War on Christmas? Not here, not us.

“You’re going to be saying Merry Christmas this year.”

-- US President Trump, Oct. 17 at Heritage Foundation, repeating his campaign promise

Any Filipinos here, not those in the United States, couldn’t understand why Donald Trump during the election campaign made a lot of noise over bringing back “Christmas” in that country.

Trump thought that the issue went big among the voters, specifically his political base, who supposedly resented the increasing use of “Happy Holidays” or “Season’s Greetings,” instead of “Merry Christmas” in America.

Is there a difference? To most of us, there’s none, they convey the same message of goodwill this time of the year. Many Filipinos don’t even know if they have a feud over it in the US. Silly, some Pinoys who read about it say.

War on greetings

In America, there has been a yearly “war” between those who use “Merry Christmas” and those who push “Happy Holidays.” The first group advocates the traditional greeting. The second group says “Merry Christmas” excludes other religions that also have celebrations in December or don’t believe in it at all. They want a greeting that is “non-traditional, multicultural, and driven by sensitivity to others who don’t celebrate Christmas.” Its advocates don’t want to alienate non-Christians who receive the greeting.

Critics say those who want “Christmas” deleted from the greeting are obsessed with political correctness. Trump, out of whim or political design, has adopted the cause of Christmas. He must have taken the cue from then Fox News talk show host Bill O’Reil- ly who railed every year at users of “Happy Holidays” and “Season’s Greetings/” And from evangelicals who resent being greeted “Merry Christmas” by department store sales clerks and street beggars.

But most presidents are more likely to be considerate about e feelings of the nation’s various sectors. U.S. presidents from Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Johnson to Carter, Reagan and Clinton used the catch-all message that didn’t mention Christmas.

Public unconcern

How much does the American public care about word usage for this season? Pew Research Center, in a survey released last Dec. 12, said 52% of Americans say the choice of holiday greeting does not matter to them.

Ivanka Trump tweeted “Happy Holidays” this week, in disregard if not contempt of Trump’s own sentiment about sticking to “Merry Christmas.” Trump himself rode on two horses during the poll campaign in 2015: the cards he sent out then said “Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.”

Ban on the phrase

Pinoys aren’t bothered about that kind of a problem. Not only that most Filipinos are Catholics whose core of faith is nativity (with death and resurrection), they don’t tangle over usage of words and phrases. Especially on how to convey the season’s message. Sometime ago, employees of a government bureau (you know which) were ordered not to say “Merry Christmas” to people transacting business in their office, which might be misunderstood as soliciting gifts.

They complied. They dropped the prohibited phrase entirely from conversation with clients during the whole season. Somehow though they were able to communicate--and still had a merry and bountiful Christmas. And the ban was quietly lifted the following year.

We don’t have the conflict that has been going on for years in the US: “Merry Christmas” vs. “Happy Holidays.” To us, either or both will do