12-2-2013
Happy Holidays!
There, I said it. As both a
Christian and a Pastor, I have no problems saying Merry Christmas, and I
understand the root in the word Christmas is Christ. He, above all else, is why we celebrate this
commemorative season of advent. It is a
high and holy time of year for we who believe the truth of God’s breaking into
creation in a very specific and pointed way.
But I also have no real problem saying Happy Holidays either. There are those who push for this designation
in an attempt to somehow “de-religion” or “un-church” the celebration. For some it is a realization that there are
also other religious celebrations that are observed in the same period of time
in a calendar year. The irony is that if
one were to do a little research into the origins of the word holiday they may
be surprised…
Merriam-Webster offers these definitions:
hol·i·day noun \ˈhä-lə-ˌdā, British usually
ˈhä-lə-dē\
: a special day of celebration : a day when most
people do not have to work
Full Definition of HOLIDAY
1 : holy
day
2 : a day
on which one is exempt from work; specifically : a day marked by a general suspension of work
in commemoration of an event (italics
added)
3 chiefly British : vacation —often used in the phrase on holiday
—often used in plural
4 : a
period of exemption or relief <corporations enjoying a tax holiday>
Beyond that in the explanation of the origin of
the word it says, “Middle English, from Old English hāligdæg, from hālig holy
+dæg day. First Known Use: before 12th century
So in saying “Happy Holidays” we are actually wishing people
several happy, Holy - Days… days that are exempt from work, and in
commemoration of this specific event. (I
submit that is an example of Sabbath) I
suppose that it is appropriate then, that even in the attempted avoidance of
“overt religiosity”, people find a lack of ability to remove Holiness from the
equation.
So to my friends who are worried about the attempt to remove
Christ from Christmas… rest easy. To
paraphrase an old adage, “You can take the Christmas out of the greeting, but
you can’t take the Holy out of the holiday.”
Christ’s promise is this, “and lo, I am with you
always, even to the end of the age.
Amen” (Matt 28: 20b NKJV) Culturally neutral words can’t change that. Love in truth and in
deed this year and make the celebration Holy in all the ways you can by loving the
same people the Savior did.
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