Hannah Soyer
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When I was in seventh grade, we had to write a persuasive essay for our English class. One of my classmates wrote his on why everyone should be allowed to say “Merry Christmas” instead of “Happy Holidays.”
I couldn’t quite wrap my mind around it then, and eight years later, I still don’t get it: It’s not hard to replace two words with two different words, and doing so is a way to show respect to those of religions besides Christianity. Not all people of religions different from Christianity are offended when people tell them “Merry Christmas,” but some are, and why not do something quick and easy in order to not offend people? Believe it or not, it’s not about taking away your religious freedom.
It might seem simple and common sense, but I assure you that the arguments are still alive today. Take the red Starbucks cup. Why get so upset that it’s not as Christmas-y as it used to be? It’s not a subtle way to slowly turn Satanism into America’s national religion (which isn’t even possible, considering official national religions are forbidden by the Constitution), it’s a way to show respect to their employees and customers who don’t celebrate Christmas.
Recently, the high-end retailer Nordstrom removed a sweater off its shelves and website after receiving complaints from customers. The sweater had a menorah on the front, with the words “Chai Maintenance” written on the top, and “Hanukkah J.A.P.” written underneath. “Chai” is the Hebrew word for “life,” but sounds much like the English word “high.”
On top of this, “J.A.P.” is a derogative term that stands for “Jewish American Princess,” as defined by Urban Dictionary in 2004. The sweater was meant to be a joke. However, many customers were (rightly) angered by the sweater and complained that it was making light of Jewish stereotypes.
This sweater is a more outright disrespect for other religions, and so it is easier to see how it can be hurtful and why it would have been discontinued from Nordstrom. But it’s important to recognize that other more subtle things can also create an atmosphere where people of certain religions don’t feel welcome, and to try to combat these.
I’m not talking about a society in which everyone tiptoes around not expressing any opinions and doing everything they can not to offend people, I’m simply talking about being conscious of the multitude of people living in America and the large number of them who do not celebrate Christmas.
