The end of 2016 brings the holiday season filled with the giving spirit, colder weather and holiday celebrations from many different religions and beliefs.
With such a diverse population, it’s only fair we recognize the validity of these many different holidays such as Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and the Winter Solstice. The best way to do this is by simply wishing others “Happy Holidays.” It’s a religiously neutral phrase that can encompass all people.
Just because someone uses this phrase instead of “Merry Christmas” does not mean that person is declaring war on Christmas.
Now, there is nothing wrong with wishing someone a “Merry Christmas.” But that phrase only caters to one of the holidays celebrated this month. Since not everyone celebrates Christmas, is it really fair not to recognize the other ones?
In the spirit of the season, it would make sense to try and include people of all religions.
In 2015, Starbucks attempted to change its holiday cups to a simpler red design. The red still made the cups festive, and by eliminating the little Christmas trees, it made them more inclusive to other holidays.
However, some customers saw this change as “Christian cleansing” therefore making the whole coffee chain appear anti-Christian. Media personality Joshua Feuerstein claimed in a video post that Starbucks employees are banned from saying “Merry Christmas” because the chain “hates Jesus.”
From his video, the hashtag “#MerryChristmasStarbucks” started in an attempt to trick the employees into writing the phrase on the cups.
This year, the cups feature customer artwork drawn on the plain red cups from last year.
Other retail companies like Wal-Mart and Best Buy have attempted to make the switch from “Merry Christmas” to “Happy Holidays” and were met with a similar backlash to what Starbucks faced.
But why are people reacting so strongly to an attempt to better include the other portion of the population who doesn’t celebrate the Christian holiday?
The holiday spirit is all about acceptance, loving one’s neighbor and all the other warm fuzzy sentiments that make this one of the most wonderful times of year.
We shouldn’t attack each other or discriminate anyone for celebrating the way they choose.
Just because an establishment wants to broaden the base it appeals to by including them and their holiday beliefs doesn’t mean it is belittling Christmas or the sanctity of it. It just wants to recognize the others as well.
As a country, we should celebrate our diversity and the many cultures that make up our nation, not discriminate or attack it. Using the phrase “Happy Holidays” is simply a way to say to others that we recognize their beliefs even if they are different from our own.
When the Public Religion Research Institute polled people to ask how many Americans were comfortable with using the phrase “Happy Holidays,” 49 percent agreed that businesses should use the secular greeting. The numbers have increased since 2010 when only 44 percent agreed.
So in our ever diversifying society, it’s time we recognize the change and adapt to be more accepting to those around us.
The War on Christmas is over and really never even started.
