Editor:
Re: Happy holidays to you and yours (column, Dec. 12 issue of the Grand Forks Gazette)
I try not to respond to articles or letters to the editor as I feel it just starts a hailstorm of comments both pro and con.
So, I would ask that whether you agree or disagree with any of my statements, please, just have yourselves a Merry Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or holiday and don’t reply.
The column by Karl Yu on Dec. 12 does cause me to break my silence.
I am a Christian and enjoy saying Merry Christmas. I do not say this because I believe that everyone is a follower of Jesus. If someone wants to say Happy Holidays, Happy Hanukkah, or Happy Kwanzaa in return I have no problem.
Where I do have a problem is with people who try to change the celebration of Christmas to something else.
Dictionary.com states “Christmas comes from the Old English words Cristes moesse, the mass or festival of Christ.
The first celebration took place in Rome about the middle of the fourth century.
In pre-Christian times, the period between Dec. 25 and Jan. 6 was considered a special time of year, now known as the 12 Days of Christmas.”
Infoplease.com states, “Kwanzaa is not a religious holiday, nor is it meant to replace Christmas. 2012 will see the 46th annual Kwanzaa, first fruits of the harvest celebration.”
Dictionary.com states, “Hanukkah is a Jewish festival to commemorate the re-dedication of the Temple by the Maccabees following their victory over the Syrians under Antiochus IV.”
I don’t consider ‘Happy Holidays” an all-inclusive, non-exclusionist phrase – it has no meaning other than convenience.
Christmas fourth century, Hanukkah 1890, Kwanzaa 1966 – you pick what is meaningful to you and I’ll say Merry Christmas!
Sharon Brown, Grand Forks