Saying "Merry Christmas"

A controversy arose in the early 2000's over whether to say "Merry Christmas" or change it to "Season's greetings," or "Happy holidays" to keep from offending people of other religions. I have traveled to around 40 other countries and been exposed to different religions. I have never found someone in a Muslim, Hindu, or Buddhist country who objected to saying "Merry Christmas." For the most part, they seem much more tolerant than many Americans.

In India, I sat down at the table of a Hindu family for dinner. The father told me it was fine to go ahead and say grace, if that was my custom. I listened to a Hindu priest say that he had no trouble believing in Jesus and his miracles. Of course, he believed in a multitude of Hindu gods also. It didn't offend me when one of my Muslim students in the Philippines celebrated Ramadan, and she even attended Christian chapel programs every Friday, so she could go to the best private school in Davao City.

I find it interesting that in a recent poll (2013), the states west of the Mississippi often didn't have a problem with saying "Merry Christmas," while more people in the East were very outspoken against it. One article thought the reason is that the largest percentage of Christians reside in the East, and therefore a faith-based Christian message was presented more often. Those who opposed Christianity (not usually those of other religions, unless you count atheism as a religion) want to change this.

I find the whole controversy sad. It boggles my mind that people want to take the mention of Christ from Christmas. Isn't He the whole reason for the holiday in the first place? I also find it amusing that the word "holiday" is a shortened form of "holy day," so "Happy holidays" is still religious, isn't it?

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