Taking back holiday

  Christmas is right around the corner. It is the one redeeming feature of the winter months. Granted, that is a really big redeeming feature, though Biblical scholars agree that Jesus was most likely born during the warmer months. Maybe they decided to celebrate His birth during the winter to give people something to look forward to during the winter months.

 With Christmas, comes the yearly push to keep nativity scenes out off of government property, to keep mention of Jesus and Christmas out of public schools and other places. Many stores will require their employees to say "happy holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas". Their ads and signs for Christmas will all say "holiday". The politically correct side of Christmas.

 I know people who think it is no big deal. There is one very liberal "Christian" blogger and author who openly mocks the idea of a war on Christmas or that it is any kind of persecution of Christians. Many of them will point out that the word "Christmas" doesn't appear in the Bible. (Neither does idiot....just saying). I want to shake these people and yell "wake up!" If our country keeps drifting away from God at the rate we are going, it will soon be illegal to say Christmas, much less celebrate it, and eventually Christianity will be outlawed. How do these people think it works? One day everyone is pro-Christian, and the next day Christianity is outlawed and punished? No. It is gradual, and starts with small things like doing away with mentions of Jesus during His birthday, of forcing Christians to capitulate to things like homosexuality, and abortion. Of taking crosses and the 10 Commandments from public display on government property.... which ironically is our property also.

  Much could be said about that, but I am mainly focusing on the eradication of Christmas. There are also those naive people who point out that when people use "X-mas", that the "X" stands for Christ. Bless their hearts. That may be, but the intention of using it is to remove Christ from the word, not make a shortened version of Christ so it fits on the sign better.

  But back to holiday. I have never heard anyone say "happy holiday!" to me at Halloween or St. Patrick's Day. No, just at Christmas. The liberals and atheists are fine with a holiday that celebrates all things devil related or that celebrates a man that is accompanied by green beer and partying. Jesus is another matter. Jesus is taboo now.

 I read somewhere or heard that the word holiday actually means "holy day." I researched it, and that is true. It comes from two words: holy and day. In fact, the word originated in connection with religious observances. Think about that for a moment. The word that is being used to replace "Christmas" means "holy day" and originated in connection with religious observances. Isn't that a bit ironic? The atheists are winning the battle on getting the word "Christmas" taken away, and are using a word that means holy day as a substitute. And it was a holy day. The holiest of days. God became man.

  So maybe it is time for Christians to take the word back. When we are wished a "happy holiday", to reply "happy holy day to you also!" And then launch into singing "O Holy Night." OK, just kidding about that last part. But I am serious about the first.

 I am just one person, and a very insignificant one at that..... but what if a movement was started that got enough attention that the atheists got to see that the words they have been using to try to eradicate the mention of Christ from his birthday, is a word that magnify the holy wonder of His birth instead of erasing it?

 Maybe they need to start marketing Christmas cards and other materials proclaiming "Happy Holidays - and Christmas is the holiest of holidays", or something to that effect.

  Now I am not about to go around wishing people a happy holy day, and one shouldn't be too flippant or in your face about it, but it is an almost delicious irony that when people wish you happy holiday, they are wishing you a happy holy day.

  And we know how liberals and atheists feel about all things holy.

  But what if we did reply with "and a happy holy day to you also"? We might get a weird look, but take it from me....... you can used to getting weird looks."

  We Christians have become wimps. We sit helplessly aside, wringing our hands as atheists, liberals, an anti-Christian president and courts march over our rights and do their best to slowly eradicate Christmas and Christianity from the public eye. At least those of us who are paying attention. We need to love, and be salt and light, but Jesus never called us to be wimps......

  Regardless of how or what we do, we need to take the holiest of holy days back...... and maybe a good start would be to take the word "holiday" back, and let people know what it means. Holy day. And Christmas day was, and is.