Ok… Here’s the ax I’m grinding. I keep running into Christians who are angry about the use of the “Holiday Season” or “Happy Holidays” rather than saying “Merry Christmas” – which, they insist, is a more “Christ-centered” wish.
Fine, I’ll admit that the word “Christmas” actually includes the word “Christ,” and so at some level, not using the word “Christmas” actually does stop using a word with “Christ” in it… on the other hand, “Holidays” merely means “Holy + Days,” and that is most certainly appropriate for Christians!
Here’s why I think Christians should use the phrase “Happy Holidays:”
it refers to a time in our yearly cycle in which several holidays take place.
“Merry Christmas” ignores Thanksgiving; it ignores St. Nicholas’ Day (a big one in my family); it ignores Old/New Years’ celebrations, and it ignores Epiphany (a far more ancient holiday for Christians than Christmas). Equally as problematic, most people say “Merry Christmas” during the Advent season, not during the Christmas season.
“Happy Holidays” is a far more inclusive wish for one another; it is far more seasonally encompassing, and it is liturgically appropriate for all of the involved seasons.
On top of that, I’d suggest that we use the phrase the “Holidays’ Seasons” instead of the “holiday season;” it is, after all, several seasons of the Christian year.
Referring to the “holidays” doesn’t secularize the Christmas (we’ve done an stand-up job of doing that regardless of what verbiage we prefer); perhaps, indeed, it could help us recapture the real MeaningS of the SeasonS.
Grace and peace,
`tim
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December 4th, 2009 at 2:21 pm
Yes, well, the people who advocate that view are generally the ones who feel that you’re only truly Christian if you pick Jesus up by the ankles and beat everyone else over the head with him. Unfortunately, there’s little you can do to get through that sort of mindset.
December 6th, 2009 at 9:26 am
Tim- how could you forget the most important reason for many Christians using Holidays instead of Christmas? I, at least, have no intention of celebrating mass. Let us liberate the season of Advent from the last vestiges of popery!
But seriously, I can remember growing up being taught the evils of using the shortened “Xmas,” only to discover at one point that the X is actually the first letter of “Christ” in the original language. Of course that wouldn’t matter for those who believe the KJV is more accurate than any Greek manuscript…