Thanksgiving represents a secular national holiday marking the date when European pioneers settled in America and Native Americans greeted them by helping them to survive. Of course, if I write too much more on this topic, I'll have to get into the whole conflict that ensued as a result of that event in the 17th Century.
But Thanksgiving also marks the beginning of the "Christmas Season." And that almost always begins a debate about how one should greet someone else during religious holidays. Should you say "Merry Christmas" or the generic "Happy Holidays"?
The Total Living Network, a mainly Christian television station based in Chicago, has decided it's no longer going to say "Happy Holidays." The Arlington Heights Daily Herald Newspaper (where I pen a column now only once each month on Middle East issues and the "Arab Viewpoint," down from weekly :( ... ) ran a story about this on Nov. 13 by writer Amy Boerema, that began:
It's that time of year -- the time when Ron Klamert is sick of hearing people say "Happy Holidays."
And this season, he's taking action.
As the general manager of an Aurora-based Christian television station, Klamert is launching a "Merry Christmas" campaign, urging viewers to send in tapes with their own Christmas messages.
"To us, 'Happy Holidays' is mindless noise," said Klamert of St. Charles. "You don't have to neutralize it and make it generic. It turns the holiday into a secular, material, boring event."
This season, leaders at Total Living Network, which reaches about 1.6 million households in the Chicago area, want people to send in taped Christmas greetings to family, friends or even troops overseas.
The station will air the messages in December. For a $5 fee, it also will produce a DVD for viewers to keep.
I agree. The idea that you can't say "Merry Christmas" seems so offensive. Happy Holidays sounds so "vanilla." Meaningless. Without a soul.
But, not everyone in America is a Christian who celebrates Christmas.
Later on in the column, Klamert argues:
"If you don't want to be a part of Christmas, hey, this is America, that is your right and should be respected," he said. "Respect our right to say, 'Merry Christmas.'"
If someone were to wish him a "Happy Hanukah," Klamert said, he'd return the greeting and add "Merry Christmas." It's about educating others, he said.
"Our diversity is our strength, not our weakness." he said. "We should cherish each tradition, not make it neutral, boring and meaningless."
He has a point. But here is where journalists need to focus. The issue isn't whether this is America and everyone is free to participate or not participate. The issue is, does a television station that makes this point also go out of its way to put as much effort into promoting the holidays of others who are not Christian and who do not celebrate Christmas? Like, Jews, Muslims, Hindus and others?
In otherwords, Klamert sounds reasonable, but he's not. The fact is what the TLN Network executive is not say is that his station doesn't broadcast Happy Hanukkah messages and Happy Ramadan messages and other messages that would be the equivalent to "Merry Christmas."
The writer notes that a recent Zogby Interactive poll showed 95 percent of Americans are not offended to hear a "Christmas greeting" while shopping; 46 percent are offended by "Happy Holidays" wish; 36 percent said they have even avoided a store or cut their visit short after being wished "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas."
"Happy Holidays" is an expression of respect to all religions, not a gesture of disrespect as Klamert makes it sound and many Americans apparently believe.
"Happy Holidays" is the appropriate way to greet people you don't know, while "Merry Christmas" is the appropriate way to greet Christians.
Whent he story comes up this year on your beats, don't just report the story and the controversy, ask the individuals responsible if in their actions they are applying a principle of fairness, or is the "rebellion" against the Happy Holidays merely a disguised gesture of xenophobia?
Merry Christmas to my Christian friends and relatives
a belated "Eid Mubarak" to my Muslim friends
a belated "le Shana Tova" to my Jewish friends
I wonder if Klamert's station plans similar campaigns for the rest of us?
-- Ray Hanania