A month of holidays

Perhaps one of the many reasons Christianists have for making a fuss about anyone conveying their wishes that someone’s holidays be happy, is that it reminds people that the Christians who celebrate Christmas are not the only show in town.

It may remind some that having the Wal-Mart greeter say “Merry Christmas” has little to do with “Putting Christ back in Christmas.” It might remind others that it isn’t only a few million Jews with their candlesticks who would like to feel American in their own right; the millions of Muslims of America have their season as well. The Hajj begins today and Sunday marks Eid Al-Adha.

It may be worthy of note that the Postal Service offers an Eid stamp, along with Kwanzaa and Hanukah and Christmas and I’m almost surprised that the Christmas turkeys haven’t been gobbling about that one.

The fact that a religion so fashionable to vilify celebrates essentially the same story of God asking Abraham to sacrifice his son that appears in the Hebrew Scriptures might come as a surprise to the Sunday school educated residents of the Bible belt who seem to have some sense of ownership over the books, if not the theology of other religions and I’m sure it would offend them if in saying “Happy Holidays” we were wishing a happy holiday to a Muslim. So when they start grumbling about the offense to their freedom of speech and their religion, remember that they’re trying to invade your freedom of speech and diminish your freedom of religion. I have no problem with wishing a merry Christmas to anyone who celebrates it, or happy Eid or Hanukah or Kwanzaa when the situations is fitting – otherwise it’s Happy Holidays Y’all and I really mean it.