Merry Christmas! There! I have said it!
Happy Hanukkah! There! I have said that, too!
Eid Saeed! You should look this one up!
Happy Lohri! Light my fire!

Oh...and Happy New Year! I’m sure that every person will celebrate their new year sometime in the upcoming year and I do not want to miss it. My personal party will be on December 31st, at midnight, but I will gladly join you for any other celebrations during the upcoming year. I particularly like the Chinese New Year but it does not really fit our religious holiday format.

What nonsense! Are our media so destitute for real news and information that they have to “create” a Christmas crisis over a few words? The gist of their evil plot is to make people feel guilty if they say “Merry Christmas,” because it might offend some (yet-to-be-found) person. I would say that every person I know will wish me a Merry Christmas this year. Some are Muslim, some are Jewish, some are (God forbid) Atheists, and most are just ordinary people like you and me with many different religious backgrounds.

Christmas is a wonderful time of year for everyone. We do not have to trudge to work, we get to see more of our family and friends, many of us travel, and we even receive presents occasionally and, more importantly, we give them. But the best part is that almost everyone you meet is in a very happy mood. They are excited about their lives and the events to come. Good deeds abound and our charitable giving is at its best. Isn’t it funny that we actually have a word to express these many emotions and the warm feelings we have around this time of year. It is called Christmas “Spirit.” You may remember the WWI Christmas story where the opposing sides laid down their rifles for a day, climbed out of their trenches, and shared a drink with each other. That is the Christmas Spirit.

So...instead of banning the word Christmas, may I humbly recommend the introduction of Christmas “Spirit” during every single day of the year. You could call that my Christmas Wish. And it is for you.