The War on Christmas

Hey!  Did you hear?  There's a WAR ON CHRISTMAS!  And all Christians are being persecuted in this war.  Who's waging this war?  Those who tell me, a Christian, that saying Merry Christmas is offensive.  Those who say Happy Holidays to make everyone feel included in the festivities.  Don't they know, that after Thanksgiving, Happy Holidays is no longer a valid greeting?  Especially this year, since Hanukkah was over so quickly?  So, what holiday do they mean?  They just have no idea.  And it's WAR! 

Well, folks.  I have to say... I have never ever met any one or seen anyone on television who actually says saying Merry Christmas is offensive.  But I sure have seen people say that people are saying it. I\m on Facebook, you know. 

I know that some retailers tell their employees to wish Happy Holidays so as not to be offensive, but I do not know anyone who has said it is, indeed, offensive.  It's business.  Simply put, a business doesn't want to offend a shopper so they go out of their way to be inclusive in the hopes of raising their bottom line. 

Also, I may be wrong, but I thought Happy Holidays referred to Christmas and New Year's Day, not Hanukah, Kwanza, or Diwali.  But maybe it should! 

 Folks have been saying Happy Holidays for decades.  Even OJ says it!

Having said all that, I want to tell you what I have seen this holiday season.  There are lights all around me.  The streets are lit up and the malls are decorated.  Our Ace Hardware and the Japanese Dollar Store were set up for Christmas before Thanksgiving, as usual. 

The malls have put up the 25 foot trees and people are stopping to take their family portraits in front of them.  The Christmas music is blaring through the speakers in all the malls.  And ribbons are hung.

  The stores are having Christmas pricing and some even remind me how many shopping days I have left until December 25.  We are out of school for three weeks this year!  Davis wants a bike and I can't wait to shop for Camryn.  Last night we went to a tree-lighting party at a local hotel where the kids played games and Santa gave Camryn a goodie bag.  There were gingerbread houses and candy canes.  I am too far away from family this year to cook so we plan to attend a Christmas dinner at our golf club.  And since we are new in town, I will be looking for a Christmas Eve service that won't be too crowded or too late for Camryn.  There's a beautiful Catholic church near us.  Maybe we'll try that.

Doesn't feel like much of a war to me. 

Oh, did I forget to tell you, I live in the UAE?  Not the USA, the UAE.  The United Arab Emirates.  I live in a Muslim country.  Those Muslims who hate Christians and want Jihad on America?  Those Muslims who wish death to infidels? 

Those very people who so many Americans misunderstand know that there are many Christians in their country and they allow us, nay, encourage us, to celebrate our holy holiday.  In fact, many of them participate in the secular parts of the celebrations!  There is high demand in the UAE for a bilingual Santa Claus! 

In this Muslim country, I can celebrate the birth of my Savior with no fear of persecution and without fear of offending because the people here value the fact that I am religious at all.  They would like me to be Muslim, but they know that I follow God.  And they don't try to get in the way of that.  So, in a country where there actually COULD be a war on Christmas, there isn't.  It's celebrated!

So, can we get past the WAR and start celebrating the whole season?  Not just the birth of Christ, but the rededication of the temple, the celebration of values, the victory of light over darkness, and the coming of the New Year.

Happy Holidays, y'all!