The other day I received a FWD from a family member that stressed the importance of saying Merry Christmas and not Happy Holidays this year, because “don’t forget that Jesus is the reason for the season.” Usually I just delete these e-mails and move on. To each their own, right? Today, though, I decided to respond with a Reply All message. Some members on the list I’m related to by marriage, others were just there from the previous FWD. I don’t know how it will be taken but I felt I needed to be heard on this issue. I feel much better now. 
Here is what I wrote…
“I would just like to point out that there is more than just one celebration going on throughout the months of December and into early January. A few of these are typically what what we think of as the “holiday season,” but some are not:
Dec. 1st - World AIDS Day
Dec. 7th - St. Nicholas’ Day
Dec. 8th - Rohatsu (Buddhist celebration of the enlightenment)
Dec. 10th - Human Rights Day
Dec. 11th - Hannukah begins
Dec. 18th - Islamic new year
Dec. 25th - Christmas
Dec. 26th - Kwanzaa begins
Dec. 27th - Ashura (Islamic holy day celebrating Noah leaving the ark and Moses being saved by Egyptians)
Dec. 31st - New Year’s Eve
As you can see, December is not a Christian month per se.
Fact: Ramadan is not celebrated in December. Rather, it was August 21st through September 19th. Ramadan is a 30 day holiday of purifying the soul to refocus their attention on God and practice self-sacrifice.
Fact: Kwanzaa focuses on the faith and the family, community, and nation in which people live.
Finally, to those friends who are atheists or believe in traditions that are found in other cultures - celebrating mother Earth or the like - the winter solstice is celebrated in the month of December. This was the pagan holiday that inevitably became Christmas.
We are a multi-cultural society. There is no denying this fact. Rather than isolating ourselves isn’t it best to embrace these differences? To say “Happy Holidays” to my students is not an offense against them or their religion, nor is it a PC term coined by the political pundits or politicians du jour. “Happy Holidays” is simply a term that encompasses all of those celebrations we engage in during the months of December and January. I am wishing the best for all of the celebrations. Therefore…
To my Christian friends, I will say Merry Christmas.
To my Jewish friends, I will say Happy Hannukah.
To my African American friends, I will say Happy Kwanzaa.
And to everyone, I will say Happy Holidays - wether they are Jewish or Christian, Atheist or Buddhist - for it ’tis the season to celebrate that which you cherish the most: your faith in that which is greater than you.
So please remember what your faith says about embracing and respecting others as they would embrace and respect you.
Alec”
