Why I say ‘Merry Christmas’ instead of ‘Happy Holidays’ (Opinion)

Put yourself in this situation. You're a Christian and you celebrate Christmas. You come in contact with someone maybe while shopping and they put out their hand — or today, maybe a fistbump — and wish you "Happy Holidays."

Not that there's anything wrong with that, but when I come in contact with someone, I say "Merry Christmas." I don't see any intimacy in "Happy Holidays." To me, it's a disconnect, like: "I have no idea what you celebrate but have a good time with whatever it is." It should be followed by a pat on the head.

I celebrate Christmas. Most of the world celebrates Christmas. Regardless of what you celebrate, I'm figuring unless you work in a job like police, firefighter, doctor, EMT, or the like, you're going to be off on Dec. 25.

Christmas celebrations have been documented in movies, songs, and I'm guessing, your own life so when I wish you a Merry Christmas your mind can take you to a place where you'll know exactly the joy I'm wishing you. It's a joy that I experience every year and a personal experience that I'm sharing with you. You might even say it's a gift.

When I talked about this on my New Jersey 101.5 show on Monday, like I do every year at this time, I got calls from people who are afraid that they are going to offend someone by saying "Merry Christmas." Let me write that again. People are afraid that they are going to offend someone by saying "Merry Christmas."

In your entire life, have you ever had someone get offended when you wished them a Merry Christmas? I think not. When I lived in Marlboro, which was mostly Jewish, I wished everyone a "Merry Christmas" and everyone took it with the joy with which it was intended. Many of our Jewish neighbors even had Christmas trees and came to our house for Christmas Eve. Of course, knowing that they were Jewish, I would also wish them a Happy Hanukkah. As they would for me.

The point here is that if you celebrate Christmas and want to wish someone the joy you experience over that holiday, then go ahead and wish them a Merry Christmas. You know you want to.

I keep hearing about a "War on Christmas." How about instead we replace the war with peace on Earth? May you have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Steve Trevelise only. Follow him on Twitter @realstevetrev.

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