Dec 14, 2010 9:58 AM GMT
This is about sensitivity to all religious holidays vs keeping tradition. I'm leaning towards keeping the Christmas tradition even though I'm Jewish. Here's why. Christmas has become a very commercial holiday that vaguely has roots in Christianity and is largely about giving presents, drinking egg nog, roasting your nuts on an open fire, and playing in snow (fake snow if you're in LA). But why are we saying "Happy Holidays"? Oh yeah. There's like 10% or less of the population who can't stand that you're assuming they're celebrating Christmas, even though it really isn't a Christian holiday.
But what other holidays are we including when we say Happy Holidays?
Hanukkah - celebrated by the Jews
This holiday is more like the Jewish 4th of July, and occurs anytime between November and January. The Jews have incorporated the American "give lots of presents" into this holiday to make you think it's a Jewish Christmas, but it's really just eight days of more praying and gambling with dreidels. It's just a coincidence that is falls around Christmas.
Kwanza - celebrate by few Blacks
Though the intentions of the holiday actually sound sincere, there's really no point to make it up to replace Christmas. It's just a holiday to celebrate African heritage and has nothing to do with Christmas.
Ramadan - celebrated by Muslims
Well, this isn't something to be happy about. They're on a diet for a month and they get pretty miserable from being unable to ear 12 hours at a time...and probably pray a lot. Again, this has nothing to do with Christmas.
So when you wish "Happy Holidays" to someone, you're making 90% of the population think that 10% of the population has an alternative holiday akin to Christmas, but really they just have one of dozens of holidays all year round and one of them just happens to be around Christmas. With your logic of "Happy Holidays" you might as well wish everyone "Happy Holidays" on Valentines Day and St. Patricks Day because those also have religious roots even though they're just another (fun) American holiday. In the end, I'm erring on the side to keep Christmas Christmas. If there's heavy populations of African Americans, Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, Athiests, and/or Jews in your area, then yeah go ahead and say Happy Holidays so you don't piss anyone off. But you shouldn't feel bad for wishing someone a Merry Christmas if you live in the U.S. Though having said that, you also shouldn't feel offended if I reply to you with a Happy Hanukkah.
But what other holidays are we including when we say Happy Holidays?
Hanukkah - celebrated by the Jews
This holiday is more like the Jewish 4th of July, and occurs anytime between November and January. The Jews have incorporated the American "give lots of presents" into this holiday to make you think it's a Jewish Christmas, but it's really just eight days of more praying and gambling with dreidels. It's just a coincidence that is falls around Christmas.
Kwanza - celebrate by few Blacks
Though the intentions of the holiday actually sound sincere, there's really no point to make it up to replace Christmas. It's just a holiday to celebrate African heritage and has nothing to do with Christmas.
Ramadan - celebrated by Muslims
Well, this isn't something to be happy about. They're on a diet for a month and they get pretty miserable from being unable to ear 12 hours at a time...and probably pray a lot. Again, this has nothing to do with Christmas.
So when you wish "Happy Holidays" to someone, you're making 90% of the population think that 10% of the population has an alternative holiday akin to Christmas, but really they just have one of dozens of holidays all year round and one of them just happens to be around Christmas. With your logic of "Happy Holidays" you might as well wish everyone "Happy Holidays" on Valentines Day and St. Patricks Day because those also have religious roots even though they're just another (fun) American holiday. In the end, I'm erring on the side to keep Christmas Christmas. If there's heavy populations of African Americans, Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, Athiests, and/or Jews in your area, then yeah go ahead and say Happy Holidays so you don't piss anyone off. But you shouldn't feel bad for wishing someone a Merry Christmas if you live in the U.S. Though having said that, you also shouldn't feel offended if I reply to you with a Happy Hanukkah.
and move on. 
