This week some topics have floated to the forefront of my mind and I shall share them with you, even though it could lead to massive pearl clutching.
I’m not sure about you but I’m tiring of having to change my vocabulary or tiptoe across eggshells these days in order to avoid committing the hideous sin of offending someone. Therefore, I will speak my mind even if it might get me into deep trouble.
Since it is the season to be jolly, I will begin with some of the gripes pertaining to this particular time of the year. Now that I ponder, that topic alone could fill this space so I might just stick to the one theme.
I know I’ve mentioned this in the past but will go over it again. I’ve officially become paranoid when it comes to using a seasonal greeting these days. I’ve always said “Happy Holidays” as I thought that it covered the time period beginning with Thanksgiving and running through New Year’s Day. (I’m not sure if I need to capitalize New Year’s and Day or Happy Holidays but I’m doing it anyway. Also, I believe this serves as a digression so I’m good to go, as they say.)
Sometimes when I speak on the phone to advertisers or am covering a meeting, I begin to panic when it comes time to whip out a seasonal salutation. People get downright upset if others don’t conform to their particular vocabulary choices.
This is true all across the political spectrum as well. One segment of society gets all upset and calls the other segment of society “snowflakes” if they perceive said “snowflakes” of being well, snowflake “ish.”
On the other hand, the original segment of society who claims that the other segment is filled with flakes O’ snow, is JUST as offended if THEIR seasonal greeting is not utilized. Oh brother. Hold me. I hope you understood that as I know it’s hard to follow. In other words, EVERYONE can become a “snowflake” depending on the circumstances. WOW!
Plus, it seems as though this “Merry Christmas” jazz is not only oft’ blurted out with hostility but is also uttered for the entire month of December. In this country Christmas is more or less a one day event. I do realize that some branches of Christianity do the whole 12 days so calm down, please. I hear this greeting exiting the lips of the masses when their turkey dinners are still digesting.
Staying on the topic of “Merry Christmas” for a moment or 27, using Xmas instead of spelling it out has also become strictly taboo in this overly sensitive day and age. *Did you know that the X is Greek for Christ?
You see, my darling reader, no one is attempting to remove the “Christ” from Christmas by utilizing the terrifying X factor, so to speak. Also if we are TOTALLY honest with ourselves and those in our path, we would admit that Christ wasn’t really officially IN Christmas.
The holiday comes from more ancient times and has pagan elements galore. Check out Saturnalia if you don’t believe me or look into how Christmas was banned here in the “New World” in one of the colonies due to the pagan origins of it all. (I’m starting to get really wound up as I pound out this piece. Fair warning.)
Keep in mind that there are several branches of Christianity or Xianity—sorry couldn’t resist—that do not celebrate Christmas. Their reasoning varies but they agree on one thing which is that it’s not biblical to do so. Some of them celebrate what are called the “Jewish Holidays” because they are biblical and others don’t bother with any of it.
This brings me to the fake “War on Christmas” that we hear about annually due to a certain “news” network creating it out of whole cloth. Yes, I said it. There is no war on *&^%$ Christmas, PERIOD.
When people in this country get more irate over a supposed war on a holiday than they do about ACTUAL war, it tends to make my blood boil.
I really am flabbergasted over it. If more individuals or groups would show the same amount of outrage for wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria and other places too numerous to list, perhaps the “leaders” would sit up and take note?
Instead we have the president vowing to allow the usage of “Merry Christmas” to return to our vocabularies. I remember this was literally a campaign talking point. Is this ridiculous or am I just hallucinating? Do you understand that Obama took 2 wars and expanded the “zone” to 7 or 8 and yet a war on XMAS is somehow more important to discuss?
I think I might have to gently, yet effectively, wind this down as I feel as though I’m getting red in the face. Before I do I need to back up and discuss why I brought political parties, which I call “segments of society,” into this earlier.
The reason is because EVERYTHING, including the holiday season, is now a political issue. Have you noticed this? I cannot think of one thing that has not been politicized as of late and I challenge you to try.
I guess that does it for the week. I’ve made a decision to not kowtow to those who demand that I say Merry Christmas. I have always used the Happy Holidays greeting/salutation and will continue to do so.
There will be one exception to that rule which will take place on December 25. I guess I shall throw in December 24 for good measure. Other than that, I’m sticking to my guns. This might anger you to the max or cause you to cling tightly to those pearls but I don’t care. I’m tired of changing MY language to fit the agenda of other people.
Wow, this sure was a cheerful holiday column, wasn’t it? Sorry but I could stand it no longer and had to speak out on this most pressing issue of the day. With that, I bid you a Happy Holiday Season!
The End (Interstate Crosscheck, “War is a Racket,” by General Smedley Butler, “Where Did the Towers Go?” by Dr. Judy Wood)
*It is sometimes pronounced /rksməs/, but Xmas, and variants such as Xtemass, originated as handwriting abbreviations for the typical pronunciation /krsməs/. The “X” comes from the Greek letter Chi, which is the first letter of the Greek word Christós (Χριστός), which became Christ in English.