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Ms. Manners is IN: A Rant
Tuesday, December 6th, 2005 06:08 pm'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.
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.
