Wherever you are, whatever you celebrate, I wish you and your family a wonderful Holiday Season...and a Merry Christmas!
As I shopped for last minute groceries, I asked the young cashier if she was excited about Christmas. She replied that she did not celebrate Christmas as she was Muslim.
I smiled and wished her a happy time with her family anyway.
I live in a multi-cultural city - I love it!
I try to embrace all ethnicities I encounter...they fascinates me. I don’t apologize for asking, or for not knowing, what if anything, a person celebrates or believes in. So long as we all try to get along and show a little respect I’m good to go.
As I exited this grocery store (my regular haunt) the two fellows that man the Lotto Booth were closing up for the day. (we often exchange pleasantries)
I smiled and wished them a Merry Christmas...but then I laughed and realized they might not celebrate this holiday, just like the young cashier.
I went over to their counter and asked - they replied they did not; I then revised my greeting for them by wishing them both "Happy Holidays"; they in turn extended the same to me.
Nowhere along this little path, of tossing out my “Merry Christmas” greetings, did I feel I was treading on toes or offending anyone.
Quite the opposite, these people, the cashier and the lottery fellows, have been in Canada a long time (knowledge I’ve gleaned from our chats); I just made the assumption (silly me) that most people celebrate Christmas.
My learning curve just never ends!
I left with my grocery bags and a smile; at the end of the day we really all want the same thing, don’t we? Respect.
By engaging people we meet with honest, respectful dialogue we go much further then by assumptions, prejudgements and stereotyping.
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Merry Christmas to you and yours, or if you prefer, Happy Holidays!
Either way, hug your family and be mindful of how precious they are, with or without a tree, they are a reason to celebrate.
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Now...here are a few of my favourite Christmas photos:
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| Last year's tree |
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| This year's tree |
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| Next year's tree |
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| Pucker up...where there's Mistletoe there's a happy puppy! |
Does your tree change from year to year too?
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!
Jenny
Merry Christmas to you also my dear friend.
ReplyDeleteI too have become more aware that not everyone celebrates Christmas like I do. You and I are very alike in the way we think.
My tree is artificial so I vary the colours mainly. Some years red and gold, others purple and silver.
Always with special ornaments
We bought a realistic-looking artificial tree 25 years ago because the dog thought it was okay to pee on a real tree. *grin* We've been using it ever since.
ReplyDeleteYour exactly right! Smile and spread some good cheer is what I say. My tree is always real and the family always goes out to cut it down together. One of our best holiday times.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
Merry Christmas, Jenny :) Hope you are having a lovely festive weekend with the family.
ReplyDeleteMy Vojvodina is also known as probably the most multicultural part of Europe, since about 25 different nations live here :) peacefully and calmly. I myself have at least four different bloods in myself :)
Merry Christmas, and hopefully I've gleaned enough information to know that you DO celebrate it!
ReplyDeleteGreat post as always Jenny, I love those photos! Make sure to have an excellent Christmas for you and your family, looking forward to hearing about how good it was in future posts!
ReplyDeleteEven if I didn't celebrate Christmas, I would when you were around.
ReplyDeleteBig warm happy holiday hugs for you and yours!
I love this post! To me Christmas is a feeling. And everyone loves a good feeling don't they? You did see my little 2' tree didn't you? haha. Merry Christmas my friend.
ReplyDeleteHappy Christmas to you and your family too, Jenny. It's good that we can all have respect for each other, whatever our religious (or non-religious) views. Your tree for this year looks very much like the tree that we have here.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas to you too, Jenny.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas! :)
ReplyDeleteNope, our tree stays the same; we've had the same artificial one for a while now, and we usually decorate it the same way each year.
Thanks for the visit, and Merry Christmas to you too.
ReplyDeleteI haven't spent Christmas at home in I don't know how long--always have to go somewhere to be able to see my family who all live from from my wife and I. It's been another great Christmas away from home.
ReplyDeleteHave a great 2012!
Lee
Wrote By Rote
Lee
Last year's tree is definitely my favorite. And, umm-mmm, will next year's tree fit inside your house? Of course, you could always make alterations like cutting a hole in your roof or cutting the top off the tree. Our tree changes year-to-year because the cat destroys a portion of it every year. =/
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to see next year's tree...Merry Christmas Jenny!
ReplyDeleteWe've kept the same tree since before my son was born (it should go without saying that it's a FAKE tree).
ReplyDeleteLikewise, we've kept the same feeling of peace which comes from being with family and friends.
We also had a Christmas when my father-in-law set the house on fire.
And the time he fell down the stairs when I was getting my Christmas present from Mrs. Penwasser
But, those are stories for another day.
lucky puppy :P
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