Happy Holidays is the only way to go now. Be warned, nary a Merry should leave your lips. Santa has become as villain as the Grinch himself. If one but says the word “Christmas” in a corporate establishment be prepared to face the wrath of holy correctness. Hanukkah and Christmas, Kwanza and all the other holiday fixings all stand for the same thing, food, family and presents.
Who cares which holiday someone tells one to enjoy? The Grinch for example is a beloved staple of holiday triumph over evil. Who cares if its How the Grinch stole Hanukkah or Kwanza or Christmas? It all means the same thing just like Merry Christmas means happy holidays. And happy Hanukkah could stand for enjoy your winter festivities.
Political correctness has gone far enough, soon to even wish someone any sort of enjoyable holiday one will have to say, “enjoy your winter season festivities” and even then you risk the chance of offending someone. What about people in Australia? Down there its summer, what then? No matter what one says someone will always be offended. To try to incorporate all peoples into one well wishing is ludicrous. A scrooge, is a scrooge, is a scrooge no matter what holiday they are humbugging. Now it’s really gotten out of control,
In Wichita, Kansas, a local newspaper ran an apology after referring to a “Christmas tree”, rather than a “community tree” at the city’s Winter fest celebration. Lake Washington High School in Kirkland, the play A Christmas Carol was banned from playing because of the religious undertones, the main concern being Tiny Tim’s famous final line, “God bless us, everyone.” Tiny Tim is asking everyone to be blessed and not by one particular god. What if Tiny Tim had said, “may your religious preference god, or no god bless or possibly not bless you and the party of your choice.” That just doesn’t have the same ring to it.
A Christmas Carol is not about God, it’s about the joy of love and friendship and learning that greed is bad. What religion or not religion doesn’t promote that? Everyone can appreciate it for what it is: a play designed to entertain people, not religious propaganda! Nobody cares about what you say; it’s the meaning behind it.
At the risk of sparring all holiday feelings, some companies have gone a whole different route. Incorporate everyone instead of eliminating anyone.
The old Virgin Mobile commercial coined the term “Chrismakwanzika.” Now businesses are using this for Holiday selling, the website, Joystiq, used the term to advertise. “Given the proximity to the end of the year and Chrismakwanzika, pre-ordering this might not be a bad idea,” said the website.
So, in all fairness, since that’s apparently what the season is all about, if your going to cater to the P.C. community might as well do it right.
