Holidays are for family and fun!
Being correct is certainly a good feeling. Being politically correct on the other hand is something all together different.
Since the holidays are here there always seems to be a surge of politically correct behavior or as I like to call it lack of common sense. I’m the first to be sensitive as to not impose my will onto others, but when it comes to looking at holidays decorations - seriously, who cares. Maybe Iím the only one that feels this way but I don’t think so.
For me the holidays are about fun and family, I don’t necessarily need a manger scene or something else to instill a festive feeling but it also doesn’t bother me. I’m not really a church going or ceremony kind of guy so the whole pomp and circumstance that surrounds these feelings really does escape me.
This time of the year you hear stories over and over again about how schools don’t let student decorate for the holidays because they’re afraid someone will be offended. Again, I offer up a big fat HUH!?! If I were a school administrator (which I’m not so this to me is more than likely easier said than done), I would assign students with decorating the schools with a twist. I would have the Christian kids in charge of the Hanukkah, the Jewish kids in charge of Christmas decorations and so on. Let them ask questions and let them learn.
In an age of diversity we get to this time of the year and it’s really a chance to show everyone that there are different ways to celebrate different holidays, yet we don’t - it just goes away. It goes to this super safe place where we guard everyone from seeing something that may not align with there beliefs. If you were trying to teach tolerance and diversity then I think this time of the year is a perfect time to create teaching moments.
In my own house we have a Christmas Tree and not 12 feet from the tree a Menorah and for me (the Catholic in Recovery) I like the Menorah more because it drops less pine needles when you put it away. For my wife and I, we make the holidays about family and friends so the religious aspect doesnít really factor in all that much. We recognize that there are some traditions that go along with these holidays and we do our best to include those traditions but if we don’t get them all in - frankly, we don’t lose a lot of sleep. Now when my mother was alive it was all about the holidays decorations and it didn’t matter, Nutcrackers, Santas, wreaths, Menorahs, Kinaras it didnít matter if it was festive it was in.
Now long before political correctness we used to accuse my mother of being a pack rat (and between you and I she was), but she understood one thing and one thing only ñ a festive atmosphere. She didn’t care what you celebrated as long as you celebrated. It never mattered what you were as long as you were happy.
But in an age where principals are forced to drop edicts that there will be no holiday decorations of any kind on school grounds and when towns are forced not to put up holiday decorations because they might offend someone. I say letís do it all, if you celebrate Kwanzaa create a group pick a section of Main Street and get it done. If you’re Jewish same thing, Christian, Atheist whatever - just get it done. One rule keep it cheery, because we all need at least one time of the year just to see something and smile. If we could all just pull a page from my Mom’s playbook and recognize the beauty in all of it and not worry about offending anyone I think you’ll see that we’ll just let our guards down and enjoy it.
But until that happens I would like to Wish You all a Merry & Happy Non-Religious-Specific Day-Off in Winter, what the hell is up with that?
See - now isn't that festive? Happy Holidays everyone.
