By Jessica Sierocki, photo editor.
I was raised in a Catholic family. We went to church every week, I attended Bible school for years and we celebrated holidays like Christmas and Easter, putting God first. Naturally, I grew up hearing and saying “merry Christmas” to everyone I met.
It never occurred to me that some people would get offended by those two little words in what is supposed to be the most festive time of year. But here’s the thing: there’s no reason to get offended.
To me, Christmas is more than just having a break from school and getting presents. Christmas is a time to cherish my family and celebrate the birth of Jesus. It’s a special time of year that I am able to really appreciate my faith.
Now if I meet someone who isn’t religious, I’m not going to judge them and their views. I accept everyone for who they are and respect their beliefs, like I hope they would accept mine. I will, however, judge someone for being rude to me when I tell them to have a merry Christmas.
Saying “happy holidays” is totally acceptable, but the meaning is the same as saying “merry Christmas,” so why does the choice of words matter?
If someone approaches me and tells me to have a happy holiday, I don’t take it as anything but a polite thing to say. If that is their personal preference, so be it. I’m not going to be offended because another person doesn’t have the same religious views as me.
The world today is full of so many different kinds of people that you never really know their backgrounds. So if I say “merry Christmas” instead of “happy holidays,” don’t chew me out. That’s the phrase I choose to use, and just because you may not agree with it doesn’t mean you need to make me change what I say.
Saying “merry Christmas” isn’t meant as a personal attack on your beliefs. For some reason, I was in a nice enough mood to be nice to you, so just take it for the meaning behind it. Be merry on Christmas. It literally means cheerful and lively, so just have a cheerful and lively Christmas.
From me to you, please don’t get mad at someone for spreading positivity and joy in the world. It doesn’t take more than a simple thank you to be a nice person
