A Teacher’s Guide to Holiday Greetings
November 24, 2009
Merry Christmas or have a good winter break? Depending on the teacher, students could hear either one. Most teachers say “have a good winter break” to be sure to include all students, but it is not a really big deal to say “Merry Christmas.” Especially, when the term has become so generic that most know it means, “Enjoy having no school for a couple of weeks.” It is part of the American culture and has nothing to do with religion. It is a polite statement that people use in the winter months. They are not trying to offend anyone. And to be honest students do not care what the teacher says as long as it means they can be out of school and not have to worry about homework or tests.
That two little words can cause such uproar seems ridiculous. If you were in a country where Hanukkah was the cultural norm it would be normal to hear “Have a good Hanukkah” so it should be fine to hear teachers say “Merry Christmas.” It should be acceptable to say Merry Christmas because it does fall on winter break and teachers usually follow it up with “Have a good New year.” If another holiday fell on winter break, teachers would probably acknowledge that holiday too. But, to be fair, maybe teachers should say “Have a Merry Christmahanakwanzika” to include all religions celebrated in winter. So, Neuqua have a Merry Christmahanakwanzika or if you don’t celebrate a holiday enjoy two weeks of no school.
Rachel Vaca, Opinions Editor
