By Courtney Elisech
Has anyone ever said Happy Holidays to you? Did you feel offended or gracious for the well-wishing? Were you upset they weren’t more specific in their greeting, that they did not tell you Merry Christmas? Around the country, many people take offense to the phrase Happy Holidays.
Many holidays fall throughout the winter, and many people do not celebrate Christmas. There are also many who do not celebrate anything at all.
The Delta Collegiate staff believes that the phrase “Happy Holidays” is meant to be inclusive for all the holidays and people who celebrate them. It is not meant to diminish any other holiday or lessen its value or worth.
While the term dated to the 1840s and grew in popularity in the 1860s, it still receives negative feedback to this day. It is often criticized as an attack on Christmas or a way to take the Christ out of Christmas. People use the term to include the plethora of holidays one may celebrate in the winter months. It encompasses past traditions and celebrates new ones.
“’Happy Holidays’ is a phrase that encapsulates all holidays that someone may be celebrating,” said Stone. “It’s common courtesy to say and ensures that whoever you’re speaking to will feel accepted and included.”
Sometimes it is hard to know what holiday or tradition someone may be celebrating, especially if they are a stranger or not close to you. It is in our human nature to want to give someone a pleasant greeting or farewell, and that can be harder during the winter months, which are chucked full of holidays.
“You probably wouldn’t say “Happy Thanksgiving!” to someone who does not live in the U.S.,” Stone said regarding the phrase Happy Holidays. “So, just the same, you wouldn’t say “Merry Christmas” to someone who does not celebrate Christmas. This doesn’t demean those who celebrate Christmas; it’s an all-inclusive way to spread holiday spirit.”
December is known as the month of celebrations because so many holidays are observed. Throughout the entire month, you can see signs of celebrations and holidays, often Christmas or Hannukah-related.
Christmas has been one of the most widely celebrated holidays in the United States for many decades. With that said, the country’s population has grown in diversity, culture, and religion and continues to do so. Many other holidays and celebrations are observed throughout the month.
Being inclusive is so important to so many people. Assuming positive intent when someone says “Happy Holidays” is always the best practice. If they are saying it to you, it is most likely a way for them to wish you well.
Heather Kittle is the Head of Video Production for the Delta Collegiate and also weighed in.
“Saying ‘Happy Holidays’ during the holiday season is in no way meant to take away or dismiss other holidays around this time,” said Kittle. “There are many religions that have a holiday around this time of the year, roughly all within the same week or two. It is meant to be inclusive for everyone. To be offended is to be an asshole.”
Curious about what others may be celebrating? Here are some holidays recognized by the masses.
Hannukah begins on Dec. 18 this year and ends on Dec. 26; the holiday typically falls in either November or December. It is a Jewish holiday that spans over eight nights to honor and remember the Maccabean revolt in Egypt. Each night a candle is lit from left to right on a menorah, a special candle holder. Many people also give gifts, often of money, to children each night. Dreidel games are also played, and foods like latkes and sufganiyot are eaten.
The Winter Solstice will be on Dec. 21 this year and is usually on Dec. 21 or 22. This is the shortest day of the year. This means that it has the shortest amount of daylight for the year because the earth is at the farthest point from the sun. It is considered a Wiccan or Pagan holiday and is celebrated with festivals.
Festivus is celebrated on Dec. 23 by many and was made popular by the sitcom “Seinfeld” in the 1990s. To celebrate, there is a raising of an aluminum pole, dinner, an airing of grievances, and a feats of strength demonstration. A writer on the show shared that the holiday was actually invented by his father and celebrated by his family dating back to 1966.
Christmas is the Christian holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ on Dec. 25. People will often decorate their houses and put up either a real or artificial Christmas tree with ornaments and lights. It is a religious, cultural, federal, and commercial holiday. Many will attend church services in honor of the day. Most people will celebrate with their family and friends on both Christmas Eve and Christmas day with gatherings, meals, and gift exchanges.
On Dec. 26, the African American holiday of Kwanzaa begins through the first day of January. “Kwanzaa” is from Swahili, meaning “first fruits,” and is meant to celebrate African cultures, customs, family, life, and unity. Most families will partake in large meals with various food from African countries; there will be singing, dancing, and storytelling. While this is a rather new holiday, dating back to 1966, around five million people celebrate it each year.
New Year’s Eve, Dec. 31, is a huge celebration across the states that includes food, parties, fireworks, drinking, and millions of Americans watching the ball drop to the start of a brand-new year. Since 1870, New Year’s Day has been a federal holiday and is said to be a day of recovery from the festivities of the night before.
Merry Christmas, Joyous Kwanzaa, and Happy Hanukkah are some of the many saying to express a happy holiday greeting. Happy Holidays encompass any and all holidays celebrated, whether it is Christmas, Hanukkah, Festivus, or if you only ring in the New Year.
