Well, here it is the day before Christmas and I’m here with a skeleton crew manning the Yaffe ship. It’s a good day to catch up on things, because things are so quiet. No meetings, no presentations, nobody bringing the latest crisis. I did need to talk to one client today, but that’s okay, I might as well earn my pay while I’m here. Who knows, I might even clean up my desk while I’m here. Naaah.
Anyway, as the holidays approach, their seems to be this faction in America that thinks just because someone is sensitive to cultural differences and says happy holidays instead of Merry Christmas they have let "them" take away the real meaning of Christmas. Personally, I think that’s a load of crap. First of all, I am a Christian who’s quite involved in my church. Just so you don’t think I’m just some hippie anarchist bleeding heart creative type. I have a lot of non-Christian friends, they often wish me Merry Christmas. So, it’s not "them" who are the ones taking the Christmas out of Christmas.
I just don’t understand what all the hubbub is about. I just think it’s polite, if you don’t know for sure the leanings of someone to wish them a happy holiday. It doesn’t diminish my beliefs or my holiday any at all. In fact it enhances it. I can experience the good will towards man (and woman) that is an integral part of the Christmas spirit. I feel good wishing friends and complete strangers alike good tidings. That’s what the season’s about. Love and good will for all.
And that’s what I wish for you this joyous season.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays
Mike McClure, ECD
Hi Mike, excellent post and excellent points (thanks for not naming me as a perpetrator). Even though I had made a half-hearted point this year of saying “Merry Christmas” instead of the ubiquitous “Happy Holidays,” I must admit you made me think – and ain’t that what a good blog’s supposed to do.Maybe the real problem is that most people who aren’t Jewish or African American don’t know the first thing about the “other” holidays “Happy Holiday’s” encompasses? Maybe “Happy Holidays” is actually just an easy way to bypass knowing or caring about other people’s traditions – if you say “joyous Kwanza” to someone, you might actually have to be prepared to talk about it… Happy Holidays is a free pass.On the other hand, you’re right… it’s really a bunch of crap. Every time I hear about one faction or another wasting time complaining about a manger display on public property, I want to throw up.If we could all just live and let live, the world would be a heck of a lot better off. If only those folks could focus their attention on Rwanda, or maybe even New Orleans, who knows what could be accomplished.Wishful thinking, eh? Anyway, as one of the nicest people I know, you got to me. So,”Happy Holidays” to you, yours and all the folks at Yaffe and may 2008 be hugely successful for all of us!
Thanks Russ. Yeah it would be nice if all those negative engergies could be put towards something good like rebuilding New Orleans, but hey, complaining is easier.