When I think of the holidays and religion, it reminds me of the love between people, not something that should divide people. My dearest friend of more than 35 years was a very devout and deeply religious person. She taught theology for many years and studied it in a doctoral program. I learned more about the Jewish religion from my Catholic friend than I learned from my own family, since she was a religious scholar who loved deeply. Our religions never separated us, and sharing our holidays with each other only brought us closer together. Holidays are a special time for me to share with people I love. It doesn't matter one bit if we are the same religion but about sharing something with people that I care about. I celebrate Christmas with my husband's family, and my dear mother in law surprised me by bring a menorah into her home before I married her son so that she could celebrate my holiday with me. To me, that's the spirit of the holidays. If people wish me a Merry Christmas out of the goodness of their hearts, I'm grateful for their kind wishes. I say Happy Holidays because I also include the wishes for the new year, and I also prefer to be all inclusive and respectful of all religions and cultures. I certainly would not want to deny people their right to celebrate a holiday that is important to them. Let these holidays bring us together in a spirit of love. |