Should I say Merry Christmas

Should I say Merry Christmas?

So someone said “Have a Merry Christmas!” or “Merry Christmas!”…or something of the like. What should you do if you are Muslim, Jewish, Atheist, Pagan or whatever? Easy, say “Merry Christmas” or my personal favorite “You too”, ah yes the “you too” saying is a perfect and polite way to respond without ever having to say the evil words “Merry Christmas”. I’m kidding, of course, there is nothing wrong in being polite and responding back in a positive way. Saying “Merry Christmas” isn’t going to send you to hell, nor is it saying you celebrate Christmas. You are simply wishing them a happy holiday. If it truly bothers, you just say “you too” or “happy holidays”. If you’re not Christian and you have a holiday around this time, say “Happy Hanukkah” or “Yule tidings” or etc. Sure, they may look at you funny but there is nothing wrong with that.

It is more offensive just to ignore their greetings or having to educate every single person that you are in fact not Christian. There is nothing un-Islamic in wishing someone a happy Holiday. Prophet Muhammad encouraged Muslims to greet their Religious siblings with glad tidings and Salaams. So perhaps just say “and Salaam to you!” or even go “and a Happy New Year!”…..

So now I have shared so many responses you could give to someone besides saying “Merry Christmas” back. The truth is there are times when you shouldn’t have to say it if you don’t believe in it. Especially if someone says it too you in a rude way or etc. Use your judgment, but when a stranger is just trying to be nice don’t crush their spirit because you feel a certain way. If you feel that if you do say something other than “Merry Christmas” would bring their anger, just smile and walk on. There are plenty of polite ways to respond to someone wishing you a happy holiday. I was once told “Have a happy Diwali” from an Indian man before, did I yell at him? No, I simply smiled and said: “Thanks, you too!”. Was I offended he wished me a happy Diwali, even though I do not celebrate the holiday? Nope……he wasn’t being rude nor was he forcing his beliefs on me.

Use your best judgment but trust me most people are not being rude. Sure it would be great to wish strangers happy Ramadan or Eid Mubarak….trust me I know! Perhaps, us Muslims should just start saying that to people too. Or perhaps we should have more interfaith dialogue during the month of Ramadan to celebrate it with others. Allow the outside world to see our holiday. As the years' progress, more American Muslims have taken the steps of creating Eid trees, creating Eid decorations and etc. So, while this may be superficial, it does let us converts feel the same feeling we do during Christmas and it helps children feel special. The rituals of decorating every year create a false sense of “spirit” that we humans need. We need those weird special cookies during the holidays to give us a feeling of spirit. So, don’t be rude to someone during their holiday, unless they are being rude to you first.

So……Merry Christmas, Yuletide greetings, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanza…and wishing any other religious group a happy holiday to you!