The interesting connection between Christmas and American veterans
It’s the holiday season, at least in the United States. Mostly, that means Christmas. But it also means Hannukah, Kwanzaa, and every decade or so, Ramadan…and dozens of other holidays. In a recent Pew study conducted in 2020, about 65% of American adults identify as Christian. So you can presume that all of them…and probably more of American society…celebrates Christmas and all that goes with it. Christmas trees, stockings over a fireplace, Christmas lights, etc.
The debate over Christmas in America, as often seen on Fox News, is the “war on Christmas” and how it’s problematic that people are saying “happy holidays” rather than “merry Christmas.” Proponents of this “war” argue that most Americans celebrate Christmas, so we, as a society, should recognize that and say “merry Christmas” instead of “happy holidays.”
Hold that thought…
I am a veteran, and odds are, if you knew I was a veteran, you’d say “thank you for your service.”
But, why? You didn’t know what I did, how I served, where I served, etc. I might have been dishonorably discharged or been administratively separated because I was out of weight standards or didn’t pass physical fitness tests. Regardless, you’d thank me for my service, about which you don’t know anything.
Here’s a synopsis: I served for eight years in the US Navy reserve as an intelligence officer. Five of those years consisted of service in the select reserve, in which I was actively reporting the standard one weekend a month and two weeks a year. I deployed to the Middle East in 2013 for about four months. Following that, I shifted to the inactive ready reserve until my eight year commitment was completed.
My service was minimal compared to most who did serve, but, of course, more than anyone who did not put on the uniform.
Ever since I’ve been in the military, people have thanked me for my service without knowing what I did. I’ve always appreciated, so much more, whenever anyone asked me about my service record and given me the chance to explain what I did. At that point, if they thanked me for my service, I felt it was real, rather than them checking a box that seems to be expected by anyone who didn’t don the uniform.
Getting back to the original thought…
It’s similar to saying “merry Christmas.” If you say it to a Christian, sure, it makes a lot of sense. But how do you know if the person is Christian? Well, you’d have to ask. Imagine asking someone, “Do you celebrate Christmas?” and having the response be, “No, I celebrate Hannukah.” If you told that person a blanket “merry Christmas,” it wouldn’t mean anything. But instead, you could respond, “Well, I hope you have a happy Hannukah.” Imagine how much more the person would appreciate that?
Imagine how that could work for anyone else who doesn’t celebrate Christmas? Imagine how it only takes a few additional seconds to ask that question…to really learn about somebody. It’s not a “war on Christmas,” it’s trying to learn more about other people to gain perspective on how and what they celebrate. It’s about showing genuine interest about others, rather than making assumptions.
And it’s the same thing for thanking veterans for their service. It can mean so much more to a veteran to ask about their service…what they did, where they served, how much they were in…than just pleading ignorance and thanking them for their general service. It can mean so much more to ask if someone celebrates a particular holiday rather than assuming they do.
Happy holidays, and thanks for your service.
