Merry Christmas OR Happy Holidays?
I was raised a Catholic—attended Catholic school through high school. I lived in a white, suburban Christian community. I sang in the church choir. My favorite Christmas song was “O Holy Night”. In other words, I was brought up to believe in God, to celebrate Christmas, to worship the baby Jesus and to long to visit Bethlehem and see the special shining star that guided the Magi to the inn those many years ago.
And, I grew up and expanded my world view—having friends from different races, learning about other kinds of belief systems and understanding the various ways and forms that God appears to others. I have arrived at some insights that have caused me to view the “Christmas v. Holiday” controversy in a very different light than I would have in the 1950s and early 1960s.
I was taught that God is ubiquitous—that God is everywhere and in everyone. I believe that now in a profoundly different way than I did when I was young and believed everything that I was taught by my early teachers. I know that my God has many names and forms. God is Buddha, Mohammed, Yahweh, Jesus, Mother Teresa, Mother, Father, Husband, Friend, Stranger, ET (the extraterrestrial) and Enemy. God is anyone or anything that helps me grow and learn about myself, my world, my responsibilities and my reason for being.
And, as a result of my broader education and opportunity to think for myself, I am no longer Catholic. One reason is that I view the church’s teachings in many areas as just wrong. One of the teachings is that the church is the “one, true universal church” and that only people who are Catholic in good standing (e,g, confession, weekly Mass, no mortal sins) can enter the gates of heaven. In good conscience, I can no longer accept that notion. The path to “heaven” has many roads, many teachers and many ways to hear the right messages.
One of my values—supported by my early teachings from families and teachers and constantly reinforced by everyone I respect—is that I should “do unto others as I would have done to me”. That was part of my catechism, it’s in the Bible, it just makes sense. So, I may not like you; I may not want to be the person you are; I may disagree with your beliefs or choices; but I must treat you with courtesy and respect and agree to disagree or to not engage with you any more than I have to—but I cannot force you to view the world from my point of view or to believe what I believe. Each of us must find our own path, our own teacher, our own way to hear the messages that will take us to the promised land.
So, where am I in the controversy over “Merry Christmas” versus “Happy Holidays”? There is only one choice. I choose to celebrate Christmas. I still have a small nativity set (a very special Mary, Jesus and donkey made by students in an inner city special education class where I did some student teaching). I still think “O Holy Night” is one of the best Christmas songs there is (and I try every year to hit the notes as purely as the best singers do). But, I believe firmly in separation of Church and state. And, I respect your path to God, despite what name you give her. I would not presume that you would impose your beliefs or choice of celebrations on me. Nor would I expect that you would do the same to me. Therefore, I wish you a very “Happy Holiday”!