Merry Christmas

There's been a lot of talk of late about whether it's more appropriate to say "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays."

I say "Merry Christmas" mostly out of habit and because it makes more sense. We have lots of holidays scattered through the year, but we don't say "Happy Holidays" around the Fourth of July.

I am bothered by some of the heated objections over the use of "Happy Holidays" rather than "Merry Christmas" because some of the harshest and most outspoken critics miss the larger point — the crass commercialization of Christmas.

I'm not just talking about foul-mouthed mechanical Santas or the latest cartoon version of the Rudolph story. I'm talking about the pressure to buy-buy-buy — the equating of Christmas with shopping.

Parents who are already working more than 40 hours a week and juggling a chaotic social life find themselves every December standing in long lines in stores, post offices and airports wondering how they got into this situation. Many cringe when they think about how presents they spent so much time and effort getting will end up in the trash can a few weeks later.

No wonder so many "Scrooges" speak out this time of year.

Other American holidays have likewise been hijacked by commercial interests — Halloween, clearly more "pagan" than any other holiday, accounts for billions of dollars in candy and costume sales.

Fourth of July means less about patriotism and freedom and more about vacation time, hot dogs and big explosions.

Thanksgiving has always had an historical religious element to it, but it has more and more become an occasion to recognize our frailties and give thanks for what we have. One thing's for sure — the food and transportation industries get a life-saving shot in the arm each November.

Those who fear the slippery slope toward a more secular Christmas holiday should acknowledge that Dec. 25 has long been a smorgasbord of pagan, sacred and commercial rituals, icons, songs and stories.

The solution, as the song goes, is "Don't worry, be happy." Get into the Christmas spirit, hum a tuneful carol, and have a very merry Christmas.