By David Stanczak

Christmas nowadays is, and always will be, the second holiest day of the year for Christians, but in society at large, it has also become a bellwether of the state of our culture. It has acquired PC significance. The politically correct greeting at this time of year is the insipid “Happy Holidays,” which instills in the recipient all the warmth and fuzziness of old dishwater. But that phrase is uttered commonly by, I suspect, far more people than those who strive for political correctness(I have yet to meet a person who admits to being PC or who thinks it is a desirable development). I suspect most of the Happy Holidayers are merely too afraid of being seen as not politically correct if they wish someone a Merry Christmas. To this, I say, “Bah! Humbug!” Christmas is more than an excuse to get a day or two off work; like it or not, it has profound religious significance, with moral implications for more than just us Christians. Can you imagine Scrooge being visited by the ghosts of Labor Days Past, Present, and To Come? Wishing someone a Merry Christmas recognizes that significance, and demonstrates that the wisher has gotten in the spirit of Christmas. The same may be said about those who organize, label, and put on Holiday Parties instead of Christmas Parties.

This year, we again have our Christmas atrocities. Somewhere, some elementary school has a principal who banned the term Christmas and any reference to or depiction of that hopelessly religious character Santa Claus. Elsewhere, a conservative blog site operator had considerable success on college campuses getting students to sign a petition to stop the playing of the Bing Crosby classic, “White Christmas” on the radio because it was racist and discriminated against other colored Christmases.

So, what to do in the face of all this ignorance and/or cowardice? Be yourself. Christmas was never about everyone anyway. The angels promised “peace to people of good will,” which requires acceptance of God’s gift of His Son. Celebrate that gift. Let the peace and joy of Christmas fill your heart and wish it upon others with a heartfelt “Merry Christmas”.

David Stanczak, a Forum commentator since 1995, came to Bloomington in 1971. He served as the City of Bloomington’s first full-time legal counsel for over 18 years, before entering private practice. He is currently employed by the Snyder Companies and continues to reside in Bloomington with his family.

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