One of my friends posted a message on his Facebook. It's similar to something I saw last year. It said:
I was going to be quiet... I really was. However, I thought conversation was needed:
Tonight we took mom out to Palazzo Ristorante for a special Christmas dinner. She loves their scallops alla Piccata.
I told her about my Facebook conversation. I thought she'd agree with me. Instead she smiled and said, "It doesn't matter. We're Buddhists."
"But mom" I said, "I have friends who celebrate Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Diwali. Don't you think you should be inclusive of them?"
"The words of greeting are not important." she said. "It is the warmth and feeling behind it."
And to all this my daughter wrote about my 6 year old granddaughter:
"KC has been thinking that people are wishing us a Happy Halloween! I had to explain to her what Happy Holidays means. She got it right and said, "Oh... because they don't know what you celebrate....Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa....you need to ask them first."
So there you go. Two different opinions from two different generations.
Therefore since this is Christmas Eve, with all the warmth, feeling and love in my heart I'd like to wish everyone of every faith a Merry Christmas.
And just to be safe...Happy Holidays too.
"I'm inviting all my Facebook family and friends to join me in returning to the traditional greeting of "Merry Christmas" instead of the politically correct "Happy Holidays"!! If you agree with me, please repost this message. Merry Christmas! We need Christ back into our lives. God is welcome in my house. If God is welcome in your house, repost this."
I was going to be quiet... I really was. However, I thought conversation was needed:
"Asking this is not really inclusive of those who are not Christian is it? I have many friends of many faiths. I love to wish happiness to all of them."He wrote back:
" Hi Kay, thanks for your response! The point of the post is that the reason for the "holiday season" is because we celebrate Jesus' birth. Without Christmas, there is no holiday season. When I worked at the cellphone store, the company told us that we couldn't wish customers Merry Christmas, we had to say happy holidays because they were afraid of offending someone. Does that make any sense at all when you know the reason for the season? It seems kind of extreme to me that we don't say Merry Christmas anymore just because we might offend someone. If someone wished me Happy Hanukkah, or Happy Bodhi day, it wouldn't offend me because that is that person's belief and way of wishing me happiness, joy etc. If anyone wishes me happy holidays, I just say thank you, and Merry Christmas back to you!To which I replied:
"The reason for the season can be Hanukkah or Diwali or Kwanzaa also. However, thank you for clarifying your position. It's wonderful to talk these things through so we can better understand each other. Merry Christmas to you and your beautiful family."My friend wrote back that it was good that we could discuss this together. I was really happy too, because I love this guy. I'm glad he didn't UNfriend me.
Tonight we took mom out to Palazzo Ristorante for a special Christmas dinner. She loves their scallops alla Piccata.
I told her about my Facebook conversation. I thought she'd agree with me. Instead she smiled and said, "It doesn't matter. We're Buddhists."
"But mom" I said, "I have friends who celebrate Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Diwali. Don't you think you should be inclusive of them?"
"The words of greeting are not important." she said. "It is the warmth and feeling behind it."
And to all this my daughter wrote about my 6 year old granddaughter:
"KC has been thinking that people are wishing us a Happy Halloween! I had to explain to her what Happy Holidays means. She got it right and said, "Oh... because they don't know what you celebrate....Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa....you need to ask them first."
So there you go. Two different opinions from two different generations.
Therefore since this is Christmas Eve, with all the warmth, feeling and love in my heart I'd like to wish everyone of every faith a Merry Christmas.
And just to be safe...Happy Holidays too.
Wait a minute, Kay, you took your mom out for a special "Christmas dinner"?? ;)
ReplyDeleteI'm with your mom on this matter.
And KC is one smart kid, too.
Glad tidings to you all!
Yup! We'd celebrate Hanukkah too if we could. (Well, we did when you were around.) I love latkes with apple sauce. Art really likes gefilte fish with that reddish horse radish, but that's for Passover, isn't it?
DeleteI'm with your mother on this one Kay, it's the thought behind the greeting that counts. I have been saying 'Merry Christmas' or 'Happy Christmas' to people for over sixty years now and it would be hard to change. I love the feelings that are engendered during the Christmas period - apart from the over commercialisation that is - and enjoy sharing the spirit of the season with other people, no matter what their faith or what they say back to me. So a very merry Christmas to you and Art and your mother and the rest of your family and I hope that you have a most enjoyable holiday time.
ReplyDeleteI just say Happy Holidays, our world becomes more complicated because we make it so, I'm with your mum, Happy Holidays!!
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas, Kay.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas Kay! I think your friend explained it really well. I agree with him. And thank you for your greeting!
ReplyDeleteWhatever you call this very special time, it's pretty much traditionally a period of the dark before the dawn, the return of the light, the birth of Jesus, a time to celebrate. Happy Everything to Everyone! Oh, and thanks for the time and energy you put into each of these posts, Kay. I have enjoyed being with you and your family on a daily basis. You're the best! :-)
ReplyDeleteI hate to think anyone would be offended by a greeting of good wishes, however they are expressed. As trite as it sounds I like to think "it is the thought that counts".
ReplyDeleteI'm afraid you're going to have to translate "Hanukkah, Diwali or Kwanzaa" into English for me.
ReplyDeleteThat aside, I'll say "Merry Christmas" to all & quite happily flatten anyone who wants to instead use some marxist phrase.
There isn't a religious bone in my body, & (mainly through unhappy proximity) I have less time for Christians than for anybody else, but also I'm aware of the pagan origins of the festival, & anyone who tries to suggest that it is Jesus' birthday is going to have the mother of all debates on their hands.
All of that aside, in real life, I have NEVER heard anybody say anything other than "Merry Christmas". Ever.
whatever it's called we all need more love and understanding every day not just holidays!
ReplyDeleteWhatever it is called, hope you, Art, and your mother have a good one! You have such a beautiful tree, and I can just imagine all the presents under it.
ReplyDeleteTo Kay, Art, and your lovely Mom -- Happy Holidays, and Merry Christmas, best would be "Mele Kalikimaka." Your kindness and thought is what counts, but you were bothering Mom while eating her favorite item. So, in the interest of continually educating us, and accepting the diversity of your blog, please tell us about Bodhi Day.
ReplyDeleteBut I love the simplicity of children to guide us. K.C. certainly provides perspective!
Aloha, DrumMajor
I'm a lazy Buddhist. I had to look up Bodhi Day. Wikipedia had this:
Delete"Bodhi Day is the Buddhist holiday that commemorates the day that the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautauma (Shakyamuni), experienced enlightenment, also known as bodhi in Sanskrit and Pali. According to tradition, Siddhartha had recently forsaken years of extreme ascetic practices and resolved to sit under a peepal tree and simply meditate until he found the root of suffering, and how to liberate oneself from it."
It says it's observed on:
"The 8th day of the 12th lunar month of the Chinese calendar, or December 8 in Japan."
I did know about the Bodhi tree because all the temples seem to have them on their grounds, but I can't remember celebrating Bodhi Day. Sadly, my friend is more knowledgeable about Buddhism than I am. Which is embarrassing since he's a Christian. I'm going down now to ask my resident expert about Bodhi Day. I need to be enlightened.
Happy Holidays to you and your family Kay! And I'm salivating over your mom's dish...MMm.
ReplyDeleteI think you know that I respect all faiths. When I say "Merry Christmas!" it applies to everyone and their faith!!! Enjoy the season, Kay!!!!!
ReplyDeleteYou leave me smiling. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to the three of you there.
ReplyDeleteGreat post. I agree with your mother. The greeting doesn't matter, which is why your friend and others like him who think they have to "save" Christmas should just relax and spread joy and happiness. Faith is a persona
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas! And Happy Holidays!
One of my favorite poems from childhood:
ReplyDeleteHe drew a circle which shut me out,
Heretic rebel a thing to flout.
But love and I had the wit to win,
We drew a circle which brought him in.
I really don't understand why SOME Christians think they own this time of the year. We don't even know exactly when Jesus was born.
Hundreds of religions over the millenia have held a midwinter celebration. Around here Christmas, Kwanzaa, Yule, and Chanukah and Eid al-Fitr (both the latter of which follow the lunar calendar) are important, to name a few (pardon my spelling). If ever a Christian lived it was Jesus and he was LOVE which means all-inclusive.
Happy Holidays Kay, and please forgive those who know not what they do.
Dianne
Oh... Thank you, Dianne. Your poem brought tears to my eyes. Your comment said everything I wanted to say, but better. I forgot about Eid al Fitr. I should have remembered since we were in Turkey when that celebration was going on. Hawaii will be sending the first Hindu representative, Tulsi Gabbard to congress and she sent everybody a Diwali greeting. We're also sending the first Buddhist, Mazie Hirono. loved it! I just want to draw a BIG BIG circle to fit the whole world in.
DeleteHappy holidays. Happy days. I'm with Mom. Say it with warmth and a smile.
ReplyDeleteI think the line between all the holidays at this time of year has gotten blurred as the commercialization of Christmas has grown. I think that if you use ANY greeting in a sincere tone the message gets across.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas and Happy New Year!! Thought that was why we replaced two holidays with just Happy Holidays...didn't know there was a religious reason.
ReplyDeleteL...w
Welcome back L.! Were you on a trip? I missed you.
DeleteStill am...writing from Vegas. Tomorrow we head to Laughlin. I tried writing a comment on my kindle yesterday but lost connection just at the moment I clicked to send. I miss reading your blog first thing every morning.
DeleteL.
I'm amazed you're able to do it on the Kindle. I have the 4G connection or whatever you call it, but it was too much of a hassle for my simple brain to operate.
DeleteMom looks great! All the best to you folks
ReplyDeleteWhatever you call it, enjoy the season!
ReplyDelete"The words of greeting are not important." she said. "It is the warmth and feeling behind it." Your Mother is a wonderful and wise lady. I love this and enjoyed this post very much. Thanks Kay!
ReplyDelete