those who don’t need Christ, and would rather celebrate with an airing of grievances, George Costanza style.
Sadly, it’s basically too late to save everyone from the celebration of baby Jesus. The majority of holidays songs, traditions and customs already glorify him. Do we really need to add every-day greetings to the long enough resume that Jesus carries in our society. It doesn’t hurt to say “Happy Holidays,” and by doing so, society can slowly move away from the shadow of the majority.
“Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas” this season can save the many from having to assimilate to religious ties. In the end, all the celebration comes down to is mindless consumerism, so might as well call it a holiday.
