Nancy Thompson | Speaking of Religion: Tidings of comfort and joy – Bennington Banner

Happy holidays, dear readers! Possibly, in my genuine good wishes, I have just raised some hackles. Some of you may be thinking, Bah humbug. COVID. Its understandable. Others, though, are fuming because I didnt say, Merry Christmas. Its Christmastime, the thinking goes, so people should wish each other a merry Christmas. So what if people dont celebrate Christmas?

The idea seems to go along with a misconception, that This is a Christian country. Actually, no, its not. The First Amendment the same one so many people proudly lean on to claim their right to say anything they want no matter who their words might hurt expressly states that Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. The United States is not an officially Christian country, even though much of the population is Christian.

Further, many do not realize that not all Christians celebrate Christmas. For instance, Jehovahs Witnesses do not celebrate Christmas. Quakers dont generally celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday. The Puritans of Massachusetts Bay colony likewise rejected Christmas as a religious holiday, finding no evidence in scripture that Jesus of Nazareth was born on December 25.

Those who insist that Merry Christmas is the only thing to say this time of year often complain that People get so offended nowadays. They call others snowflakes. They grouse about political correctness. However, I want to offer that such thinking is absurd.

Lets start here, with a brief tour. First, the African American holiday of Kwanzaa starts on December 26. Its one of the newest holidays, beginning in 1966, when it was created by Dr. Maulana Karenga. Kwanzaa celebrates pan-African culture and family, and focuses on cultivating values including unity, responsibility, faith, creativity, and purpose, amongst others.

For Jewish friends and neighbors, Hanukkah has just ended. For eight nights, candles blazed in their windows to commemorate a miracle: that oil meant to last one day lasted eight days when the temple was rededicated after a small group of Jews who had resisted Hellenization, the Maccabees, revolted against Greek oppressors.

The Persian holiday Shab-e Yalda also just occurred on the 21st. My dear friend Ara Serjoie from Guilford College explains that, The longest and darkest night of the year is celebrated by friends and family gathering together to eat, drink and read poetry (especially Hafez) until dawn. Fruits, sweets, seeds and nuts are eaten and pomegranates and watermelons are particularly significant. The red color in these fruits symbolizes the crimson hues of dawn and glow of life (University of Tehran). This tradition dates back thousands of years and marks the winter solstice. It precedes the birthday of Mithra (Goddess of Light) on December 25th.

Bodhi Day, was celebrated on December 8th. Bodhi Day commemorates the spiritual transformation of Siddhartha to the Buddha as the result of his commitment to his meditation practice, the middle way, that enabled him to awaken from the illusions of conventional reality. And this year Hindus celebrate Gita Jayanti the birthday or creation day of the spiritual text Bhagavad Gita on December 25.

I dont say Happy holidays because I am a snowflake or politically correct. I dont say Happy holidays to avoid offending people. I say Happy holidays to honor people, to wish someone joy no matter what they celebrate this time of year. I say happy holidays to acknowledge the many different religious paths that exist in this beautifully diverse world. Saying happy holidays offers inclusion. It respects those paths and their followers. Its kind.

Be aware: in our own country, some are violently attacked because of the religions they practice. Jews, Sikhs, Muslims and others have been targets of hate crimes, including murder. Acknowledging and respecting the paths of others helps to protect their lives and rights.

I mentioned absurdity. I happily say Merry Christmas to people who I know practice Christianity and celebrate Christmas. But to me, saying Merry Christmas to people I dont know is akin to saying Happy birthday to strangers on my birthday. Why would I assume that my birthday is their birthday?

So happy holidays, dear readers, whatever you celebrate. If you celebrate nothing at all this time of year if you like to exchange gifts this time of year but walk no religious path happy winter. Happy slightly longer days; the solstice is behind us now. Happy almost new year; may 2021 be kinder to us all than 2020 has been. May we be kind and respectful to each other. May we remember that every world religion teaches us to treat others as we would wish to be treated, and to avoid treating others in ways that we do not wish to be treated. May we all create for others and find for ourselves moments of comfort and joy in days ahead. And if you celebrate the birth of Jesus, a very merry Christmas to you.

Nancy J. Thompson teaches comparative religion at CCV and NVU. She is author of Touching the Elephant: Values the Worlds Religions Share and How They Can Transform Us. She is a member of the Bennington Interfaith Council.

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