Merry Holidays

Originally posted Nov. 16, 2005

So last night I was paying my mom a weekly visit before chorus rehearsal when she said, "Don't shop at Target, Wal-Mart or Costco."

"Why?" I asked, thinking that Target and Wal-Mart are two of the places that see most of my paychecks on a regular basis.

"Because they're saying 'Happy Holidays' instead of 'Merry Christmas,'" she said.

I really didn't want to, but I engaged her in further discussion on why that merits a shopping boycott. Essentially, she said that 92 percent of people polled said they'd prefer "Merry Christmas" greetings at stores. (She spends a lot of time watching CNN and the like, so I'm assuming that's where she got this info.)

I asked why it's such a big deal to use a greeting that encompasses more than just the people who celebrate Christmas. She gave me some song and dance about most people celebrating Christmas, and I pointed out that Jews don't celebrate Christmas, they celebrate Hanukkah, and that there are a lot of Jews in America.

She replied that many "more educated" Jews celebrate both Hanukkah and Christmas. I decided not to pursue the issue there, because frankly, I just don't think that's correct.

Anyway, so I pressed on with the shopping boycott issue. "OK, so they're saying 'Happy Holidays.' Why does that merit you not shopping there?"

"It's a personal belief!" she blurted.

"Well it's retarded!" was my eloquent response.

Mom: "No, it's not."

Me: "Yes, it is."

And that's where the conversation ended. I mean, I just don't get it. Think about it this way: By saying "Merry Christmas," the people who don't celebrate Christmas feel alienated or whatever by a greeting that doesn't apply to them. Fine, so they change it to "Happy Holidays." Now, the people who celebrate Christmas feel the new greeting is sweeping Christmas under the rug? That it's alienating their belief in Christmas by including non-Christmas celebrators?

There's just no winning, is there? Like Lincoln said, you can please some of the people some of the time, but not all of the people all of the time.

So, Merry freakin' Holidays. And shop wherever you want. Jeez!

B-Money commented: I also find it very silly that people "boycot" things that are beyond thier control. I mean, C'mon!! Wal-Mart & Target will make tons of money regardless of a few people whom are offended by thier choice of greating during the Holidays which, include Thanksgiving, X-mas, and New Years. So, all they did was play it safe to include ALL their customers. Oh well, it's not like it was when I was a kid.