The war on Christmas?

I was listening to a friend lament. 

            "When I worked at Home Depot, they forced us to say 'Happy Holidays' instead of 'Merry Christmas,' she told me. "I was mad because after all, it was really Christmas."

            Or was it? What is this "war on Christmas" we are hearing so much about?

            Perhaps what my friend fails to see is that the Christians are sharing these December dates with many other celebrations of many other religions. Here in America, being the "hodgepodge" of cultures, we host many of these religious traditions within an abundance of temples and churches. The person with whom she wished to share her Christian sentiments might have desired to receive a "Happy Hanukkah," or a "Festive Kwanzah" greeting instead. I suppose her employer felt that since this was the case, a "Happy Holidays" would suffice. After all, Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa are all really just holidays that came from religious events that required time set aside to worship and celebrate with family present. One of the best aspects we have here in our country is the right to come here from somewhere else and be able to bring your religion with you and worship freely. We take pride in this freedom and these family celebrations.

            The Jewish celebration referred to as "Hanukkah" is observed for eight days and eight nights and can occur (according to the Georgian calendar) any time from late November until late December. It can also be referred to as the "Festival of Lights", which just happens to be the same nickname used for "Diwali,"  or the Hindu celebration in November. Of course, the actual Hindu celebration that falls on December 21- 25 is "Pancha Ganapati" where flashing lights, tinsel and colorful hanging ornaments are added to a statue or picture of the deity Ganesha. Children are given gifts which can only be open on the fifth day. I'll bet those little Indians jump up and down on their parents as soon as the sun comes up to get them moving so the present-opening can begin. Sound familiar?  Islamic worshipers celebrate the birth of Mohammad in a similar way Christians celebrate the birth of Christ. There are so many December religious celebrations going on, it's mind-boggling.

            Actually, the Christian celebration of "Christmas Day" looks very much like an ancient event called "Saturnalia" which began in ancient Rome and ran roughly from December 17 for five days. During Saturnalia, a huge banquet was held, businesses, courts and schools were closed and gifts were exchanged. Does this also sound familiar?

            This begs an answer to the question many scholars and others often ask. Why must religion divide us so? If everyone who practices a particular brand of religion could only see the fierce line drawn around them that separates them from others, perhaps they might not be so fast to insist on a precisely religious greeting as opposed to a more generalized salutation. Before religion defines us, we are all human, one and the same, after all. What would happen if the imaginary lines disappeared?

            Being an Atheist leaves me with an advantage, I believe. I am able to clearly see, study and understand many religions without appearing to be a traitor to my faith. Since I do not believe in the existence of a Deity, I study religion from a purely historical viewpoint and can look closely at the people and traditions without the emotional undertones such as the anger displayed by my friend . I find the history fascinating and see many similarities among cultural traditions. Many religions contain a similar main deity, journey and sentiments as others and in order to notice these similarities you have to step over the imaginary line and see things through the eyes of another.

            I would be happy to see folks reveling in the similarities and accepting those who worship alternative Gods as say, distant cousins. These folks seem to have the same goals in desiring to be lifted up from where they are to a higher position filled with love and light. To me, that seems a worthy endeavor no matter what guidelines you choose to follow.

            I am not sure if my friend felt as though the phrase "Happy Holidays" made her joy feel too secular or she just felt shorted by not being able to express her own religious excitement. I was saddened that mere words could cause the feeling of religious censorship. If I were faced with this anger, I would not hesitate to create my own December greeting and it would go something like this:

            Rejoice, human! If you are receiving this message you are alive! Perhaps you have others who are well and alive around you as well. May you be full of peace and the ability to know the joy of giving. We have made it another year and  I am thankful you are all here walking among us.

            It's a bit longer than the traditional December greetings but I'll work on it.