Happy Holidays & Xmas

So, have I gone all PC? Not at all!

If you know me at all you know that being politically correct for the sake of political correctness is not something I value at all. In fact, I will sometimes be politically incorrect just for the shock value. And in this case, I am being politically correct for the sake of shock value!

But in reality, if something was invented by the church to focus people on the true essence of the meaning, then is it really political correctness?

This Christmas season many people will greet you with "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas." You could respond with a really loud and obnoxious, "a very, MERRY CHRISTMAS, to you too!" Or, you could respond with a simple "Happy Holidays to you as well," with a knowing smile. Let me give you a simple history as to why I feel no need to say something different, and why I can write Merry Xmas on cards with joy.

Happy Holidays literally refers to the Holy Days for which we normally take a break from work. Over time we began to address every vacation as a Holy Day - and really that is what a vacation should be. Soon it was shortened to Holiday but the meaning is still trapped in the word.

Xmas was invented by the church because during Christmas time during the era of the printing press; all the C's were used up in that the letter was hardly ever used the rest of the year. So, the church began to substitute the "X" for Christ - most people associated the Greek "X" with Christ anyway (the Presbyterians still use the X and P). So, Xmas should really be pronounced "Chai-Mass" - the corporate worship service in which we focus on the birth of Christ. In fact every corporate worship service should be called Chai-Mass!

So, Happy HolyDays and Merry ChaiMass!