[Soapbox]So, about this whole Happy Holidays vs Merry Christmas thing...

Disclaimer: I cannot even believe I see as much about this as I do, but just to state beforehand, I am a Christian and I do celebrate Christmas. I just think this whole thing is kind of stupid, but for what it's worth, this is my weigh in on it.

Here are a couple disjointed thoughts on why being offended one way or the other on this is, in my opinion, pretty much stupid.

1. Etymology
The word holiday means "holy days". It derives from an Old English word, hāligdæg. So really, it's not any less religious than saying Merry Christmas. It just happens to be inclusive of multiple religious beliefs and celebrations. I don't see that as such a bad thing. Maybe it's the fact that I don't limit myself to only associating with and befriending people who share my beliefs, but it seems pretty silly to be offended that one word could encompass more than just my views.

2. Professionalism
One place I ran into a lot of this was when I was cashiering at a grocery store. I would always say happy holidays unless someone said Merry Christmas (or Happy Chanakkuh, or whatever). Then I would respond back in same. First off, I wasn't offended that someone may have wished me a happy something I don't celebrate, but more on that later. Secondly, by them saying that I know I can say something that speaks to their beliefs personally. Otherwise it's not worth potentially offending someone. It's a shitty job, and somehow it doesn't seem worth it to make it shittier. So, when you want to be snarky to your cashier/mall worker who said Happy Holidays to you, just keep in mind, their life sucks enough without your attitude.

3. Appearances
Guess what? I can't tell by looking at you if you are Christian, Pagan, Jewish, atheist or anything else. If I could, I'm pretty sure it would qualify as a super power since really no one can. It's mighty selfish to think your holiday is so much more important than anyone else's that we should tell a Jew Merry Christmas just so you're happy. I can already see you going, "But that's not my intention." It is though. This whole thing being a debate shows that it's your intention. Screw what everyone else believes, this is all about what you believe this time of year. Sorry, I can't get behind that. I'm kind of all about love and acceptance of everyone, no matter what they believe. Unless it's killing puppies and kittens. That's not cool ever.

4. Nationality
(This part only applies to Americans.)"We are a Christian Nation." No, we're not. Get over it, move on and realize there's a reason we don't have a state religion. The end.

5. History
I'm not even going to get too deep into this one, but I am going to say that as hallowed as Christmas is to Christians as the birth of Christ, the holiday itself and much of it's traditions don't have anything to do with Christianity. There's nothing wrong with this. Things evolve and when people came to the Christian religion, they didn't leave behind their Pagan traditions completely. So, it evolved. That's all on that, because I know this is a can of worms I don't want to open too much.

6. Intent
This is for everyone, those that are offended by Happy Holidays and those that are offended by Merry Christmas. Sometimes a nice thought is just a nice thought, no matter how it's phrased. Stop being so freaking sensitive. This is along the same lines as someone saying they're going to pray for you (in a genuine way, not a praying for your deviant soul kind of way). You just take it. Say thank you. Be gracious. Don't be a douche. Which might be the whole point behind all of this blog.

So, if you take nothing else from this blog, just don't be a douche. Really, on some level that's what this season is supposed to be all about. Now, here's some penguins: