Heather MacDonald quotes James Wolcott's snide response to Jay Nordlinger's comment on the near-purging of "Merry Christmas" from public life. I'm with Jay (unsurprisingly). It's not about chauvinism, it's just that the "Happy Holidays" school of "inclusiveness" just feels wrong. Because, as he points out, if someone were to wish me a Happy Hanukkhah, Blessed Ramadan, Happy Diwali, or Favorable Solstice, that is precisely what I would feel — included.
As to MacDonald's question about the reaction to widespread use of "Eid Mubarak", since it just means "Happy Holiday" I'd assume they were referring to Christmas. That aside, I seriously doubt whether anyone of such a cultural bent to be automatically suspicious of an Arabic greeting would be likely to recognize it as such.
As to MacDonald's question about the reaction to widespread use of "Eid Mubarak", since it just means "Happy Holiday" I'd assume they were referring to Christmas. That aside, I seriously doubt whether anyone of such a cultural bent to be automatically suspicious of an Arabic greeting would be likely to recognize it as such.
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