When I first started Twelve Wishes of Christmas in 2005, I was saddened by the push for political correctness for this season.
"You shouldn't say, 'Merry Christmas'! The more inclusive greeting is 'Happy Holidays'."
I explain, hey, I'm Catholic. Can't I greet people based on my faith?
They said, yes, but then I would have to greet people on Kwanzaa and Hanukkah, too. Also, I might hurt the feelings of Moslems, Hindus, Confucians, and Atheists. Happy Holidays, I was told, was very neutral.
How did December 25th suddenly insult people? Don't they know that that suggestion alone insults me? Whatever. Happy Holidays.
A few years earlier, these politically correct people created an anti-Christian rhetoric. A Member of Parliament from British Columbia spoke up and demanded that "God" be stricken from the Canadian Constitution. Not only was it voted down, the MP was demoted within his party.
Since then, all the symbols of Christmas and Christianity were attacked. Christmas trees in Post Offices. Nativity scenes on municipal buildings. Blessings in inaugurations. Prayers during invocations. I couldn't believe what they could think up next.
People got tired of political correctness when the Governor General suggested last year to make O Canada! gender neutral. That was the last straw. People wanted to be themselves, and say what they feel, without hurting other people's feelings.
In a poll two days ago, 3 out of 4 Canadians said they prefer "Merry Christmas" to "Happy Holidays". Hooray!
One person who did not worry about political correctness was the late Charles "Sparky" Schulz, cartoonist of the popular Peanuts comic strip. The Charlie Brown Christmas special from 1965 remains one of the most popular cartoons that tells the true story of Christmas to kids.
I am happy to greet everyone a Merry Christmas, because I mean it. If you greet me Happy Kwanza, Happy Hanukkah, or Happy Holidays, I will also fondly accept your greeting, because you mean it too. If we all in our hearts mean to greet each other in our own way, how can we insult anyone?
Merry Christmas!
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