Ms. Manners is IN: A Rant

[rolanni]

'tis the season for the annual tussle of wills between those who wish their fellow-passengers to the grave "Happy Holidays" and those who feel that such wishes steal the blessings of their "Merry Christmas" away.

I am, in the interests of Full Disclosure, a Happy Holiday wisher, and I like to think that my "Happy Holidays!" is a well-wish, on the order of a prayer for Good, whatever that may or may not mean to the receiver.

That said, I find the you-must-and-only-say-Merry- Christmas-or-I-will-berate-you-for-twenty-minutes-for- your-unChristian-behavior-and-make-you-sorry-you-ever-spoke-to-me-at-all crowd small-minded, cramp-souled and, worse, rude

Life is too short, too hard and too full of peril to turn down any good wish or prayer sincerely meant by the giver. When I was living in Baltimore and working at the Graduate School of Social Work, the overwhelming majority of the faculty of which was Jewish, I would more often than not be told, "Next year, in Jerusalem!" with such verve that it was impossible to miss the joy and the sincerity.

Such well-wishes improve the world. Likewise, I will not reject a sincere "Merry Christmas." It would be bad manners to do so.

I will, however, reject rudeness.

Christmas Militants, take note.

Comments

[gryphonlsb.livejournal.com]

(clapping)

I do like to tweek noses this season by saying Happy Holidays partly because...well..I like tweeking noses at times. Plus I think its a very..nice way of not assuming a person is of a faith and still wishing them Holiday Cheer.

and on that note...hope you two have a house full of holiday cheer and a great new year coming

[autopope.livejournal.com]

I am the Grinch.

I dislike Christmas intensely. I dislike the mere idea of a season of goodwill to all men. (Goodwill towards George W. Bush? Pol Pot? Adolf Hitler? Why?)

I always make a point of working over December 25th. Even if I don't have to.

[melinda-goodin.livejournal.com]

*cheers*

The reverse can happen too. It can be so bad here in Australia that some kindergartens and schools are not doing Christmas concerts, for fear of offending non-Christians. As a non-Christian, I don't find it offensive that my son was involved, as long as I have the right to have my own festive observations without being berated.

So many fundies need a good dose of mind-expansion and tolerance elevation.

Thank you for your sensibility and forthrightness and wish you the happiest possible holidays!

[herefox.livejournal.com]

How odd...I must either know a great percentage of people that don't care or it just may not be a California problem with people taking offense at "Happy Holidays" because I've never heard of people complaining about one or the other. How rude...especially given that it assumes that the speaker is Christian to begin with.

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

Yeah, me either...but then we have such a blend of people from all over the world here, maybe that's why no one says anything? Or maybe it's just the California groove, but I have never heard anyone complain.

[victorthecook.livejournal.com]

Hear, hear. Let us reject the false glamour of rudeness, and the works therof. How are the cats doing?

And a Happy Hippy Hollyday to You, Too!

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

One of the nicer facets of living in Japan has to be the relaxed attitude towards the mid-winter celebrations. The stores are busily mixing traditional Oshogatsu (New Year) bits and pieces with various and sundry Christmas odds and ends. Imagine 8 foot tall blow up Santas (for houses that usually have ceilings that are in the 7 foot range?). Christmas cakes everywhere. Rock-and-roll Christmas muzak. And plenty more. In between, there are preparations for the New Year holidays, with visits to the shinto or buddhist temple of your choice.

If they can't take a little happiness, maybe they're missing the spirit of the occasion?

You might ask them What Would Jesus Do? (I think that's the right catchphrase) After all, he never wished anyone merry christmas, now did he?

Then turn and walk away, showering blessings on everyone.

And enjoy your holly days, okay?

[adrian-turtle.livejournal.com]

"Happy Holidays" never *used* to be offensive. Not even to people who wanted to Christianity to be a major part of secular public life. They used to use the expression themselves, to wish people a good Christmas and New Year, all at once. If I want to opt out of all the religious celebrations, I don't say "Happy Holidays," in response to "Merry Christmas," I say "Good morning."

[badgermirlacca.livejournal.com]

I always thought it was "peace on earth to men of good will." Which kinda answers your issue, I think.

Of course, it doesn't say much about my issue as regards the women of good will, but we always did find it more difficult to find a good peace.

[elbales]

Mmm, Kurismasu in Nihon. I found the juxtaposition of traditional Japanese culture with the jolly old tradition of Western commercialism to be, well, odd.

But you can't argue with happy, relaxed people, and really, who'd want to?

[gingerwood.livejournal.com]

We could take all the rabid Christmas greeters and lock them in a room with all the rabid anti-christmas nay-sayers and run everyone's holiday lights of the resulting implosion.

[janni.livejournal.com]

While I'll always smile at a well-meant Merry Christmas directed at me (seems a better response than, "Sorry, I'm Jewish," which can only make people feel awkward), I don't use "Merry Christmas" with people I don't know because, well, how can I presume to know their religious practices?

Still, I'd have much more sympathy for the Merry Christmas only crowd if they weren't the same ones insisting the Halloween celebrations get replaced with Harvest Festivals. (A change which makes me very grumpy indeed.)

[trolleypup.livejournal.com]

Yeah, we've got one of those Xian wingnuts on one of my Scrabble boards. Lately she's been thread hijacking about once a day to rant about how the Xians are being opressed in small town America.

I think she is skipping my commentary...because it doesn't match her preconceptions (you'd think that San Francisco would be in the lead of persecuting the Xians, but it isn't, somehow).

I take a certain amusement, as an atheist, in wishing people happy on various religious holidays in the expected mode. I also find a certain amusement in being the only bus driver in the City who vigorously decorates his bus for Xmas.

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

How are the cats doing?

Patia is making small gains -- another appointment tomorrow. Waiting for our first months' rent bill from the vet's office.

Max! appears to have recovered almost entirely from his stroke. I say "almost" because there's still a very slight tendency to list port-ward, along with a bit more observable forgetfulness. Not that Max! ever was the sharpest knife in the drawer...

Mozart has filed at least three protests to this Day Job Thing, which is interfering with his comfort, Mozart being All About comfort.

Scrabble has resumed her upstairs office managerial duties, including the daily monitoring of email from the Control Chair, and has actually been seen playing tag with the Kitzilla.

Dulsey, aka Kitzilla, continues to move forward with her plan to win world dominion, undeterred by the limited success which has thus far been her reward.

It is different here in LA

[(Anonymous)]

The schools where I work are inhabited by really poor kids...so no one cares what phrase you use as long as you smile. I also hear many languages on a daily basis which makes a difference. So, I agree, CA is different, but maybe only in the cities. I was in Visalia a few years ago and realized LA was not the world.

Kelly

Temple City, CA

Holiday Greetings

[joythree.livejournal.com]

I grew up in a town in NC that was 30% Jewish, so "Happy Holidays" covered it for everyone. My daughter, like you, has run into too many ranters, so now she says "Happy Yule." I used to say "Merry Christmas" and "Happy New Year" back when I was young because I thought anyone who wasn't Jewish was Christian. (I'll give everyone a moment to react to That sentence! Lol) I finally realized that New Years Day seemed to be the bigger Holiday for (esp males), because it came with a Social Sanction in favor of drinking, eating, playing with fire and explosives, and sitting in front of the TV. So now I'm back to "Happy Holidays" unless someone says something else to me first, in which case, I smile brightly and say, "You, too!" no matter what they've said to me.
Merry Yule!

[kk1raven.livejournal.com]

Life is too short, too hard and too full of peril to turn down any good wish or prayer sincerely meant by the giver.

My feelings exactly. I'll take any well-wishing in the spirit it was meant, whether or not it involves a belief in a diety.

[kk1raven.livejournal.com]

Apparently, being less able to impose their belief system on everyone else somehow translates to being oppressed where certain Chistians are concerned. They don't seem to see the contradiction in that at all.

Look at that juxtaposition...

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

I just noticed today that your Sword of Orion picture obviously is intended to go along with this message. Clearly a disguised Christian symbol, isn't it?

May all your Christians be bright!

[gryphonlsb.livejournal.com]

I just found this on PVPonline and was reminded or your Holiday wishes comment

enjoy

http://www.pvponline.com/archive.php3?archive=20051216