I can barely believe that 2018 is almost gone and that the winter holidays are upon us.

I love this time of year. I celebrate Christmas but in a very secular way, because really, there’s no innate Christianity in celebrating 25th December at all. It was a strategic choice of date made about 300AD. The entire Roman Empire celebrated the winter solstice (21^st December) and had a great time at the Saturnalia around the same time of the month. The early Church, casting around for a festival on which to hook a celebration of Christ’s birth had late December virtually handed to them ready-made. It’s why I laugh whenever some narrow-minded religious type (or, possibly more accurate, white privileged type) complains about the war on Christmas. I wonder if some ancient Roman huffed and muttered about his Saturnalia being overtaken by these new-fangled Christians muscling in on his pitch, and complained bitterly when someone wished him “Merry Christmas!” instead of his preferred and traditional “Io, Saturnalia!” What is the Latin for Happy Holidays, anyway?

It’s nonsense, anyway, this so-called war. It’s not like businesses close for Eid or Hanukkah or Kwanzaa, the way they do in Western countries on Christmas day. Anyone would think that the media hasn’t been relentlessly hawking Christmas since at least late August, and that our TVs haven’t been equally as relentless in trying to reach into our pockets via ads for the perfect Christmas present. And seriously, you can’t walk five yards of an evening, even in my tiny village, without being half blinded by houses covered in Christmas lights.

Some might argue that most of this is secular and has nothing to do with the aspects of Christmas that are truly religious. But the point is that the ‘West’ is culturally Christian and our culture at this time of year is laden with Christmas symbols. You can’t escape the lights, the trees, the fancy food and drink.

For many people—Jewish, Humanist, Muslim—that’s not their culture and yet we shove it down their throats.

I admit I have massive fun doing stuff that hasn’t got anything to do with my job of writing but far more to do with decorating the house and doing loads of last minute shopping. Especially decorating: this is a large house and lends itself to looking pretty when dressed up with lights and glitter. I reckon I do too, but forgive me for not providing photographic proof!

But most of all, I subscribe to Charles Dickens’ ideas that this is a ‘good time: a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time’, but I can do that without the religious overtones. Those sentiments are, so far as I can see, free of any specifically sacred leanings. They’re as relevant to an atheist or a humanist, or Christian, or Muslim, or Buddhist or Jedi or worshipper of the Flying Spaghetti Monster. They’re universal.

Political correctness be damned. Dickens set out a set of stating-the-bloody-obvious principles that, along with a cheery “Happy Holidays!” add up to living your life without being a total dick to the rest of humanity. So this convoluted little post is to explain why I’m wishing you all “Happy Holidays!” and genuinely meaning it in a completely secular way because I truly would hate to be that total, narrow-minded privileged jerk that no one wants at their parties.

So, Happy Holidays, everyone. May you have a peaceful, loving time now no matter what your culture, and may 2019 bring you health and happiness.

Felices fiestas! As our ancient Roman probably didn’t say, but what the heck. Felices fiestas to you all.

 
About Anna

Anna was a communications specialist for many years, working in various UK government departments on everything from marketing employment schemes to organizing conferences for 10,000 civil servants to running an internal TV service. These days, though, she is writing full time. She lives with her husband in a quiet village tucked deep in the Nottinghamshire countryside. She’s supported there by the Deputy Editor, aka Molly the cockerpoo, who is assisted by the lovely Mavis, a Yorkie-Bichon cross with a bark several sizes larger than she is but no opinion whatsoever on the placement of semi-colons.

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