When I got to the cashier after standing in the line at the grocery store on Wednesday, November 21, the clerk wished me a “happy holiday.” I was buying a turkey, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, peas, cheese and crackers, and deserts—pretty obviously a Thanksgiving meal. So I wondered, “Why not just wish me a “happy Thanksgiving”? Did she think she might offend me? What generic holiday did she think I was celebrating?
In recent years, greetings on New Year’s, the Fourth of July, Labor Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas have all been covered by the generic phrase “happy holiday.” Does that imply simply a day off from work or a commemoration of an event or a tradition?
The grocery store employee and I might both be working, but the day would still be a holiday—and, presumably that means something. The woman behind the register in the grocery store may not have known that I am an American citizen, but she surely knew that I live in America. The only national celebration that week was Thanksgiving. Perhaps not all Americans celebrate the traditional turkey dinner and with family (though judging by the lines at the grocery store, it seems everyone does). But all Americans know that it is Thanksgiving, and most know something of its origins with Pilgrims and Indians. So why not say “Happy Thanksgiving?” Who would she offend?
Reflect for a minute on the consequences of making all holidays generic.
The national “holiday turkey.” The national “holiday fireworks.” The national “holiday tree lighting” on the esplanade in Washington. The “first day of January celebration” with its “night before holiday eve’s parties” and the Times Square “holiday ball dropping.” The national “end-of-May holiday” kicking off summer. The “first weekend of September holiday” celebrating the end-of-summer and the unofficial beginning of the new year.
Pretty bland, if you ask me.
In contrast, every year since 1962 the United States Postal Service has issued a Christmas stamp. On September 1, 2001, the Postal Service issued a stamp commemorating the Muslim feast of Eid. On October 29, 2007, the House of Representatives passed Resolution 747 and on November 14 the Senate passed Resolution 299 recognizing the “religious and historical significance of the festival of Diwali” celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs, and Jains.
I live in a neighborhood with a sizable Jewish population. In December, if the clerk wished me a “happy Hanukkah,” I would be neither surprised nor offended. The same applies to Eid or Diwali. Should we not respect and celebrate these traditions? We are the most multi-faith culture in history. Shouldn’t we be increasing the visibility of the religious holidays of all traditions, rather than eliminating all reference to Christianity?
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