"PRUDENCE NEVER PAYS"
This shit is a monologue:
A dude on the news tonight, when asked if it was the right thing to do to greet all customers with "Merry Christmas" as opposed to "Happy Holidays" (you know, because g-d fucking forbid we use inclusive language) said, "It has got to be Merry Christmas. This is America."
Doesn't he mean 'Merica? Oy. Sigh. People are so unforch.
Like, what's the fucking harm of saying "Happy Holidays"? It's fucking plural. Not "holiday", but "holidays". So why all the panties in bunches? Happy Holidays is cool for anything starting from Thanksgiving, then onto Christmas, Winter Solstice, Yule, Chanukah, sometimes Ramadan (when it isn't uber-early like this year), and into New Years. It's one extra syllable and makes a world of difference. It's not denying Christmas or lessening it, it's just acknowledging that other people are shopping in your store. That's it.
Now last year, I went down this road and someone who shall remain nameless wrote me a very unforch email suggesting I couldn't stand to let Christians be Christians and wanted the world Jewish. Which is not only hilarious but extremely stupid. Anyone who knows me knows that I love to see anyone doing something they find meaningful. I'm not saying that in your home or to your friends that it's a bad move to say Merry Christmas. By all means. But a store clerk telling me Merry Christmas feels weird and marginalizing and alien to me, like being wished Happy Birthday on the wrong day or something.
I want everyone to celebrate the shit out of whatever they want to celebrate. I really do. I love winter and twinkly lights and people getting together and having fun and all of that. It just seems like it's no extra effort in retail settings to just say something that lets customers know we're all welcome the same. That's all. I'm not anti-Christmas at all. What I am is anti-exclusion and anti-ethnocentrism. That's it. I understand that it might be painful or upsetting to feel like a holiday is getting skimmed over or secularized, or that by not using the word Christmas, the meaning seems lesser. I can dig that. I really can. But, i think it comes down to a matter of making everyone feel included and valuable. It's one extra syllable or effort and it makes a huge difference. I promise you it does.
10 comments:
Amen sister.
For the record, the most Christmasey celebrators I've ever known were all Jewish. They always knew more words to the carols than we did.
Good lord, do I hate all this phony Fox News war-on-Christmas bullshit.
Well said! Diversity is the spice of life and mutual respect is the foundation.
Well, here's my perspective Amy. The whole retail exploitation of Christmas is what it's all about. Without the Christian celebration, the idea of marketing the "holidays" wouldn't exist. For example, the idea of adding Chanukkah (sp?)to the retail mix came as somewhat of an afterthought.
My frustration is with the idea that other faiths need to be "included" in what was once a Christian celebration. The honest approach would be to completely do away with the secularization of all the "holidays".
Merry Christmas! And Happy Chanukkah! (Ramadan is more like Lent. I don't think it's meant to be considered merry or happy.)
Twice I had this discussion yesterday. Once when I was in a store with my mums and the owner, who KNOWS I'm Jewish asked if my kids were making their Christmas lists. Uh, notsomuch.
Then at the very next store,
Oh, I'm getting all riled up about it now, I'mma make a post. Be right back.
whew, i feel better.
I couldn't agree more. Happy Holidays is far more inclusive. Everyone feels celebrated. I fail to see the mishogos of that concept.
I bet the guys talks American too.
I'm even decorating my hanukah bush this year ;)
It's posts like this that make me love you more and more. And it's also posts like this that will make Bill O'Rielly come after you. So you got that goin' for you.
This time of year brings out both the best and worst in people. On one one hand, you have the 'peace and joy' thing going on and on the flipside there's the commercial machine of the season. Whatever you choose to celebrate or not celebrate, the month of December gives everyone an excuse to get get together with friends and family and catch up on the events of the past year. I want nothing to do with Christmas but I sure know a lot of Christians!! And I will go to their Christmas parties and pretend like I admire their tacky decorating because I love my friends and family and maybe - just maybe - by showing respectful tolerance of their holiday someday they will show the same towards mine. And if somoene at the store says "Merry Christmas" to me, I just say Chag Sameach back to them. Its fun to see the puzzled look on their faces.
Thank you for watching my bubelah!! He loves you!!
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