Are you open minded on the different theories about the greeting "Merry Christmas?"Christmas is the best season of the year. It is the time for Christmas trees, ornaments, Christmas lights, gift giving, greetings, bright lights, smiles everywhere and the undeniable joyous air around us. And so, everyone will exchange that warm and gleeful greeting "Merry Christmas!" Honestly, I am one of those who spread the greeting.
For most of us, Merry Christmas means the celebration of the birth of Christ. However, there is a different theory of this meaning. If you will look at the meaning of the word merry, it simply means cheerfulness, liveliness and festivity. The meaning is as innocent as that. The word Christ-mas, however, is quite different. Christ is pertaining to the celebrant, which is Jesus Christ. Mass is the highlight of the Catholic ceremony, which is the raising of the Eucharist, the celebration of the death of Christ.
With this in mind, Merry Christmas means a festivity due to the death of Christ. Further, it has been considered a mockery of Santa Claus to be saying "Ho Ho ho, Merry Christmas". Just imagine the irony of someone saying "Ho Ho Ho, Happy death of the Christ!" Imagine people singing and dancing while saying "Happy death of the Christ!". Ironically, it is the Christians who usually use this greeting. As it is one side of the theory, one cannot help to ask if this is known to the Catholic priest. Honestly, being a Catholic myself, I would not know.
I can only guess that if there is a veracity to this theory, and if known by the Catholic priests, I suppose the greeting "Merry Christmas" meant that it is merry because the death of Christ is the redemption of humanity from our sins. However, I cannot help but to ask, this is not the Lenten season we are celebrating, it is the birth of Christ, right?
However you react to this theory, one thing is certain. As far as I am concerned, the celebration of the birth of Christ is not about when or how we celebrate it, it is how we perceive the spirit of opening ourselves to another human being. It is not the value or the price of the gift, but the smile in the eyes and the emotion that comes from the person receiving the gift that matters.
Happy Holidays every one!
Disclaimer: The image comes from Yahoo images.
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