Holiday Greetings And Awkward Meetings

Even though I have celebrated Christmas all my life, I understand that when I am working, I have to keep up an act. Let me explain.

According to a poll conducted by Fox News in 2004, 93 percent of Americans celebrate Christmas, while 5 percent celebrate Hanukkah and a mere 2 percent celebrate Kwanzaa.

I work in retail and it’s no secret that the holiday season brings in a variety of people through our store. As an employee, you want to treat the customer with the utmost respect, even if that means generalizing our greetings as the major holidays approach.

Instead of going with specific greetings, it just seems easier to bunch everything into a simple “Happy Holidays!” and be done with it. No need to worry about offending someone who does not celebrate Christmas by wishing him a “Merry Christmas.”

There are countless disagreements regarding religion and the holidays to discuss, but this one affects us all in the smallest way. This is why I believe that it is not a bad idea to be politically correct.

Yet, is it right to worry about insulting someone’s belief’s when all you’re really doing is sharing your own? If you’re caught up in all the holiday spirit and want to sing “Merry Christmas” for all to hear, you should not be afraid to do so.

Outside the work environment, have noticed that people of certain faiths tend to get a little territorial during the season. When it comes to decorations, for example, some Jewish people get offended if they don’t see a Menorah and some Christians get offended if they don’t see a Nativity scene.

Basically, in order to please everyone, all holidays need to be represented— all or nothing.

I grew up thinking that this time of the year brings out the best in people, not the worst. For one reason or another, people tend to be much nicer around December. People smile from ear to ear, or wave to strangers.

It must have something to do with the weather.

Despite people’s softer demeanors, there still appears to be conflict surrounding the holidays. It’s almost as if people feel their traditions are the most important and it should be their religion that gets all the recognition.

Does that attitude match the message of the holiday season? I think not. No matter what you celebrate during the holiday season, always remember that there are other celebrations going on at the same time. Be courteous to others, but maintain a small sense of pride and do not be afraid to wish someone a “Merry Christmas.”

Or if you want to be safe, a “Happy Christmukkahwanzaa!” might be in order.