In the United States, a volunteer with the Salvation Army (a Christian organisation) was assaulted by a shopper when she greeted her with a festive greeting. The volunteer, who was collecting funds at a Wal-Mart store, was cheerfully greeting shoppers, but instead of a smile or a “same to you”, she received angry words and a punch – because she had used “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas”: a Christian attacking another Christian for being insufficiently Christian.

Although this is a rather extreme example, there are many who are increasingly taking offence if they are greeted by any words other than “Merry Christmas – whether spoken, or on a shop display, or in a card. A video on YouTube has a choir singing a ‘carol’ about how people should boycott businesses that have the ‘wrong’ greeting on display. Some businesses are actually avoiding putting up any messages at all, just to be on the safe side.

When did this happen? For as long as I can remember, there have been cards that say “Merry Christmas” and cards that say “Season’s Greetings”, and nobody seemed to mind either one. People accepted good wishes happily, in the spirit in which they were given, and responded in kind.

Is it the season to be jolly or isn’t it? How the Grinch Stole Christmas was not meant to be an instruction video. Pour out a cup of hot spicy imbuljuta, put on some music and gather together with friends and family and have a good time. If you’re going through this time grumbling about how others are not using the right words, or didn’t send a card with the right picture on it, you’re not doing it right unless you’re playing a certain character in a Dickens’ novel. It’s about “Ho, ho, ho”, not “Bah, humbug”.

Ramon Casha

PRO, MALTA HUMANIST ASSOCIATION