Merry Christmas Or Happy Holidays To You

(My family when they were young - 16 years ago.)

Do you say Merry Christmas

 or

 Happy Holidays or both?

You may have heard about the controversy

concerning those who want to force a change 

with Christmas from

the religious holiday that it always has been to a secular

holiday.

(My family now, 16 years later!)

There is pressure to use the word holidays rather

than Christmas.  I read someone's blog and listened

to a clever song about not patronizing stores who

want to take Christ out of Christmas by substituting

Merry Christmas 

with Happy Holidays. (Sorry, I can't

remember who had it on their blog!!)

(Rett from the Gazebo House reminded me that

it was her post.  Thanks so much!  Click on the above

to listen to the song.)

So yesterday I was shopping and a clerk said,

"Happy Holidays."  I replied, "A Merry Christmas

to you too!"  I pondered on this and loving to look

up in the dictionary the etymology of words and being

quite certain what I would find, I looked up the etymology

of "holiday".

(A forever family!)

What do you think it means?  

Holy Day!

That's right - even with all of the political pressure

that they think they are wielding, they can't take God

out of the equation.  

When we say Happy Holy Days, we are admitting

that Thanksgiving is a day for giving thanks to God,

that Christmas is a day we celebrate mass or a

religious service in honor of Christ and His coming

to earth, and that The New Year rings in a new 

beginning for the earth which rotates and begins

a new cycle according to God's laws and order.

(Most everyone's favorite shot - all taken in Hawaii for Thanksgiving.)

So try to force us to say Happy Holidays - or shall

we say

Holy Days! 

It all says the same thing - that the world is happy

to celebrate that

God lives and that He sent His son 

Jesus Christ

to earth.

What good news!

This is my e-card to each of you, my wonderful

blogging friends!  We had a hard time deciding.

Most everyone chose the last one.  We just set up

the tripod and I kept running!  Now I really should

have gotten a remote for the timer (next time!)  I

chose this last photo and

sent for a reprint in a 16x20 from 

mpix.com.

It came in 3 days and is just stunning.  My

professional photographer friends use them for

their prints.  Give them a try. (You do have to upload

their uploading program, but it just takes a minute!)

I will be posting this with

Seasonal Sundays

Metamorphosis Monday

Wow Us Wednesday