Happy Holidays. That is the greeting I have used for many years to honor this time of the season to pretty much everyone I know or meet. I have reasons for this; half of my family is Jewish, many of my friends celebrate Hanuka and Kwanza, and others have no religious ties to anything that resembles a Christian tradition. And that is all A-OK.
I find it interesting that when I say Happy Holidays to some people, they respond back with a more forceful Merry Christmas. Almost as if they are refuting a generic well-wish. I have seen the arguments on FaceBook [so it must be true!] that American is Christian and everything should be Christmas. Like Jesus was a white guy. And Santa.
For me Christmas is more like this: Last Saturday Laura and I were going through a coffee drive-through and when we came to the window to pay, the cashier happily informed us that the driver in front of us had paid for our coffees. We do not know who that nice person was, but the spirit of the act was kind, generous and brought happiness to our little corner of the car. We were so delighted that when we went through Burgerville we bought drinks for the car in back of us and this week, I bought hot cider for the guy that was ringing the Salvation Army bell outside a supermarket. The act of giving, of sharing kindness, is what is important about the holiday to me. Everything else is just powdered sugar on the bourbon balls [the creation of which I completely rock!].
Do a random act of kindness. Let someone you love know that you love them. Say Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Felize Navidad, Kwanzaa yenn iwe ha heri, or Happy Festivus to complete strangers. Volunteer some time to ring a Salvation Army bell, shop for kids or serve meals at a shelter. The greatest gift you have to share is you. Its the season for that and I wish you all well.