[AMRadio] Re: Merry Christmas

[D. Chester]

Ah, once again  it's time for the annual Christmas Wars (yawn).

This is so silly; I have heard phrases like "Seasons Greetings" and "Happy 
Holidays" all my life, perhaps encouraged by post-Holocaust and Civil 
Rights-era ecumenicism, the fact that all the major world  religions have a 
holiday tradition for this time of year and the fact that the "holiday 
season" also includes New Years Day.

A few years ago while I was publishing The AM Press/Exchange, one of our 
out-of-state subscribers rang me about submitting an article.  It was just a 
few days before Christmas, so I wished him a  "Happy Christmas".   He wasted 
no time informing me that he was Jewish and did not recognise the Xmas 
holiday.

Wouldn't a devout Christian be expected to tire of exchanging "Happy 
Ramadan, Hanukkah or Visakah Puja (Buddha Day)" for weeks on end every year? 
A retailer, especially in to-day's economy, may feel that he has to walk a 
thin line so as to offend as few customers as possible,  hence the generic 
holiday greeting.

But this may not be a matter of faith or no faith at all, but a matter of 
marketing. Christmas SALES begin at Halloween if not before. Therefore, 
"Happy Holidays", "Get your Christmas shopping done early". Now that 
retailers sell "Christmas" through Halloween, Thanksgiving AND Christmas. 
"Happy Holidays" takes in the whole 3 months.

Don k4kyv

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