It’s all over Facebook: the latest indignant foot stomp about the whole “Merry Christmas” vs. “Happy Holidays” thing. Behold the official RtB stance:
I say “merry Christmas.” I say “happy holidays.” Why does it have to be one and not the other? What’s wrong with saying “happy Hanukkah” to a Jewish person, or “blessed Kwanzaa” to an African American, or “good winter solstice” to a religiously unaffiliated friend? What’s the big hairy deal? Is America not the great tossed salad, where liberty — both secular and sacred — reigns? So the government would rather we use generic terms to describe this time of year. Yeah, so? It’s part and parcel of the free society. People who make you feel guilty over saying “merry Christmas” are not “making” you feel guilty; you’re allowing them to make you feel guilty. So, don’t. Somebody dissing your beliefs? It happens all the time. Don’t give them the time of day.
Do you feel ooky at the fact that we all sing “White Christmas,” even though its composer was Jewish? It didn’t matter to Irving Berlin, fiends, so it shouldn’t matter to us. Life’s too short.
And for those who constantly yammer about how the “founding fathers” did things…I say HA to you. If I had the time, I would go into more detail about some of the practices in which our “founding fathers” engaged. It might make some think twice. But it’s all about selectivity, isn’t it? We like this or that rule, so we’ll pick the ones we want and ignore the rest.
Buuuuuuuuuuut….it’s time for me to wake up the Js and get them gussied for their CHRISTMAS program at church this morning. 
Merry Christkwanzakkah solstice!
I’m with you, sistah…. I’m sooooo over all this self-righteous indignation coming from “Christians” who fail to realize that, in our melting-pot of a country, there are plenty of other tax-paying, law-abiding US citizens whose faith tradition celebrates a milestone at this time of year, too!
I don’t know if you saw this “response” to that offensive Rick Perry pandering video, but this rabbi makes a good point of how plenty of Jewish people this time of year are forced to endure all this Merry Christmas/”Reason for the Season” crap and don’t make a stink like Christians do…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-tjWoRPaI0&feature=colike
I’m just sayin’…
Agreed! I can imagine how my Jewish friends felt (and being raised in Milwaukee, I had several) when Christmas was celebrated in all its glory in the public school — complete with manger scenes and carols.
I posted something on FB asking pretty much the same thing. I am tired of people trying to make me feel guilty for wishing someone Happy Days, especially if it’s heartfelt.
In Dutch we say “Vrolijk Feestdagen” (happy feast days) or “Fijne Kerstdagen” which literally translated is Fine Christmas Days BUT–Kerst does not mean Christ. It’s just a general term for these days around December 25th.
When I was teaching first grade I had some Jehovah’s Witness twins in my class one year…that was very very difficult. Not only for me but for them. Even if I had a Winter Party instead of a Christmas Party they were not allowed to participate and had to go to a separate room. The hurt on their faces was very evident and you could tell they didn’t like having to leave their friends. I even tried having a Happy First Grade party at a time where there are NO holidays and they couldn’t even come to that!!!!
What a sad story about the kids. So much for trying to do what you were *supposed* to do: be inclusive to all. I’m not knocking the JWs; it’s just…come on. I doubt if 6-year-olds could explain the first thing about why they don’t participate in “pagan rituals.”
When the boys were little, we lived next door to a JW family. The mom explained to me one day that they just gave their son gifts all year long, here and there, instead of on celebratory days (they don’t celebrate birthdays, either). And that’s fine — it’s the Land of the Free, and thumbs up to people who rail against all the commercialism. But not being allowed to celebrate with your pals in a harmless, fun setting for a Happy First Grade day? Seriously.