The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Happy Holidays!

There. I said it. That horrible, terrible, most anti-Christian display of syncretism known to man.

The horror.

Before the the fire is lit under the tar kettle or the knives are put to pillows to produce the wispy goose down for my Yuletide adornment please allow me to explain myself.

In America a few things can be counted on in consideration of the year's closing act. 1) Retail stores will continue to steadily ease the appearance of Christmas decor and music ever closer to the Fourth of July and people will continue to be offended by the phraseology used to wish goodwill during the weeks surrounding the Winter Solstice.

Almost makes one want to switch to "Go fart fire" or maybe "Have a terrible winter". Something like that.

Anyway.

The funny thing is, the person most likely to correct you towards "Merry Christmas" is proportionately just as likely to express "support for Israel", whatever that means.

Which makes me think...either you love Israel or you don't. You can't have it both ways.

Now, while most of the Jewish people I have met appear to harbor no obvious animosity to wreaths, candy canes, Jolly ol' St Nick, O Tannenbaum or even live reenactments of shepherds watching their flocks by night breaking away from the task to welcome the birth of Christ, I think it is ignorant on the part of us, as Christians, to expect them to "Have a Merry Christmas or get on a boat and go back where you came from".

Seriously. They're Jewish. We love Jewish people, right? You know, Jewish people, King David, Elijah, Solomon, Jesus, John, Peter, Paul and a bunch of ladies named Mary. Jewish people.

A pleasant "Happy Holidays" gives a polite inclusion to a group of people that were being persecuted before Jesus celebrated His first Hanukkah. It also includes the Federally-recognized holiday "New Year's Day" as well as "Thanksgiving", which apparently has something to do with pro football, elastic waistbands and Christmas, although there are those that refer to people known as "pilgrims" that founded Macy's or something like that. I'll have to research those claims for an entry next November. Maybe by then I'll have the tar and feathers removed.

Until then, I hope whatever holiday you prefer is as glorious, magnificent, merry and happy as it can possibly be. And SMILE, this is the most wonderful time of the year.