I had planned to post on immigration today, but when inspiration hits, it hits. The subject is an innocent piece of ground-up tree bits covered in warm, inviting colors that come together to create an image that hearkens back to childhood. On it there are several snowmen side by side, with a simple message, “Merry Christmas from all of us!” It is, in fact, a Christmas card sent to us by a well-wishing supplier in celebration of the holiday that is soon to come. At my place of employment, we display all of our cards on a garland surrounding the first set of cubicles.Thrilled at the prospect of getting to hang up a Christmas card that actually said,*gasp,* Merry Christmas on it, I quickly glance from side to side, looking to see who might be around to object to my hanging it up right in at the very front of the display. After all, I thought, such a card is rare find these politically-correct days (I know, rot-gut like that aught to banned. Hideous, I tell you, just hideous!) that I felt immediately compelled to put this in a place of honor. So, I made my way over to hang up the card, and to my surprise a fellow employee applauded the fact. Both of us (and I suspect many others who keep quiet for fear of public shaming) are tired of the all-out war on Christmas. Enough is enough. Small though my gesture may have been, it made me stand a little straighter that day, proud of the fact that I physically defended Christmas.

Today while delivering the mail, I walked past the display and noticed an identical card hanging on the other side of the display. “Great!” I thought. . . “more people must be sending. . .oh ….wait, it’s the ORIGINAL.” Sure enough, as I made my way to the front of the display, my innocent little piece of political incorrectness had been replaced with a gaudy green and gold monstrosity with the words “Season’s Greetings” splashed across the front. Someone actually took the time to unhook the Christmas Card, move it to the farthest, darkest, most removed portion of the display, and replace it with its more politically correct counterpart. Well I’d be darned if I let someone get away with that. With that in mind, Operation Christmas Card 2.0 went into action. And as I’m sure it will once again be removed, once again I’ll move it back. The only way to put a stop to the strangling of Christmas is to stand up for it!

Each time I’m faced with yet another slap in Christmas’ face, it makes me stop and think. What exactly is all of this (i.e. decorations) anyway? Stop for a moment and look around. Why do we put up bells and garland and ornaments and holly and trees and presents (not to mention Nativity Scenes!). . . and the whole nine yards? It’s because of a particular time of year otherwise known as Christmas! Why are they called “holiday trees?” Why are they called “holiday songs?” Last time I checked, these are all traditions associated with Christmas. There are no mainstream Hanukkah songs. There are no mainstream Kwanzaa songs. There is no Kwanza tree, or Hanukkah garland. What then, are we lumping together for the sake of being politically correct? All of these trimmings have for generations pertained to Christmas.

It’s interesting to note that it’s almost exclusively Christmas that is shunned. There is no Holiday Menorah, or Holiday Unity Cup. Quite the contrary. There are Hanukkah Menorahs, Kwanzaa Unity Cups. To each holiday, its own! Why must Christmas be edited? Why must Christmas be shunned in the effort to avoid insulting others? If you don’t like Christmas, don’t celebrate it, much like I don’t celebrate Hanukkah because I’m not Jewish, nor do I celebrate Kwanzaa because I’m not African-American (though even if I were I wouldn’t. . .it was created to be a “Black Alternative to Christmas.” What?), but don’t make ME and everyone else who chooses to celebrate Christmas quiet down or cover up our celebration!

Oh and by the way, my politically correct friends out there may be interested to discover that even in their efforts to be P.C. by saying “holiday” or “happy holidays” in order to avoid religion altogether, they are STILL acknowledging the association of religion with these celebration days. Hate to break it to you, but “holiday” comes from the words “holy” and “day.” Oops.