Reality Amuck™

You'll likely never hear that seriously spoken, the War on Hanukkah (unless people are talking about an actual shooting war), but every year around this time certain bloviating bullies on the Faux News Channel start going off their rockers about the War on Christmas. If someone that doesn't know me wishes me a Merry Christmas why should I be upset? Honestly, I am more upset when someone wearing a Santa hat, a Rudolph pin and a red & green outfit tells me "Happy Holidays". Really? You know you want to say Merry Christmas, you celebrate Christmas, so just say it. And if you're Mega-conglomo-mart, stop making your employees say anything that they don't want to say. If they celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah or any other December holiday, let them say they're appropriate seasonal wish, if any at all, and I'll be fine.  I have yet to have a complete crisis of faith upon being wished Season's Greetings by a cheerful store employee.

That said, when I don't wish you a Merry Christmas or think that it's appropriate to cover every public square and school house with Christmas themed decorations, I'm not waging war on your faith. Personally, I like all of the pretty lights and if you want to pay the electricity bill, more power to you, but just not on the courthouse lawn. There are more than enough private businesses with space in their stores and store property, plenty of private homes with large lawns, and more than enough churches and synagogues to house all of the various seasonal decorations.

And please, please, don't be one of those people that try to tell me Christmas is a secular holiday and the Christmas tree doesn't have any religious meaning. I know it has it's origins in Pagan belief, but I also know what it's been used for over the last couple centuries. Oh, and seriously don't be the Jew that tells me that the Hanukkiah (Hanukkah menorah) isn't a religious symbol while you complain about the Christmas tree. I'd say they're on about the same footing in that regard, so stop embarrassing yourself and those around you.

So, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, and Seasonally appropriate greetings delivered in the tradition of your beliefs. Let's all try to be a little more friendly to each other and take a minute to shut the hell up.