VALDOSTA —
Until a relatively few years ago, no one seemed to have a problem with either “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Holidays” as a greeting until some national chain stores took the fairly ridiculous step of renaming Christmas trees as Holiday trees, and outright banning employees from wishing anyone a Merry Christmas. In response, other folks took the view that such things meant there was an all-out war on Christmas. A Christmas tree should be called a Christmas tree. But also people would well remember that “Happy Holidays” is a greeting of goodwill rather than a personal insult.
“Happy Holidays” is nothing new. It’s been around for years. The greeting covers a lot of ground. It covers Christmas, Hanukkah, New Year’s, and Kwanzaa.
But “Happy Holidays” also covers several Christmas-related holidays. “Happy Holidays” covers Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and those 12 Days of Christmas which actually start Dec. 25 running through Jan. 5. The Sixth of January is the Epiphany celebrated as the day when the Three Wise Men arrived to see the baby Jesus; Jan. 6 is also known as Three Kings Day.
In our society, when several days, such as Labor Day, are referred to as holidays, we tend to forget the real meaning of this word, too. Holiday means “holy day.”
Happy Holy Days, though one wouldn’t know it from the scorn the greeting often receives. And that may be the most important thing to remember.
Whether it is “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Holidays,” both are meant to wish someone well.
Treating a greeting and warm wishes as a threat does nothing to brighten the world. Responding to a greeting with an actual threat or even a sneer does nothing to put the Christ back into Christmas. Anger and scorn remove Christ from the equation no matter how many times one says Merry Christmas.
What We Think
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays
- What We Think
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Historic day celebrated
On January 1, 1863, Pres. Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, announcing that all persons held as slaves within the rebellious areas are and henceforth shall be free.
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How this garden grew
A special-needs couple wanted a garden. A teacher not only wanted to teach gardening skills but she also wanted to instill a sense of community purpose within her young students.
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Happy Father’s Day
He beamed with pride on our birth. He understood worry upon our birth. He is the giant by which we would judge all men. He protected us. He provided for us. He often sacrificed time with us to provide for us. He spent time with us.
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Thumbs up
THUMBS UP: To Stevie Young of Valdosta. The owner of Artistic Taxidermy, Young won Best in the World, Turkey, in the 2013 World Taxidermy Championship. His eastern wild turkey display dominated the competition, earning him the distinction of best in the world. Another title for TitleTown!
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Canning preserves food, way of life
When the going gets tough, the tough getting canning. Valdosta-Lowndes County residents have this opportunity.
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PSST!: Round Two!
With tonight’s opening of “The Marvelous Wonderettes,” Peach State Summer Theatre presents its second show of the 2013 season.
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A responsible fix for pets
The photo and story in Sunday’s paper about the dog whose owners had left him tied up with an electrical cord elicited a tremendous response from readers, outraged at the dog’s treatment.
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A band-aid in a crisis?
The announcement Monday by the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities that a crisis stabilization center will be built in Lowndes County is good news for some, not so great for others.
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Slowing down for summer
Twenty-some years ago, it seemed Valdosta and South Georgia slowed down for the summer. School was out. Controversies seemed to dwindle. People seemed to work shorter hours despite the longer days.
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Storms: Of preparation and prayer
If you haven’t already, maybe this morning in church would be a good time to say a prayer of thanks that Tropical Storm Andrea blessed us with some much-needed rain while sparing us the overwhelming catastrophe that weather has wreaked upon the Midwest in recent weeks.
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Historic day celebrated
