The next time someone says "Happy Holidays" to you instead of "Merry Christmas," please consider that they may not be trying to diminish Christmas after all. You may even be on the same side.
As a child I was very religious. Like many Jews in this Country, Christmas was a confusing time for me. I was taught that the whole point of the First Commandant was that there must only be One God. I believed that having false idols was one of the worst things you could ever possibly do. I believed that Jesus, like other false Messiahs, came to this world as a test of this very first Commandment. I always respected my neighbor's beliefs. That was how I was raised. I loved the lights and all of the Christmas television shows. But, I would never have considered entering a church or approaching a creche. And there was no reason to ever have to do that. For me, holding tight to my Judaism and my worship of One God was critical.
With such deeply ingrained beliefs, it was beyond traumatic when as an elementary student in public school we were required to sing Christmas songs about Jesus. I loved singing "Frosty the Snowman" and "I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus." My very favorite song was "Winter Wonderland," but the fact that we also sang about a Dreidel could not erase the horrible guilt I felt singing about Jesus. I felt like I was violating the very first Commandment.
When I grew up, I came to personally reject religion. Since I do understand how deeply ingrained religious beliefs are for so many, I will always fight for others' right to worship however they want - in their own homes and places of worship. I will fight for their right to freely express those beliefs, as long as they are not trying to force others to affirmatively accept them as well.
I will fight for the right of religious people to send their kids to privately funded schools and teach them whatever they wish regarding a god or gods. I believe that Churches should never be required to perform a marriage if it does not comport with their religion. And, I know, that in this Country, that will never happen. But I also believe that religious beliefs, even when shared by a majority, should not preclude any two consenting adults from marrying civilly.
I have come to realize that the Yule and Winter Solstice traditions that I embrace pre-date the birth of Christ. I have also come to see Christmas as an integral part of this Country's culture. However, our founding fathers made their intentions very clear. We are not a "Christian Nation," much less, a "Judeo-Christian" nation. We are a Nation of laws, made up of people with many religious beliefs, of which Christianity is certainly the most dominant.
During the Holiday Season I love wishing a "Merry Christmas" to those who I know celebrate Christmas, "Happy Hanukkah" to those who celebrate Hanukkah and, "Happy Holidays" or "Happy New Year" to the rest. When someone wishes me a "Merry Christmas" because they either assume that is what I celebrate or because they want to share their joy with me, I appreciate the lovely thought. But when someone wishes me "Merry Christmas" because they feel that saying anything else is somehow an attack on their own beliefs I am befuddled.