Letter to the Editor

'Happy holidays' also correct

Wednesday, December 28, 2016

Dear editor,

I would like to respond to the editorial "Merry Christmas to all!" in the previous (Dec. 21) issue of the Mountain Home News. The editor, Brian S. Orban, recognizes that we live in a diverse country with people of many different faiths, yet rationalizes that since the majority of people practice Christianity, everyone should therefore be wished a "Merry Christmas" at this time of year.

In doing so, Mr. Orban is assuming that such people are Christian, or, if they are not, that they should just be willing to go along with it. Mr. Orban seems to feel that because of the special meaning that Christmas has for him, he is justified in wishing everyone else around him "Merry Christmas."

I would like to express the other side of the coin. As Mr. Orban noted, because of the Mountain Home Air Force Base, there is perhaps a higher percentage of diversity in the Mountain Home area than in some other parts of Idaho. There are people here who may celebrate Hanukkah or Kwanzaa or even the winter solstice. There are people who may not celebrate any religious holiday at all but still celebrate New Year's Day.

If you do know that someone is Christian, then by all means, feel free to wish that person a "Merry Christmas." If, however, you don't know what someone's personal belief is, then please don't assume that they celebrate Christmas.

The point behind wishing someone "Happy Holidays" is not to dilute Christmas or to be politically correct, but to recognize that there are other holidays and traditions that occur at this time of year.

-- Reba W. Lindsay,

Mountain Home