I’m irritated about “Happy Holidays,” but not in the way you might think. I’m all for keeping Christ in Christmas. If we take Him out, we just have mas. And that doesn’t mean anything at all.
But, until our politically-correct society hijacked holiday, it wasn’t a dirty word. It was a beautiful word evoking all things warm and fuzzy in my soul. I often started wishing folks “happy holidays” in mid-October. To me, the holiday season encompassed Halloween costume parties, Thanksgiving feasts, Christmas carols, and New Year’s Eve toasts. It was a full package.
Referring to Christmas as a holiday didn’t take Jesus out of the center for me. Using the word didn’t make me confuse the celebration of Christ’s birth with a day set aside to dress like a princess and demand candy from the neighbors.
But now people use the word holiday for exactly that purpose. They use it to dilute the true Reason for the Season and turn it into something pale and pointless. The word holiday has become the antichrist of Christmas. Which really stinks.
I don’t particularly like to be controversial on this blog. But I have to tell you I’m unhappy about this. I am irritated that one segment of our society can take a perfectly good word and turn it into something I can’t say unless I want to be identified with a cause I don’t believe in. So, I can’t wish you “Happy Holidays” this year anymore than I can feel gay on a perfectly warm spring day.
See what I mean? It stinks.
When I put change in the Salvation Army bucket recently, we said Merry Christmas to each other, the bell ringer and I. It wasn’t even Thanksgiving yet. I keep hearing we’re supposed to say happy holidays now but not from anyone who’s the boss of me. So I’m going to say exactly what I want, including Happy Holidays if that’s my mood. The first real live person who seems directly offended by the words I use to them – that’s when it matters, and I’ll work through that then – a situation I seriously doubt will ever, ever happen.
Good point! Face to face is what matters in life.
I wholeheartedly agree. I used to teach my youth class that words are no more and no less than the feeling behind them. I can say “COOKIES!” with hate in my heart and it’s as bad as any cuss-word. So in my book if you say “Happy Holidays” and in your heart you are celebrating all God’s gifts of this time of year, including his son, then you’re alright by me. π I’m all for taking back the language from evil intents…
I’m cracking up, Carol, because I have a sudden image of you shouting “Cookies” and stomping your feet with your best red-haired tantrum.I figure that is about as mean as you get π
My dad used to say “Pewter!” when he was disgusted about something.I grew up thinking that was a pretty strong word.
AND, I can’t avoid throwing my geek-ness in here. For those who say “Happy Holidays” probably don’t realize they’re actually saying “Happy holy-days”, as the origin of “holiday” is from “holy day”.
Etymology The word holiday derived from the notion of “Holy Day”, and gradually evolved to its current form.
The word holiday comes from the Old English word hΔligdΓ¦g. The word originally referred only to special religious days. In modern use, it means any special day of rest or relaxation, as opposed to normal days away from work or school.
Well, I knew I loved that word! Thank you, Carol.
Yeah…what Carol said……HOLY-days….I was gonna write that, but she did, so yea! Carol!
Yep. Happy Holidays always meant Thanksgiving and Christmas for me, too. But if I say it after Thanksgiving, I wonder if other people think it means what I think it means. π
However, because of all that, I get a good amount of satisfaction from a stranger who chooses to say, “Merry Christmas” to me. It feels like code for, “I believe.”
Even though I know that’s a big assumption. π
Oh, I am so with you on the secret code, Eleanor! It’s almost as good as flashing a hidden lapel button, isn’t it?