Pro “Merry Christmas”

With Christianity being the most popular religion in the world, (more than two billion Christians worldwide)  you can be sure to hear an abundance of the phrase “Merry Christmas” during the holidays. However, Christmas has turned into more than a holiday for those who have a religious faith. In today’s age, atheists and people who don’t have much of an opinion about religion have come to celebrate Christmas. This holiday has become a universal symbol for giving and receiving, no matter what a person’s beliefs, and hints at the reason why people shouldn’t be insulted by the trend of saying “Merry Christmas” instead of “Happy Holidays.” The phrase isn’t a system to convert nonbelievers; it’s simply another way of spreading the giving spirit. Additionally, who says that people aren’t welcome to hearing other religious sayings such as “Happy Hanukkah”? A valuable element of being part of the public school system is being exposed to different types of people that you will face in the real world. Most people you meet in life won’t share all the same values as you. The United States is a bundle of ethnicities, cultural practises, and religious beliefs. It’s supposed to be a place where people can be outspoken about what they are passionate about; that is why we should be able to say “Merry Christmas” if we want to.

Sarah Schilke, Arts & Entertainment Editor

Senior Sarah Schilke is Arts & Entertainment Editor for the 2014-2015 Colonel. She is the Girl’s Cross Country captain and participates in Youth Alive Bible Club.

Pro “Happy Holidays”

“Happy Holidays” is a more politically correct term than “Merry Christmas” for referring to the holiday season.The fact is that there are more holidays during the month of December than just Christmas. Jim Krumel, a writer from Lima Ohio, even claims “It not only is a safe greeting, they’ll argue, but also a festive one.” There is of course Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, the more known December holidays, but there are more than those three. There are also holidays for Hinduism, Paganism and Buddhism.

In recent years there has been a bigger effort to say “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas.” Even our school is referring to the upcoming vacation as “Winter Break” instead of the more traditional “Christmas Break.”

For instance our school of over 1,000 students, may not celebrate Christmas over the holiday season. Some may celebrate one of the holidays previously mentioned.

Even the country we live in as a whole is made of many different religions and customs not mentioned in Christmas sale commercials. It is not really fair to the rest of the people who can’t celebrate Christmas to not get the same publicity as Jolly Old Saint Nick.

In short, “Happy Holidays” is more equal to everyone than “Merry Christmas.” There are plenty more holidays in the month of December than Christmas. Granted, the majority of the population celebrates Christmas, but there are many more holidays; therefore, the month should not be dedicated to just one.

Ben Odom, Staff Writer

Sophomore Ben Odom is a staff writer for the 2014-2015 Colonel. He plays percussion in Marching Band, Symphonic Band, and Wind Orchestra.