More Than Fruitcake and Holiday Cards

 Hi friends, it's time for another blog! The issue on my mind: political correctness, specifically in reference to the time of year that falls between December 1 and January 1. No, I'm not talking about winter. It may interest you to know that winter doesn't technically begin until December 21, which means it's only been official for four days. What I'm talking about is what is now referred to as the "Holiday Season." The season that used to be a peaceful preparation for Christmas. The season that the church calls Advent, "arrival" or "coming." The season that now consists of corporate marketing campaigns and commercial upon commercial attempting to convince us of all the material objects that we need in our lives. And worst of all, the season that has been tainted by political correctness and generic greeting cards.

In preparation for Christmas, I went to several stores looking for Christmas cards, but they're more difficult to find than you might think. Holiday greeting cards fill the aisles instead. "Happy Holidays" is now the accepted wish to family, friends and colleagues. This phrase is safe, it's generic, and it's boring. I understand the reasoning behind wanting to be all-inclusive and not daring to offend, but in our attempt to be neutral, we are removing the very reason that this season exists.

You see, Christmas means more to me than presents and fruitcake. Christmas is a time to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Christmas is a time when the angels and shepherds worshiped the baby in the manger- a time when we can still revel in the mystery and miracle of his incarnation. And Christmas is a tradition, a tradition which has been warped and is slowly being stripped away, replaced by secular culture and practices and rhetoric. I respect other beliefs and religions and recognize that not everyone celebrates Christmas, but I also expect that same respect from others. So I'm going to celebrate Christmas and continue to call it that, and I refuse to become a generic greeting card that wishes everyone a nondescript "Happy Holidays." And if this offends you, deal with it. I'm not Jewish, but if you wished me a "Happy Hanukkah," I would say "thanks" and be on my merry way. So Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas!