Click on the chart to see it at full size.
This chart, created by Dave Lieberman, captures my thinking — and really, the right thinking, if you think about it or even think at all — about greetings during this holiday seasons, whether it’s Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, Happy Holidays, Have a Great Festivus, or whatever:
If you can’t see past the words of the wish to its good intent, it’s not the holiday well-wisher who’s broken, it’s you.
With the incredibly rare pathological exception (Tory MP Brian Pallister, I’m looking right at you), most people who extend holiday greetings have kind and noble intentions, and if you see a crusade in “Merry Christmas” or blasphemy in “Happy Holidays”, here’s a suggestion: take a deep breath and think about it for a moment.
If that doesn’t work, take another deep breath.
And if that still doesn’t work, go punch yourself in the face a half-dozen times, because you need it.
Thanks to Dave Lieberman for the creation, and Mark Cidade for the find!
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Love it! ! !
Thank You. Now if I could only find the right GREETING --so I usually default to Happy Holidays, which works for most of the world's cultures and religions, though not for all. sigh...
Actually, most of them really don't give a rat's ass about the person they're allegedly well-wishing. They are mouthing a platitude. The fact that they don't know my religion or lack of religion means that they aren't thinking about me at all. That's okay, of course- there's no reason why they should- but in that case, there's no reason to mouth the platitude, other than wanting to preen themselves on how "nice" a person they are.
And that means they're not being nice, not at all.
Now watch- looking for "you're just a horrible person" responses to show up in 3....2....1....
And they're too dumb to realize they're validating my point.
Stealing! I have a whole rant on how the catholic church stole the solstices and that their descendants are now mirthlessly ranting "keep the christ in christmas" without a clue that their christ was an add on in the first place. Now I will use your graphic instead of accusing people of chanting "mineminemine" like facist toddlers every time some one says happy holidays.
Thanks for the heads up Lisa. We need an app to know where you are at all times to avoid you.
Thank you for this post. I totally agree but could not have presented it nearly as well.
Ivy - I don't think you're a horrible person. I don't think you're all that smart, either.
You don't have to have intimate knowledge of someone to wish that they're having a good time in general. Simply repeating a generic wish of general wellbeing and happiness does not a platitude constitute.
unless you are a mind reader, you can't know for certain whether that person i seriously wishing you well or not.
So you can chose to believe it's insincere, which justifies your feeling self important and miserable, or you can chose to believe they mean it, which brings a little more light and joy into your life
Your choice- but I'm not sure why anyone would deliberately choose to make themselves miserable.
People don't have to know everything about you to wish you well.
Ivy Freeborn, while I don't think you're a horrible person I do strongly disagree with pretty everything you said. When I tell someone "Have a nice day", deep down do I really care if they have a nice day or not? No, not really. I'm probably never going to see that person again in my life. Does this mean I should just never do it? No, of course not. It makes me feel better when someone takes the time to tell me to have a good day, so I hope to give that little mental boost to others when I say it. It's the same thing with holiday greetings. I have no idea what other people's religion is, I just want to share that warm feeling of being excited for the holiday season.
Ivy and Lisa, Merry Christmas to both of you, and may you both be covered with much kindness and happiness through the holiday season because you both seem to need as much as you can get!