‘Happy Holidays’ vs. ‘Merry Christmas’: A twist

‘Happy Holidays’ is meant to be inclusive, but knowing when Hanukkah was (a month ago) would be far more so; this ‘holiday season’ really means Christmastime

A festive Christmas party. (iStock)

Before Omicron directed my social life, I went to a Christmas party. a.k.a. “holiday party,” at which everyone was boosted and outside. It was brisk, but not cold enough to keep friends from being together. The hosts greeted me with, “Happy Holidays,” to which I said, “Merry Christmas,” and held them hostage to my lecture on why I hate the greeting, “Happy Holidays.” I was the only invited Jew. Their flustered faces and stutter conveyed that “Happy Holidays” was to help me feel included. I apologized too late. I had ruined their greeting. How should they greet me? Better yet, if one doesn’t know I’m Jewish, is it offensive to wish me a Merry Christmas? Yes and no. It’s complicated. Here’s what is going on for me.

“Happy Holidays” confuse inclusion with equality. The idea behind replacing “Merry Christmas” with “Happy Holidays” is that there are minority groups in America, e.g., Jews, who are not included. “Happy Holidays” makes Hanukkah the Christmas-equivalent. But this is a false equivalence, and it not only does a disservice to Jews, in wrongly elevating Hanukkah to the sacred, but also by diminishing Christmas, robbing Christians of something that is valuable to them.

The argument for the “Happy Holidays” greeting is that because Christians have been imperialistic, and have erased everyone else (including Jews) from American culture, they now need to include us. But does including us demand that Christians must be punished by not being allowed to have anything Christian in the culture anymore? If we want Christians to stop erasing us Jews, Muslims, Hindus among others, does the greeting “Happy Holidays” erase the Christians themselves? Is the general wishing of Merry Christmas an assault against Americans of other traditions or no traditions?

Many Jews in my world wish to hear “Happy Holidays.” Greeting them should have nothing to do with Christmas. They want no association with a tradition celebrating the robbing and distorting of Judaism’s face. For example, a colleague’s dog received Merry Christmas wishes on Facebook. My colleague responded: “My doggies don’t celebrate Christmas, but they would like to wish you a happy belated Hanukkah!” At another spot on the December-Jewish-greeting spectrum, Jews with trees seem fine with Merry Christmas. Like Halloween, they explain, Christmas is a secular holiday. One might say that their celebration of Christmas is old school. It has nothing to do with Christianity.

Hanukkah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa are not similar holidays. Conflating Kwanzaa with Christmas in the US seems misguided. Southern enslavers justified enslaving black people through the story of biblical Ham violating his father, Noah; antebellum southern whites argued it destined black people to be enslaved as descendants of Ham. Crazy, right!?! They justified white Christian genocide in the name of a Jew, brown Jesus of Judah. Ham was also brown, but not Jewish. Sarah and Abraham spark the origin of the Israelites. Hanukkah comes over a thousand years later. It celebrates the re-creation of the fourth Jewish state in 166 BCE, when Jewish rebels killed a lot of assimilated Jews. We don’t mention that when we light our hanukkiahs to bring light into the world. Furthermore, it’s not a religious holiday. Jews do not make religious/sacred holidays out of military victories. Jews thus do not desist from ordinary activities and work on Hanukkah. So, what we should say at this time of year to Jews?

The party hosts said, “Happy Holidays” to be inclusive. However, more inclusive inclusion knows the holidays at the time those around us celebrate. Hanukkah has been over for a month. It is Christmastime in the states, not Diwali, not EID, not Rosh Hashanah, not Bodhi day. It’s Christmas, a US federal holiday. A great majority of Americans from differing ethnicities celebrate it.

Ironically, Jews are now included as a December holiday player, just as I was greeted at a Christmas party with “Happy Holidays.” Chabad (a Hasidic sect) lights an annual hanukkiah on the White House lawn, some Jews have trees, a Fox News host recently said a Christmas tree is also a Hanukkah bush, etc. Is it any wonder Christians and non-Jews think Hanukkah is the Jewish Christmas? Let’s stop pretending it is. Let’s wish Christians and atheists who descend from Christianity a Merry Christmas. As for Jews with trees? If you want them, Tu Bi Shvat is coming. And for Jews like me, “Hi!”

Peaceful Classic Christmas Music

May This Christmas Bring About A Pleasant Change In Your Life,
May My Wishes Find You With A Smile On Your Face,
I Wish You The Best In Life This Christmas,
Merry Christmas To You And Your Loved Ones.

==============================================

This is a 2 hour playlist of traditional Christmas music I arranged and recorded. In the music you will hear flute, cello, violin, piano and guitar along with Irish flute.

These songs cover many of the most popular Christmas songs such as “O Come All Ye Faithful”, “O Holy Night”, “Joy to the World”, “Angels We Have Heard on High”, and more.

This music was arranged in Chicago where I performed for Christmas Season Classical Night. Let the spirit of love gently fill our hearts and homes. In this loveliest of celebrations may you find many reasons for happiness.

Track list:

1. The First Noel

2. Angels We Have Heard on High –

3. O Come All Ye Faithful –

4. Joy to the World –

5. O Holy Night –

6. O Little Town of Bethlehem –

7. Carol of the Bells –

8. O Little Town of Bethlehem –

9. Do You Hear What I Hear –

10. Hark the Herald Angels Sing –

11. O Holy Night –

12. Angels We Have Heard on High-

13. O Come All Ye Faithful –

14. Silent Night –

15. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear –

16. Good Christian Men Rejoice –

17. We Three Kings –

18. The Holly and the Ivy –

19. O Come, O Come Emmanuel-

20. Away in the Manger –

21. Joy to the World –

22. God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen-

23. Sheep May Safely Graze-

24. The First Noel-

 

Mary’s Boy Child – Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays

“Wishing You the Best of What This Christmas Can Bring You,
Have A Joyous, Peaceful & Love-Filled Christmas!”

“Can I have your Picture, So Santa Claus knows,
Exactly what to give me, Happy Christmas.”

“Thinking of you during the holiday season and
wishing you the best in all things. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.”

“Yuletide is a season of peace, goodwill and
abundance of mercy, may the joy of Christ’s birth ignite
your heart with gladness and laughter. Merry Christmas.”

 

Mary’s Boy Child – by Harry Belafonte

Long time ago in Bethlehem
So the Holy Bible say
Mary’s boy child, Jesus Christ
Was born on Christmas Day.

Hark now hear the angels sing
A newborn king was born today
And man will live for evermore
Because of Christmas Day.

While shepherds watched their flock by
night,
They saw a bright new shining star
they hear a choir sing
The music seemed to come from afar.

Hark, now hear the angels sing,
A king was born today,
And man will live for evermore,
Because of Christmas Day.

Joseph and his wife, Mary,
Came to Bethlehem that night,
They found no place to bear her child,
Not a single room was in sight.

Hark now hear the angels sing,
A king was born today,
And man will live for evermore
Because of Christmas Day

By and by they find a little nook
In a stable all forlorn,
And in a manger cold and dark,
Mary’s little boy was born.

Hark, now hear the angels sing,
A king was born today,
And man will live for evermore,
Because of Christmas Day.

Merry Christmas Message

Santa Claus sitting at home and writing on old paper roll to do - stock photo

As you celebrate the glory of this miraculous season, may your home be filled with love, peace, and joy. May these blessings follow you throughout the New Year.

 

 

Joyous songs and Christmas cheer…
may laughter and friendship be yours all year!

May the miracle of Christmas fill your heart with warmth and love.
Merry Christmas!

Happy Holidays!

Christmas Day with mirth and pleasure,
comes again with wondrous pleasure!

May your days be bright,
and your heart be light!
Merry Christmas!

 

 

Santa Claus vintage style portrait smiling - stock photo