Happy Holidays in the mail...

Whew...I have just finished writing a short card to everyone (in the US) who purchased a book from us over the last year or so wishing all Happy Holidays and a book-filled New Year. (There are times when I really wish I had actually paid attention to hand-writing classes in grade school. I use a fountain pen because I had a hypothesis that it might make me be a little more careful with my writing...a theory proven true. Yet my handwriting is still rather sad.) I had fun doing it and, in today’s email and voice mail laden life, I am hoping my little hand-written notes will be well received.

Which reminds me...is it just me or is someone (not mentioning names) making a non-issue about the whole x-mas vs holidays into some bizarre “them vs us” battle. Personally, I grew up celebrating both Chanukah and Christmas and there is also Kwanza (which I don’t really understand, but then again, Ash Wednesday is in the same league, etc.). “Happy Holidays” is pleasingly inclusive. I think if companies and/or the government wants to take the most inclusive tack and use “Happy Holidays” or “Celebrate the Holidays,” etc., they should be applauded for attempting to be inclusive of all and, equally importantly (though not necessarily synonymously), non-exclusionary of anyone’s predilection.

Personally, I think this is another great example of “the worst [being] filled with passionate intensity” and of the majority failing to “control” the message. From the NYTimes, “…American Family Association… is organizing phone and e-mail campaigns against several retail chains for omitting explicit references to Christmas from their store displays or holiday fliers. The group has specifically urged a boycott of Target stores, accusing them of repeatedly using the word 'holiday' instead."

I think Target should be rewarded for their inclusive manner and those who refuse to wish everyone Happy Holidays should be boycotted for their discriminatory and/or racist pandering to Christians. It the defenders of Christmas want a pick a valid fight, how about opposing its decline into little more than an exercise in conspicuous consumption. Then again, I probably just think about this stuff too much. It is also, probably, a nice example of the media’s desire to find a “conflict” in an otherwise rather tediously joyous time of year.

Happy Holidays to all, and to all a book-filled New Year.