The Worcester Telegram & Gazette has been publishing quite a few letters from people who complain about the War on Christmas. There have been few, if any, letters published to express other points of view.

I decided to take on one aspect of these complaints in a letter to the editor. Specifically, I was addressing the complaint of people who are upset over the greeting “Happy Holidays”.

Here is the letter:

To The Editor:

I think most experts agree that society develops the rules of etiquette in order to smooth the course of social interaction. As societies change, so do the rules of etiquette.

In an increasingly multi-cultural society, most people have come to realize that forcing one’s religion or politics on strangers does not foster smooth social interaction.

In trying to use proper etiquette so as to avoid offending people some of us say “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas” when we do not know the religious orientation of people we meet.

If a person would be offended by the phrase “Happy Holidays”, then it would be nice if they could display some indication of their special status. In such cases, I would be willing to defer to their need to be greeted with only certain acceptable phrases.

I am sorry if trying to be pleasant offends people. I’d certainly be willing to meet these people half way if they would be willing to reciprocate.

/Steven Greenberg