And so this is Christmas?

Of course, along with the cards (remember them), they're all gratefully received. As a little experiment, this year I have decided to divide these communiqués into a special Christmas filing system I like to call, "Chris' special Christmas filing system'. It works like this - any emails/cards that include the message: 'Happy / Merry Christmas' are carefully filed away in a folder in Outlook to treasure forever*. Any that read: 'Happy holiday season', 'Happy holidays' or derivatives thereof, are dumped unceremoniously in the Recycle Bin. It's a simple system, but it works well. While the first five letters of the word Christmas provide a handy clue as to why these cards should have been sent out in the first place, I reluctantly accept why some people feel the strange urge to replace the word 'Christmas' so as not to upset non-Christians. I suppose. But it's the namby-pamby 'nice' words such as 'holiday season' that get my goat almost as much. The message may as well say: 'Here is a nonspecific acknowledgment during this winter juncture'. If there was a need to send cards like that, then we may as well send out several every day pointing out if it's raining. No, wait. That's Twitter ... By conveniently sweeping the message of Jesus under the carpet, the nonspecific, pleasantries and generic images on Christmas cards try too hard to be inoffensive. In doing so, the benevolently unfocused message becomes patronising, condescending and … well offensive. There's almost a 'nudge nudge' tinge of guilt in the messages that says: 'Shhhh! We know as well as you why you've received this *****mas email/card, but we're not allowed to say, and neither are you. Okay? But enjoy the holiday season'. This is almost as patronising to non-Christians as it is to Christians. Oh well, I suppose this is what happens when Christmas card messages are written by a committee: "Well, guys, so what exactly does Christmas mean? Y'know. Apart from the bit about Christmas?" "Well, it's always in Winter… It's a chilly stage of the year." "That's right! It is! So, instead of 'Happy Christmas' how about 'Happy chilly stage of the year'?" "Hmmm. 'Happy' implies that they may be happy about it being Christmas…" "I agree. Let's lose the 'Happy' and replace it with 'Greetings'" "No that's infringing on people's personal space. How about 'generic salutations'?" "Soooo… 'Generic salutations at this chilly stage of the year'…?" "Perfect. Now stick on a picture of the boss in a pixie costume and email it to all our customers." Happy Christmas *Or until January, when they will be deleted