Faith Matters: Merry Seasons Happy Christmas Greetings
By: Tania Francois, KARK 4 News
Updated: January 30, 2012
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Seasons Greetings, or for some it's may even Bah Humbug.
This time of the year the greetings are all around us and it seems whether you're a Christian or not, Merry Christmas may not be so bad.
Andy Williams sang it on his show back in 1963, 'It's the most wonderful time of the year.' But when sharing the joy that December brings how do you say it?
At the Promenade at Chenal we asked shoppers and workers what they thought. Mohammed Khalil says he likes Happy Holidays. 'I just say happy holidays, season greetings. That's it.'
In recent years it's become politically correct to shy away from Merry Christmas. Many businesses encourage employees to say happy holidays or season greetings as a means not to offend and be more inclusive.
Nathan Murdock says his greeting changes depending on where he is. 'I'm required to with the company but I definitely would say Merry Christmas with anyone outside of the company.'
Kat Brown says she prefers to go the inclusion route. "I think happy holidays appeals to more people just because it's always good to have a healthy respect for the beliefs of others."
Christians we spoke to say there's only one reason tell celebrate Christmas and it's all in the name.
Suzy Mullen says, "We celebrate it for Christ. That's the main reason we have Christmas."
Murdock adds, "I am a Christian and that's what Christmas is for me, it's about Christ's birth."
We took this question to Doctor David who is Jewish. He says, "When I hear someone saying Happy Holidays I feel as if in a way they're saying just to me because they are worrying that saying Merry Christmas to me may offend me and that's just not the case. I'm not offended by Merry Christmas and I doubt very seriously that the vast majority of individuals of every faith are offended by being greeted by Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year."
Khalil adds, "Being a non Christian, what do you think when someone says to you Merry Christmas? I think it's just a good gesture, someone trying to be nice."
Comments
It is actually widely accepted in the Christian community that Christ was not born in December. Mary and Joseph were travelling to Joseph's homeland in order to perform the census ordered Ceasar Agustus after Quirinius was made governor of Syria. Joseph refers to a lunar eclipse in the Bible, which we know to have occured in Mid March; there was no other eclipse that year. Christmas was placed in December to overshadow the pagan winter solstice, most likely so early Christians were not persecuted.
Anyways, my point was to state that people already celebrated in late December long before Christianity came about. We coopted a pagan holiday to hide our own.
