This isn't 'the Holiday' -- it's Christmas!

Iowa State Daily (Iowa State U.) ^ | 12/11/03 | Jeff Morrison

[NorCoGOP]

AMES, Iowa -- There has been a disturbing trend going on at this time every year. Last year and in years past, it had only lurked in the background, by and large being correctly generic. But this year, it seems many of the pretenses have been ignored, and the conspicuous absence of the correct term is both disturbing and annoying.

By what seems to be a mutual agreement, everyone in the media is walking around afraid to say the C-word.

Christmas.

In the past, in attempts to be inclusive, there was the referral to "the holidays" or "the holiday season," implying more than one. That's OK. But in a variety of places, when the packaging, Santa and all, indicates a referral to one of those specific holidays, it is being referred to as just "Holiday."

The lead to an article in Tuesday's USA Today is a perfect example of this awkward construction:

"Expect Santa's sleigh to be heavy with DVDs this season. With DVD players now in 50 million U.S. homes, retailers are aiming at the family market this holiday."

"This holiday." The phrase grates on the ears. In the five paragraphs of the short article, reference is made to "season," "holiday," "holiday season," and "seasonal product." The only appearance of "Christmas" is in the titles of the various DVDs -- all of which had to do with Christmas.

Could this be written off as a simple synonym replacement? Perhaps, but that would require the word to be a good synonym in the first place, and the strange way it rolls off the tongue in this sentence doesn't make it one. It would be easier to ignore if it were the only example. However, there is plenty of the same around. Consider the following:

* A commercial for PetSmart starts out with a couple decorating a tree, which is quite obviously a Christmas tree, and the wife says it's their pet's "first holiday." What, the dog wasn't around for Thanksgiving?

* Two Cedar Rapids radio stations duking it out for seasonal song supremacy, WMT-FM (96.5) and KDAT-FM (104.5), run tags saying they're "your holiday music station." So does KLTI-FM (104.1) in Des Moines. No, I'm sorry, but the three different renditions of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and the rest of the playlist, without reference to any other holiday, make them Christmas music stations.

* An ad for Kay Jewelers in USA Today a few weeks back started out with the words "This Holiday" with the H capitalized, as if it were a proper noun. When it looks like that, it's not just a simple typographical error.

* One of the trailers on the "Santa Clause 2" DVD was for a new Disney video based on "Lilo and Stitch." For the release date, it said "Holiday 2003." That's it.

Any one of those above items might not be serious, but taken together, it has all the signs of an epidemic. They aren't talking about "the holidays," plural. They aren't talking about "the holiday season." They are consciously substituting a bland non-specific word and passing it off as attempting to be inclusive, or at least inoffensive.

No, Virginia, there is no "Christmas." The baby Jesus has been sacrificed not only to the deity of commercialism but to that of political correctness. At the rate things are going, we'll be lucky if the worst editing done to "A Charlie Brown Christmas" is the current hack job ABC does by putting commercials where they were never meant to be. If the animators wanted to begin creating that show now, and have Linus tell us what Christmas is all about, would the project ever get off the ground, or would we have to endure "A Charlie Brown Holiday"?

There is a fine line between inclusiveness and political correctness for political correctness' sake, and it has been crossed this year. It was one thing for places like Iowa State to substitute long-held Christmas celebrations to names like "Festival of Lights" and to call those decorated evergreens "holiday trees." It is another for the media to deck the halls with red and green, to have all the trimmings and trappings associated with the Christian celebration, and then call it "holiday."

Yes, there are other religions holding celebrations around this time. Yes, those celebrations deserve to be recognized. But at no other time are those names being corrupted or completely axed in favor of a word that carries multiple connotations. With the illustrations above, and myriad others that point to one celebration and one only, incorporation of that word into both news and advertising is nothing more than a politically correct maneuver to evict the name of Christ from the holiday that celebrates his birth.

When talking about preparing for Dec. 25, call it like it is. It has its own name. Don't backtrack and go bland for fear of someone singling you out for saying the C-word.

[Nea Wood]

...Christianity, alone among the major religions, has been singled out for this disrespectful treatment.

Yes, but in a way this is almost comforting. It proves Christianity is the truth, and that's why Satan attacks it and it alone.

[Allegra]

Last day of class yesterday. The prof wished everyone a great semester break. I wished everybody a Merry Christmas! It was great, the looks on people's faces.

I do the same thing. I make a point of wishing people a Merry Christmas. It wasn't too long ago that the phrase was the norm this time of year and I refuse to let PC bully me into using "ACLU-Approved" greetings.

I'm a Christian; I celebrate Christmas. If some liberal doesn't like it, they can go cry and sing "Kumbaya" for all I care.

[Allegra]

Is anyone really happy at Christmas?

I believe that the majority of those of us who recognize the real reason for celebrating Christmas are happy at this time of year.

[upchuck]

Another article^ on this topic.

Let's keep Christ in Christmas, what say?

[immykidsmom]

I agree that all christians should celebrate Christmas, and all jewish people should celebrate Hanukkah. The problem arises when business are trying to reach customers who are not christian. People who celebrate Hanukkah don't buy Christmas gifts, they buy Hanukkah gifts. So why not advertise HOLIDAY gifts and wish customers a HAPPY HOLIDAY and kill two birds with one stone? Makes sense to me, as much as I am bothered by the consumerism this time of year. Let's put it in perspective for schools, too. I am tired of all of the folks upset about schools no longer having Christmas programs and parties. If you want to have a Christmas program, have a Haunuka program, too. Open schools to all religions or none at all.

[meowmeow]

If you want to p!ss off the postal clerks, ask for Mary and Jesus stamps (I was informed they were Madonna and child stamps).

I've started calling our office "holiday party" a Christmas party (my cube happens to be organizing it this year) and no one has questioned it - in fact, the term has caught on. We have a Christmas Tree, people will bring presents, and we're getting a big ham (so it can't be Islam). I have yet to see some Jewish cuisine at any of these parties (and a good blintz would certainly be welcome). We got too many white folk for Kwanza. So unless someone can explain what Holiday (with an H) we are celebrating, we are going to celebrate Christmas.

[rllngrk33]

Simple solution is to say Merry Christmas to anyone who wishes you a "happy holiday" or some such silly generic greeting. I've said this to a couple of people and told them I don't believe in generic holiday greetings.

[nutmeg]

Merry Christmas ping! :-)

[yatros from flatwater]

Actually, to be a bit of an historical curmudgeon, the December 25 date has more to do with Mithras (natalis soli invicti) than Yeshua ben Yosef, the son of Miryam and Yosef of Natzaret. He was much more likely to have been born during one of the pilgrim feasts prescibed by the Torah.

The Roman Catholic Church appropriated the date for a variety of reasons around 350 AD. The Eastern bishops never did completely buy into the date. For a source, see the Catholic Encyclopedia .

[nutmeg]

At the rate things are going, we'll be lucky if the worst editing done to "A Charlie Brown Christmas" is the current hack job ABC does by putting commercials where they were never meant to be. If the animators wanted to begin creating that show now, and have Linus tell us what Christmas is all about, would the project ever get off the ground, or would we have to endure "A Charlie Brown Holiday"?

I'm actually amazed - and pleased - that "A Charlie Brown Christmas" runs every year as it is with no PC changes to its 30-year-old (?) script.

[MineralMan]

"So why not advertise HOLIDAY gifts and wish customers a HAPPY HOLIDAY and kill two birds with one stone? Makes sense to me, as much as I am bothered by the consumerism this time of year"

Good point. My list for cards includes christians, atheist, jews, and a couple of buddhist. Me...I'm an atheist. So I send out Holiday greetings. Everyone can choose their holiday for themselves, and I want them all to enjoy the season.

Same for my web business. I have customers of many faiths. Should I put up a Christmas message or a Happy Holidays message? I've got a snowman on my site. Generic.

I hope everyone has a happy holiday season, whatever holiday they celebrate.

[ladyjane]

If you want to p!ss off the postal clerks, ask for Mary and Jesus stamps (I was informed they were Madonna and child stamps).

LOVE IT!

[MineralMan]

"If you want to p!ss off the postal clerks, ask for Mary and Jesus stamps (I was informed they were Madonna and child stamps)."

Haven't seen anything like that at my post office. I have to stand in lines there most days of the week to ship orders to my customers. I hear lots of folks asking for Christmas stamps. The clerks each have a page showing all the different stamps available. I've heard several ask for the Mary and Jesus stamps. The clerks just sell those to them.

Don't generalize from one incident, please.

[MineralMan]

"Simple solution is to say Merry Christmas to anyone who wishes you a "happy holiday" or some such silly generic greeting"

Sounds like a good plan to me. Others might say Happy Hannukah, or Kwaanza, or whatever other holiday they celebrate at this time of year. I generally say, Happy New Year!

[asformeandformyhouse]

I agree that all christians should celebrate Christmas

I don't. Many christians don't celebrate Christmas and some who do don't celebrate it as the birth of Christ.

Romans 14:5  One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.
6  He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.

[asformeandformyhouse]

Simple solution is to say Merry Christmas to anyone who wishes you a "happy holiday" or some such silly generic greeting

I usually wish them a "Happy Christmas and a Merry New Year". The turn of the phrase makes them think about it.

[MineralMan]

"I don't. Many christians don't celebrate Christmas and some who do don't celebrate it as the birth of Christ. "

Indeed, you are correct. In the first place, it's extremely unlikely that Jesus was born at this time of year. We don't know, actually, what time of year he was born.

Christmas was placed at this time of year to substitute for various pagan celebrations which occurred around the time of the Winter solstice.

Lots of folks celebrate non-Christian holidays during December. Happy Holidays pretty much covers it, no matter who you say it to. Even atheists celebrate the beginning of the New Year, so it applies to the non-religious as well.

As for yourself, well, you're more than welcome to wish me joy for whatever holiday you celebrate. I'll thank you for your wishes.

[BiteMedems]

I'm in really good Christmas spirits so is my wife, myself especially since after today I'm off till Jan 2. I'll be doing my Freeping from home and not my cubie.


MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR FREEPERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[myrabach]

I really like you're idea! I have a feeling that if there were even a slight rumble to this, we'd have all those commercial entities screaming CHRISTMAS from the rooftops!

This has real possibilities... Boycott The Holidays... Christmas, we'll celebrate, but NO HOLIDAY SHOPPING!

[EdReform]

Christmas is merrier with Christ