Happy Holidays...

It's here! It's finally here! My most favorite time of year! I cant begin to explain it, but I have always loved Christmas. Even as a kid, it was about more than just the packages under the tree. You could just feel the magic. The plainness of the small town I grew up in was transformed into a beautiful winter wonderland, people went out of their way to be nice, and my family (which, admittedly, had it's fair share of drama throughout my childhood) seemed to just be for awhile. Christmas is magic! Even as I approach 30, I still get giddy when I see that first glimmer of a Christmas tree or I see Santa ride into Herald Square on the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. The sound of  Christmas music still makes me misty eyed and takes me back to that childlike state. Every. Single. Time. Long story short...I'm essentially Buddy the Elf.

Smiling's my favorite...

However, this cheerful elf often finds herself in a sea of Grinches. People who seem to hate Christmas (or the holiday season in general) just because they can. Whether it's the stress of gift buying, the constant stream of Christmas music, or they just never got that Oscar Meyer Weenie Whistle (bonus points if you can figure out which Christmas movie I just referenced)...some people just really hate Christmas. Part of me cant comprehend such a thing and always try my best to be cheerful in the face of Grinchiness but another part of me understands and sees the potential culprit. It's the so-called "War on Christmas" and the battle for the holiday season.

First, let me start out by saying that for my family, Christmas is a time we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ (as it is for a lot of people). Sure, we still put up or Pagan tree and take our girls to see Santa Claus, but we still try our best to keep it as Christ centered as possible. Some years that means I read the Nativity story to my girls and some years it means we just sing "Happy Birthday" to Jesus. That being said, I understand (and dare I say, ACCEPT) that this isn't the only way to celebrate the holiday season. There are so many celebrations this time of year that are so rich in culture and are beautiful in their own way. Rooted in love, togetherness, and tradition...what's the problem?

Having worked in a retail/customer service setting for several years, I have come across people from all walks of life. Christmas time always being my favorite, I would always try to pass along the cheer as often as possible. And boy, let me tell you, a lot of people can be jerks this time of year. Once, for merely wishing a customer a "Merry Christmas", I got to be on the receiving end of an anti-Christian diatribe that seemed to last forever. I have also been on the receiving end of a Bill O'Reiley/Rush Limbaugh-esque verbal lashing for simply switching it up and saying "Happy Holidays". I have been received with deadpan responses like "Thanks, but I'm Jewish" or people who just downright ignored me and huffed away like I just told them to stick it where the sun don't shine. For the life of me, I don't understand why people are like this.

The voice of America ladies and gentleman

Let me tell you how I feel...when people tell me "Merry Christmas", I feel good and often reciprocate the sentiment. When people tell me "Happy Holidays" I feel good and often reciprocate the sentiment. I most certainly don't take it as an attack on my Christian faith and neither should you. We live in a world today where most people see the value of a human life as a big fat ZERO. Where people don't look up from their phones long enough to see a person in need of a friendly smile or casual hello. Where basic human kindness is virtually nonexistent. So if someone wants to take time out of their day to NOTICE ME and share a moment of kindness with me, I'm going to let them.

 As for holiday displays...PUT THEM ALL UP! I would love to see a display that celebrates the differences of our faiths. As a Christian, it bothers me that Christian symbolism is often times removed from holiday displays, but it doesn't anger me to see a menorah or Star of David next to a nativity. It doesn't bother me when people say holiday tree (though, admittedly, it sounds pretty stupid). What bothers me is the "my way is the only way" mentality. If we all just stopped fighting and just accepted our differences (and maybe try to see our similarities), the holidays would be more enjoyable. And atheists...could ya just stop? It's one thing to hold on to your non-beliefs, but to shame others for having beliefs is just ignorant. Stop making everything so political and just drink some egg nog already.

I guess what I'm trying to say is this. Just chill out this holiday season! Yes, it can be stressful and it can be lonely but just try to be open to the magic and I bet you can get back to that childlike, Buddy the Elf state too. And lastly, if you just CANT share the holiday cheer, keep your cynicism to yourself. There's enough of that poison going around. Just smile and be thankful that someone decided to share a bit of kindness with you.