Season Greetings?

‘Twas the week before Christmas and all through the town

Shoppers were scurrying all around.

Lost and confused I must say

Before they knew it they lost another day

Heading south on Route 1 to Scarborough Maine, there is a large sign on the sign that says “Merry Christmas”. Of course, to some this is an offensive sign and to others it is just a sign of the holiday season.

However, a big question comes to mind when seeing this sign: who paid for it and why is it there anyway?

I can’t answer either of these questions, but it does remind me of problems that come up this time of year.

The problem is that not everybody celebrates Christmas or any other holiday this time of year. So realistically, this sign can be very offensive to those who don’t believe in Christmas or anything it represents.

Turning the clock back 25 years, when I worked at the late Woolworth chain, Christmas was everywhere. Santa Claus, Merry Christmas, elves and everything else was all over the store. No other holiday was ever mentioned within the boundaries of the store whatsoever.

There was no mention of Jewish holidays, African holidays, Buddhist holidays or any other holidays during the period. It was like these others didn’t exist. And to Woolworth they didn’t. They never ever existed during the entire existence of the company.

After all, Woolworth was note noted as “America’s Christmas Store”. With a line like that, it was obvious nothing else existed.

It was also expected that employees keep the spirit alive by saying “Merry Christmas” to everyone they waited on and everybody they saw.

Being the Grinch type I was, I always gave my standard ‘thank you” and nothing more. I was one of those who never embraced the holiday of Christmas for many years and to this day still don’t.

Forward the clock to my years at Staples and things were different, much different.

Don’t even think of even mumbling the words “Merry Christmas” to a customer ever or else you would face being reprimanded by the management.

Why?

Not because they were Scrooges, but because like other anal policies, they decided not to do Christmas as a greeting. They preferred instead the more generic “Happy Holidays” if anything.

The important part is the “if anything” as they would prefer no greeting at all to one of any type of celebration at all. Personally, I don’t believe that Staples ever had or ever will have any holiday spirit whatsoever.

However, it seems that now, we are overwhelmed by Christmas/holiday tunes/TV movies/specials/merchandise and everything else earlier and earlier every year.

One local radio station started playing holiday songs at the first of November 24/7.

Target started selling Christmas decorations even before Halloween was over.

Yes, Virginia there is a “War on Christmas” as reported by some news outlets. We start the holiday season earlier and earlier despite that this year is the shortest period between Thanksgiving and Christmas so it is no wonder everybody is starting to hate on the holidays especially Christmas and Santa Claus.

Unfortunately, there is nothing that will change in these modern times. We are too individualized and polarized to be united anymore to celebrate holidays as we did years ago. The ways of Woolworth certainly would not be deemed acceptable today under any circumstances.

Is there are a solution to all this mess? Sadly not a solution is to be found that I can tell.

All we have is the memories of a bygone era.

So now I close the book on another year

Many of you may shed a tear

He is gone you may say

But don’t worry fellow readers I will be back another day

Please note:

This is the last posting for this year. I will return the first week of January with a brand new posting (if all goes well). For you date counters out there, that means approximately 3 weeks from now I will return

Until then, remember have a safe and happy holiday season or if you don’t celebrate the holidays, make one up.