Happy Holy Days Everybody!

Today is a holy day for two important religious groups in America: Christians and Jews. It's Christmas, the day when Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, who was born either in 6 BC or 4 BC or in the year Zero, died and came back to life some 33 years later and was the inspiration for a religion that has grown to dominate Earth.

Jews today begin the celebration of lights, Chanukkah. This site (here) has an interesting take on the bitter irony of that holiday's importance for American Jews.

"Many non-Jews (and even many assimilated Jews!) think of this holiday as the Jewish Christmas, adopting many of the Christmas customs, such as elaborate gift-giving and decoration. It is bitterly ironic that this holiday, which has its roots in a revolution against assimilation and the suppression of Jewish religion, has become the most assimilated, secular holiday on our calendar."

Many American Christians would relate. To them, Christmas is the most assimilated, secular holiday on the calendar. They have a point. For today is one of American Secularism's holy days. It's X-Mas (or "holiday" as it's known now), the day when Americans praise the demigod of family and commerce, Santa Claus, by exchanging purchased gifts with family and close friends thereby strengthening two pillars of American society: business and family.

Whatever your faith, enjoy your December 25th.

-tdr

PS: About the title of this post. Mister Americano is sympathetic to those who are annoyed by the replacement of "Merry Christmas" with "Happy Holidays." On the other hand, Christmas is not the only holy day this month and not every American is a Christian. But "Happy Holidays" doesn't convey the religious nature of the holiday season, whether it's Christmas, or Chanukkah, or the Winter Solstice, or Ramadan, when it occurs in December, or whatever. "Happy Holy Days" does. It's also a greeting that is inclusive of other faiths. The greeting may offend atheists but that is a bonus. Atheists are hands down the angriest most easily offended group of people in our country. So Happy Holy Days!