Letter: Celebrate reason for ‘holidays’

“Happy holidays!” said the clerk to me the other day. I wanted to answer, “Hey, I don’t think so!” But when one of the workers at the store wished me what her job required, instead of getting mad or upset, I just answered her, “Not really. This is the birthday of Jesus, and that is the whole reason we have the holidays.”

I think somehow people have forgotten the whole reason we started celebrating Christmas. You see, about 2,000 years ago, unto us a child was born, unto us a son was given, in the simple village called Bethlehem. Not too far from the city of Beirut, where I was born. He came to bring us peace, that passes understanding in the midst of war, fighting and storm. Joy, unspeakable in the midst of sadness, sorrow and grief. And love, as God the Father loved you and I so much that He gave His only begotten son Jesus to die on the cross at Calvary, that you and I, when we accept this gift and believe in our hearts, we will receive forgiveness and eternal life.

The gift of Christmas is Jesus! The reason of Christmas is Jesus! And as we celebrate not only today but all the time, this gift, we are blessed to have a few days of holidays to spend with family and friends.

So remember, friend, next time someone tells you to celebrate the holiday, tell them you are celebrating the reason and not the holiday, which would mean nothing without Jesus anyway.

Blessed celebration of Jesus’ birthday!

Jasmine Doctorian Workman

homemaker

Baton Rouge

Comments

1) Comment by Chucky - 07/12/2012

HerbF- Was the night before Christmas and Mary feel off the donkey. An old Seminary joke, also have some of Christ on the cross jokes but leave his mother out of it ( do like the one about throwing stones) Some people are just crude but want to be shocking, heard it seen it stop trying it.

2) Comment by Chucky - 07/12/2012

Keep the "HAN" in Hanukkah !

3) Comment by misterfalcon - 07/12/2012

The fact that one would become upset about this in the first place is a hallmark of immaturity, self-centeredness, confusion, and pomposity -- all of which suggest that someone behaving as the author describes has completely misunderstood the message of Christ. HAPPY HOLIDAYS to you.

4) Comment by brhope - 07/12/2012

Man, I would hate to see the look on her face when she learns that Christmas is made up holiday. There is no mention of a date in the bible. It was originally a pagan holiday around the winter solstice. All religions celebrate at the end of the year. So HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

5) Comment by HerbF - 07/12/2012

Mary was fooling around, so let's keep the "X" in Xmas.

6) Comment by Chucky - 07/12/2012

@Fyreduo - Happy Holy Days , i like that.

7) Comment by Stephen - 07/12/2012

Hear, hear. prbeave, now that was a thoughtful comment!

8) Comment by DMJ - 06/12/2012

Just goes to show you...the 'war on christmas' isn't real. It's a figment of the imaginations of people like Ms. Workman.

9) Comment by prbeav - 06/12/2012

I have come to appreciate every person who seems to live without harming others and tentatively accept strangers as they are. Thus, if someone offers me a greeting during this season of good will to all, I return their words of greeting: My goodwill toward them is for them.>>>>When I greet a stranger at this time, I choose "Happy Holidays." However, if I know the person's source of inspiration and motivation, I greet them with their preference if I know the words. If not, I either wait for them to teach me or express good will not particular to the season.>>>>However, when someone lectures me, I am put off. For example, last year, someone said, "Merry Christmas," and I responded, "Merry Christmas." The other party then gave me a lecture on the meaning of the greeting we had shared and its attack by society.>>>>I recall that my encounters with that person over the last year have been limited to, "Hello, how are you?" Then I hurry on. I flee force.

10) Comment by nimby? - 06/12/2012

this year Christmas and New Years fall on a tuesday , taco day !

11) Comment by serenade - 06/12/2012

Sigh. Do you know how many holidays are celebrated by different groups of people in December? A lot of them were already mentioned, but you also have St. Nicholas Day, which is celebrated by the Orthodox and many eastern rite Catholics; the Immaculate Conception, celebrated by Catholics; St. Lucy Day, celebrated by Swedes and Norwegians; the Winter Solstice, which is celebrated by Pagans and Wiccans; and St. Steven's Day (which is also Boxing Day), celebrated by the British. Ashura, a Muslim holiday, fell the day after Thanksgiving this year. Oh, and for the record, when you write Xmas, you ARE keeping Christ in Christmas. X is the Greek letter chi, which was often used as shorthand for Christ in the early church when Christians were persecuted. Happy Holidays to all, regardless of which ones you celebrate.

12) Comment by SacredCow - 06/12/2012

Straight up- if you're offended by seasonal well-wishes, regardless of the actual syntax (happy holidays, merry christmas, happy hannukah, etc...), you're clearly looking for things by which to be offended. That clerk in the store who wished you happy holidays isn't a part of some satanic cult or endeavour to ruin Christmas for Christians. That Salvation Army bell ringer who wished you Merry Christmas isn't out to personally oppress you. Is it too much to wish that people could stop creating conflict in places where it doesn't exist? When the clerk says, "I hope you die in a fire," by all means complain- that is totally reasonable. "Happy Holidays,"- not so much.

13) Comment by chem - 06/12/2012

Happy Mythday

14) Comment by Fyreduo - 06/12/2012

"Holiday" originally meant Holy Day! How is its use not correct? Pick your battles, this seems like a waste of time.

15) Comment by 8point6 - 06/12/2012

Merry Christmas to all. Especially, to my "progressive" atheist friends. May God bless us all!

16) Comment by DMJ - 06/12/2012

Why not "Happy Holidays"? Such an expression includes Christmas, does it not? Moreover, it includes those who may not practice the same religion or who may practice no religion at all. Hannukah, Kwannzaa, Festivus, New Year's.... all holidays. Why does this woman feign outrage over someone trying to be inclusive? Oh right... because that's what Christians do. Besides, as it has been pointed out numerous times, Christmas is on Dec 25 because of the Winter Solstice, which has been celebrated long before Jesus was supposedly born. So remember, Jasmine, next time someone wishes you "Happy Holidays," instead of rudely assuming that your beliefs are the only ones that matter, just say "Thank You." It's what Jesus would do, I assume.

17) Comment by raised.on.robbery - 06/12/2012

People like Mrs. Workman are part of the reason I no longer acknowledge Christmas. I was brought up to believe that Christmas is really for everyone, but I suppose not. So, as an atheist, I'm ignoring it. If you have to believe in something that specific to enjoy the holidays, then screw them.

18) Comment by UrbanModerate - 06/12/2012

Guess what. Christmas is December 25 -- several weeks away. Hanukkah is this weekend. Happy holidays makes perfect sense to me. Sheesh!

19) Comment by Lannonmac - 06/12/2012

Wow, what a sourpuss, Christian, Scrooge. I guess Jasmine Doctorian Workman’s goal for this Holiday Season is to put Christ back into Christmas and take the joy out of it. I also think it is odd that Ms. Workman does not find the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ a reason to be happy. Ms. Workman in spite of your “Bah Humbug!” attitude, I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

20) Comment by nimby? - 06/12/2012

"Happy ChristmaHanuKwanzaETC" ....

21) Comment by Chucky - 06/12/2012

Well, when I go into the stores I see a lot of Christmas decorations like ST. Nicholas characters and just stuff that remind me of Christmas not a lot of stuff for Jews, Muslims, Hindu, Buddhists, non-religious people. I think they are making a lot of money off the birth of Jesus. Happy Yule and Blessed Be.

22) Comment by jdk944 - 06/12/2012

Well said Mrs.Workman. @Stephen, you need to reread Mrs. Workman's response to the clerk's comment of "Happy Holidays". Nothing impolite or rude about that. Quit projecting!!!!!!!! @chem - showing one's ignorance and arrogance is certainly welcomed. You've done a good job on this subject. Merry CHRISTmas!! JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON!!

23) Comment by chem - 06/12/2012

What a silly letter. If one is going to talk about fiction, at least use a good example such as something by Vonnegut, Bradbury, or Asimov.

24) Comment by gofigger - 06/12/2012

Happy Holidays and a Merry Christmas to all!

25) Comment by CountryBoysCanSurvive - 06/12/2012

@Bighug, rarely do we agree but you nailed this one. "There is magic in the air"

26) Comment by spqr - 06/12/2012

Happy holidays is thought to celebrate Christmas AND New Years. Everyone relax.

27) Comment by Bighug - 06/12/2012

I agree with tradewinns and Stephen. It would probably please Jesus if you just smiled at the greeting and said "thank you."

28) Comment by Stephen - 05/12/2012

"Happy Holidays" as a greeting seems like such a good idea because it is appropriate for all: Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindu, Buddhists, non-religious people, and so on. All these people are celebrating something this time of year, so it seems like a nice way to spread cheer without leaving anyone out. Surely, if two Christians are greeting each other this time of year, they might say, "Merry Christmas," or something like that. Tradewinns I think has it right. The clerk was just being nice, polite, and meant no harm.

29) Comment by tradewinns - 05/12/2012

and here it comes..... the winter season celebrations began a long time before jesus was born. as the early christian leaders could not stop the people from partying they hijack the party and decided to celebrated jesus' birthday. also, now on this i'm going from memory so i may be incorrect, based on the story of the birth and the known history of the approximate time, jesus was born in early summer. but i know nothing will shake your faith, and it doesn't really matter. but either say something nice or say nothing at all, the clerk is being as nice as she/he is allowed. it's them dang atheist fault.

30) Comment by Whatchange - 05/12/2012

Oh Ms. Jasmine, I don't believe you know the can of worms you just opened with this letter. You said God and Jesus in the same letter, wait for it.

31) Comment by lovemykids - 05/12/2012

I like happy holidays!