The “War on Christmas” has returned once again this year, and it seems that HuffPo is poised to lead the charge. In the span of just two days, the far-left publication has already skewered a beloved Christmas classic and now lectured parents on why they should teach their children to say the more inclusive “Happy Holidays” greeting in December instead of the age-old classic, “Merry Christmas.”
The article by Doyin Richards begins with a letter from a mother in Texas who claims her son stoked the ire of fellow neighbors when he wished them a “Happy Holidays.”
“My family is Jewish, and we recently moved from Massachusetts to Texas for my husband’s job,” the letter from Chloe in San Antonio reads. “Last week, my 11-year-old son said ‘happy holidays!’ to the mom who lives across the street. According to my son and my husband (who was present), she got visibly upset and replied, ‘Don’t say that to me! We celebrate Christmas here!'”
Obviously, the neighbor responded rudely and should have just said “Thank you” before moving on with their day. Doyin, however, uses the anecdote as a point to say that “Merry Christmas” proponents have a big problem with “inclusion.” He provides a weak analogy to illustrate his point: a restaurant adding more sauces to a menu in order to satisfy minority consumers while the majority enjoys marinara sauce.
“The owners did the wise thing and created a ‘sauce’ section in the buffet that also included ranch dressing, honey mustard, pesto and some secret sauce that nobody is quite sure of,” writes Doyin. “The bottom line: Customers are still be able to stuff their faces with marinara if they choose, it’s just that marinara will be included in a section with other sauces as well.”
“That’s what ‘happy holidays’ is in a nutshell — a greeting of inclusion,” he continued. “Who in their right mind would have a problem with this? What guy boycotts a restaurant because he believes there’s a “war against marinara sauce?”
That analogy is wrought with so many problems, it’s hard to know where to begin. A better one would be a restaurant calling itself “Marinara House” and then changing its name to “Sauce House” to appease a few minority customers even though the entire theme of the restaurant (and what made it so unique and popular in the first place) is about marinara sauce. The same goes for storefronts that put up Christmas decorations and then say “Happy Holidays.”
Christmas is the national holiday; the reason for the season. The ornaments, the lights, the music, the food, the shopping even, all reflect that. If it looks like Christmas, smells like Christmas, sounds like Christmas, then just say Christmas. It’s disingenuous (and wreaks of cognitive dissonance) for signs to wish people a “Happy Holidays” while displaying a Christmas tree, a Santa, a jingle bell and a candy cane. It makes about as much sense as the NFL wishing people a “Happy Sporting” on Super Bowl Sunday because the local high school is hosting a soccer tournament. Should we now start wishing people a “Happy Holidays” on July 4 because “Bastille Day” is coming up on July 14? Of course not.
Later in the article, Doyin further contradicts his own “inclusive” message by advising the woman to teach her child to say “Happy Holidays” even if the person prefers “Merry Christmas.”
“You’ve raised a kid to be inclusive. That should be celebrated, not ignored,” he writes. “I’d tell your son to keep saying ‘happy holidays’ around this woman ― and anyone else he encounters. If he receives any grief, he can respond by saying, ‘My goal is to cover everyone’s beliefs, including people who don’t celebrate Christmas, because they should get to enjoy the holiday season, too. I mean, Christmas is a part of those happy holidays I mentioned.'”
So, while Doyin preaches a message of inclusion, he advises that parents teach their kids to exclude people who wish to hear their preferred greeting.
RELATED: ‘Happy Holidays’ Is Not About Inclusion, It’s About Suppression