There is always a large, and very vociferous, debate about how to greet someone over the Christmas Holiday season. Many feel that Merry Christmas is too Christian, and offends the Jewish, Buddhists, and Islamic communities. They feel that Western culture does not take their feelings into account.

This may be true. But do Islamic countries allow Christians to celebrate their faith, openly, and without persecution in primarily Islamic countries? The answer, of course, is a resounding no. So should we be sensitive to their needs, in primarily Christian communities? The answer, of course, is a resounding yes.

Why the discrepancy? Simple. Because we can. We are freedom loving people. We don’t want to offend people; we want to welcome them to our communities and to our lives. If they choose to NOT celebrate our customs and traditions, that’s fine. I don’t celebrate the Islamic Diwalli Festival of Light either. I don’t greet people with Happy Diwalli. In fact, despite living in a community with a significant Islamic community, I have yet to be greeted by those of the Islamic faith with such a greeting.

Christmas is celebrated on an ancient pagan holiday. It is not a faithful representation of  the day of the birth of Christ. It is merely when we celebrate it, much like we celebrate the Queen’s birthday on some weekend in May. So why do we feel the need to express ourselves in such a way? Frankly, I do not object to people greeting me with Merry Christmas. But I also do not object to people greeting me with Happy Holidays or Season’s Greetings either. The latter two are more inclusive, embracing Jewish Hannukah, Islamic Diwalli, and even pagan celebrations of the New Year.

Surely, the whole point of this holiday is one of inclusion, celebration of family and friends, and thoughtful reflection on the year just finishing. Most of the dissenters are not people of other faiths, but agnostics who wish to remove all religion from any kind of meaningful context in our lives.

Let me be clear – I do not practice any faith, but to suggest I do not have Christian values is silly. Many of the things that make this country great, are because our forefathers were of Christian faith, and preached tolerance and love. To deny this, is to deny our heritage, our history, our life.

So my wish to you is this – Happy Everything! Happy Holidays! Season’s Greetings! And Merry Christmas too! I use all three sayings, and have no hangups about using any of them. I hope you will do the same.