Merry what?

The usual 'Happy Holidays/Merry Christmas/what the heck do I say?' hoopla is doing the rounds at the moment as it usually does at this time of the year so for what it is worth...here is my two penneth...

Happy Holidays is a term that seems to be more popular in the USA rather than the UK but it covers a multitude of celebrations and let's face it there are quite a few in December - not just Christmas and the Winter Solstice but also Bodhi day (a Buddhist), Hanukkah (Jewish), Id al-Adha & Ramadan (Muslim), St Lucia Day (Swedish), Feast of our Lady of Guadalupe (Mexican), Omisoka (Japan) and Saturnalia (Nova Romans/Hellenic) and I am pretty sure there are others so the wish of Happy Holidays is a 'politically correct' phrase to cover everything.

In the UK we tend to use Seasons Greetings as a general wish which makes sense as it really means wishing you greetings of the winter season and again covers a whole load of different meanings.

But here's the thing...when it is someone's birthday I wish them Happy Birthday because it is THEIR birth date not mine.  To my Hindu friends I wish them Happy Diwali (in October) not because I am Hindu but because I am wishing them blessings for their celebration.  So when I wish a fellow pagan Yuletide Blessings it is because they are pagan, not because I am.

So...I do wish people Merry Christmas as a general rule because the majority of people I come into contact with do celebrate the whole Christmas shebang.  I give the greeting to send blessings their way and to be friendly and positive, I am wishing that they have a happy Christmas time because that is the holiday they celebrate.

When I was first on this pathway being the only pagan in my family I struggled big time with how to deal with Christmas and spent hours looking for cards to send people that didn't have the 'C' word on...it was only after I settled into my faith that I realised...my friends and family that celebrate Christmas don't want a pagan Yule card, it was only my befuddled brain that wanted to send them one.

Now I purchase cards because I like the image on the front (and because I purchase charity cards the money I use to buy them goes to a good cause too) it doesn't matter whether they say Happy Christmas, Seasons Greetings or Yuletide Wishes...

I wonder if we are really over thinking this...I have seen long in depth posts on facebook where pagan people have gotten their knickers in a twist because someone wished them Happy Christmas...well you know what?   That person was just sending you postive happy blessings, does it really matter if they use the word Christmas or the word Yule?  Isn't it all about the fact that they said something nice, something that sent you joyful wishes?

Today when the world appears to be going to hell in a hand basket isn't it better that people wish each other happy blessings of any kind?  Let's not get hung up on semantics...whatever wording you use make sure you wish everyone you meet today blessings of some kind...

Happy Hogswatch to you all ♥






Hogswatch cards (the image above) available from www.discworldemporium.com