Apparently, yesterday, I declared jihad on Christmas. That's right, I had the audacity to say - now catch this - "happy holidays". Yep, I am officially a Christmas killer.
Let's take a look at what happened.
I was dropping something off downtown when the wife of a friend gave me a hug and said, "Merry Christmas."
"Happy Holidays," I said.
"I celebrate Christmas."
"Oh, ok," I mumbled, "but if I celebrated Hanukkah or something Happy Holidays is so inclusive."
"Well, if you celebrated Hanukkah I would still say Merry Christmas, because that is what I am celebrating."
Awkward silence.
Seriously? I don't have any problem with you celebrating Christmas. I just was raised to say Happy Holidays during the winter months. My parents thought it was more inclusive to everyone celebrating their own version of the winter holidays. (Damn those Unitarian Universalists).
But there seems to be some war that I am not part of, one where people feel the need to attack you for greeting them in a way that they don't like. Boy, I feel all warm and fuzzy about your holiday season after that encounter.
When I mentioned it on Twitter the response was great:
So, in this holiday season where people put evergreens in their homes, light candles, sing songs, and give gifts let's remember that we are all celebrating something (perhaps the return of the sun, the birth of the son, the extension of oil...) that has meaning to us and maybe not you. And if you really just want to piss someone off, say Happy Holidays - seemed to work for me without even knowing it.
