Happy Whatever

"Merry Christmas"
"Oh...I'm Jewish"
"Well, then Happy Hanukkah"
"But we don't practice...we're more...reformed"
"Ummm...then have a good day..."

Yes I've had a conversation like this. Being politically correct has effectively bitch slapped the holidays. When someone wishes you a Merry Christmas, Happy Holiday etc. I would imagine that you would feel warm, fuzzy, appreciated as a human being, but never insulted. If someone wished me a happy Kwanzaa, I'd take it, thank the well wisher and be on my way. What would ever posess someone to pick apart a wish for wellbeing over semantics? How can you be offended over that? Maybe I'm just happy that someone is saying something nice instead of 'good riddence you horrible bitch' or similar.

"Merry Christmas"
"No, actually if we were to delve into the history of "Christmas" we'd find that it is a repackaged form of Yule, therefore I prefer Happy Yule"
"I'm sorry, Happy Yule then"
"So you are Pagan too?"
"NO. "

That conversation sounds to me just as ridiculous as the first one (the second one is fictional). A wish for wellbeing isn't a menu item that we can order and customize to our taste. It is given out of kindness and should be received with grace and without judgement. Can we take P.C too far? Can we totally abolish the Holidays with political correctness? If we adjust our attitudes for the sake of preventing possible offense what are we left with but a robotic and sterile approach to a once pure and joyful yearly occasion? I am not willing to give up wishing people a wonderful Christmas be it a religious holiday that they hold dear or just another day that means nothing more to them than a closure of the malls. I am wishing the person a great day no matter what it may mean to them, be they a Jew, Muslim, Hindu, Agnostic or other.

So Merry Christmas everyone and enjoy another beautiful day!