Tis the Season to be Jolly . . . please!

I don't really know what your experience is this time of year while you were mulling around the department stores looking for that special gift for that special person in your life.  Like it or not, Christmas has become a time of year that families gather, exchange gifts, stuff their bellies with turkey and potatoes with gravy. Then nod off to sleep in a glutton-induced coma.

But the experience that I am really referring to is that simple word blessing that I used to hear so often while I was growing up.   That simple two word phrase that means different things to so many different people.  It is the smile and a “Merry Christmas” that I have missed.

I can tell you that I have only had two people say that to me this year, and nobody has even said “Happy Holidays”.  Not that I am all bent up over it.  However, a recent discussion in our office made me ponder.  Are we as a society afraid to say it?

This conversation was interesting because I started the discussion by asking one of our staff members if he was offended if someone says, “Merry Christmas” to him.  He stated in a very matter-of-fact manner, “No”,  but added that it is a little presumptuous for someone to offer that blessing. You see, the staff member I refer to is Muslim.  As a matter of fact, The Pipestone Flyer office is a real interesting mix of different beliefs.  Represented in our office are Muslim, New Age, Agnostic, Secularist and Christians.  Yes, we are an interesting group of people.

What came out of this discussion was very interesting indeed  and very much inline with what many surveys of this subject are stating.

One survey stated that 60% of people prefer the greeting, “Merry Christmas” and 23% prefer the less  religious greeting, “Happy Holidays”  and the remaining 17% are indifferent.  

But when you break the data down into age groups, a different picture surfaces.  People 65 years or older represented 64% of those who preferred “Merry Christmas” as a greeting.  In those people surveyed aged 18 to 29, only 28% preferred “Merry Christmas” while 59% didn't care one way or the other.  When it came to Secularist, 64% didn't care. Among Evangelical Christians, 73% preferred the traditional “Merry Christmas.”

What this speaks of is the  larger issue of religious censoring.

The same poll shows that 83% believe that Christmas displays should be allowed in public and yet the removal of such icons as Nativity scenes on front lawns at the request of special interest groups backed by pressure from authority is something we have heard of taking place in the USA and some parts of Canada.

Fortunately we have yet to have this issue here in Alberta, but perhaps it is this type of state run interference in people's faiths that may be the cause of many to remove the traditional greeting from the vocabulary during Christmas Season?  

There is no doubt that Canada is a diverse nation. With many cultures, Canada is a nation that is very much worldly and with that status we have many religions. To state the obvious, each religion has their own spiritual holidays.  It has been said that the removal of Christian icons from public view and traditional Christian greetings is imposed in order to “Not Offend” people who do not believe in the same religion.  To many, this capitulation by the Church to the State to comply with the atmosphere of political correctness is itself offensive and therefore should fall under the same protection as the latter.  Because the Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees the free exercise of religion but it does not guarantee one the right to not be offended.  It does not even guarantee the right of one to be free of any social discomfort.

The cultural stifling of those who celebrate Christmas and prevent them from offering a verbal blessing by simply wishing someone a “Merry Christmas” is a clear indication that the political pressures of artificial correctness has become a social ill.  Because as other religions seek popular recognition in Canada for their specific holiday, the restrictions now being felt by Christians can one day become norm, and in turn gag and handcuff all religions.

Ideally, what should take place in a country where multiculturalism is embraced, is the open acceptance of all religions with state recognition of all spiritual holidays.

Granted, we would gain a whole slew of new statutory holidays to observe but at least I would experience more than two people offering me the verbal blessing of  “Eid Mubarak” or “Happy Hanukkah”.  I would also accept that as a verbal blessing and know that the person saying it has good intentions and  truly wanted  me to enjoy the holidays.

So, as a Christian and with the true spirit of the holiday, I would like to offer everyone a Merry Christmas, and a very prosperous New Year.