WILL THAULT: Merry Christmas … plain and simple

Like me, are you old enough to remember when Merry Christmas seemed to be on everyone’s lips this time of year? It began just after Thanksgiving and lasted all the way up to that celebrated day. It always came with a smile – both from the giver as well as the receiver. No hidden agenda, no defiant political statement, no passive-aggressive challenge to another’s beliefs, just an innocent, heart-felt expression of joy; a simple wish of unconditional happiness to another.

In that brief moment, there was a connection, whether it was with a friend, family member or total stranger. Those two words implied hope, peace, understanding and, yes, even love for each other. Not love in the physical sense, but in a “we’re all in this together” shared experience sort of way. It was infectious. Walking away, you’d catch the glimpse of another passerby and, with a wordless smile, think “Merry Christmas” with your look and, sure enough, they’d smile “Merry Christmas” back.

That feeling that “there’s hope for us yet,” stayed in the air for weeks. You know what I mean … we’d spend all year in the rat race, with everybody grabbing for their more than fair share of a piece of the pie. Then came the Christmas season, when we saw each other in a different light. Not as competitors for that piece of the pie, but as sharers of it. Instead of takers, we became givers in ways we never thought possible. And, to our amazement, it felt good.

While it’s universally understood that Christmas is the day believers celebrate the birth of Jesus as the Son of God, most non-believers still acknowledge and enthusiastically practice the accompanying time-honored traditions of peace and goodwill toward others. They do this through the secular acceptance of Christmas trees, Santa Claus and gift-giving, now common to all, even though these customs stem from Christian beliefs.

If we understand where the “Christmas” part comes from, what about the “Merry?” The word is derived from the Old English myrige, which meant “pleasant, peaceful or agreeable.” Scholars say “merry” first appeared in a manuscript as part of a Christmas greeting almost 500 years ago. But we can thank the reformed Ebenezer Scrooge for popularizing the phrase in Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” in 1843. Afterwards, the word merry came to mean “jovial, cheerful, jolly and outgoing.”

Fast-forward to today’s contentious society, where every innocent word or phrase must immediately be placed under the microscope of intense scrutiny, ad nauseam, sidewalk psychoanalysis, Twitter terrorism and a never-ending search for ulterior motives. In this case, I’m not sure whether “merry” or “Christmas” would be the most offending term to some. In my view, if by saying “Merry Christmas,” your intention is to offend or annoy the hearer, then you’re the one in the wrong, so don’t say it. But if you take offense just because someone with the best of intentions says “Merry Christmas” … well, then, maybe you should try a little patience. Take a deep breath, mentally forgive them and abstain from the refrain, “Bah-humbug!” After all, it is the time for peace and goodwill toward others.

I think, for the most part, it still gives folks a good feeling deep down inside when they exchange merry Christmases with each other. Hey, just yesterday, I passed by a total stranger walking through a parking lot and right out of the blue he wished me a “merry Christmas.” I was so caught up in the moment that I practically shouted back, “And a Merry Christmas to you!” so loud that you could hear me across the parking lot.

So regardless of whether you interpret my holiday greeting with the original meaning of “pleasant, peaceful or agreeable” or Scrooge’s “jovial, cheerful, jolly and outgoing” or a bit of both, I sincerely wish you and yours a most hale and hearty MERRY CHRISTMAS!