I was at the supermarket this morning, Market Basket, and I witnessed a culture war in reverse. The cashier, a middle-aged woman, politely was saying “Merry Christmas” to each customer she processed. The man in front of me deliberately responded with an awkward but pronounced “Happy Holidays.” I am glad Market Basket, owned by a Greek family by the way, put no onus on their employees to be “politically correct” with a “Happy Holiday” salute in replace of “Merry Christmas.” In most chain stores cashiers are obliged to say “Happy Holidays” and are forbidden to say “Merry Christmas.” All of us serious Catholics respond to such with a very pronounced, but polite, “Merry Christmas.” I cannot even imagine a real Catholic saying “Happy Holiday.” It’s just unthinkable, so unChristian is it in its pathetic surrender. It may seem like a little thing, but, along with blessing ourselves publicly in restaurants before meals, little things count. I know I am preaching to the choir, but it was a joy this morning to hear a cashier wish her customers a Merry Christmas. And, when my turn came, I answered her “And a Merry Christmas to you, too.”
