Wishing someone a “Merry Christmas” has been part of history since the 1600’s. The greeting gained popularity in 1843 when “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens was published.

When I was little it was common practice to greet everyone with “Merry Christmas” or some variation on the theme. No-one thought twice about it they just said it and meant it to convey goodwill. Usually, someone would call out the Christmas greeting and that would be repeated back to them. Nowadays it has all changed.

Now we spend time wondering whether we should say “Merry Christmas” to someone or the more politically correct “Happy Holidays” rather than just greeting people and spreading cheer and goodwill. In the well known story, ‘Twas the night Before Christmas’, Santa doesn’t fly off into the night saying Happy Holidays. He waves good-bye and says, “Merry Christmas to all…”.

While I would love to just leave it at that I have to acknowledge that some people may be offended by this age old greeting due to their religious or cultural beliefs. So in order to have a happy compromise I propose a respectful compromise. We should acknowledge that some people celebrate other holidays like Hanukkah and Kwanza. We can respect these beliefs by wishing people a happy holiday or Hannukkah and vice versa.

So no matter what your beliefs celebrate this coming holiday and give goodwill, respect and joy to your fellow man.