In a Word

IN A WORD
by Grace Flowers


I just completed a six-page spread for a popular magazine in a large

metropolitan city. It was their annual “Shopping Guide.” What to buy, where to

buy it, price ranges, yadda, yadda. You see them everywhere this time of year,

from the New York Times, to every major website on the internet. This particular

assignment was an array of 2,911 words, suggesting to readers what might be the

perfect item, to please all the fortunate recipients, on their gift-giving list for the year

2007. Six glossy magazine pages containing stunning images of brightly wrapped

presents and busy, bundled-up shoppers. Pages that included words

like, “festive,” “joy,” “holiday,” “spirit,” and “giving.” Yes, a grand total of 2,911

words, and nowhere to be found was the word, Christmas.


Although I grew up in a traditional Christian household that meant Sunday

School every Sunday, I was not outraged nor offended by these writing guidelines.

After all, he’s the editor, my boss, and I’m the freelance, subject to editing

guidelines with most every literary piece I create. Also, as I grew into adulthood, I

stayed very open-minded on the subject of religion. I found that my personal

relationship with spirituality is just that. Personal. It changes and grows, and at

times is nearly impossible to label in terms of orthodox, organized definition. It

makes perfect sense to me that if God were food, we would all have a vast variety of

choice, in which to partake in life’s most plentiful, spiritual buffet. And, as in all

learning processes, when the student is ready, the teacher will most certainly

appear.


So, upon receiving this assignment back in November, I immediately reach for

my Thesaurus. Certainly I will be able to find enough synonyms for the word

Christmas in order to create this Holiday Shopping Guide, without too much

trouble. Unfortunately, it was not the case. This article became one of the most

challenging pieces I have written to date. Upon grossly overusing the

word, “holiday,” I wrap up the assignment, get it to the editor and am left feeling

puzzled and curious. So I begin to logically attempt to figure out why this country is

in such an uproar over a single word, Christmas. This is what I came up with.


First reason is called market share. Major retailers started removing the word

Christmas from their holiday advertising and shopper’s greetings because of the

(second reason) ACLU, who attempted to make it very clear that people of other

faiths were being offended by retailers not using their religious-specific terminology,

which in turn, caused people of the Christian faith, (third reason), to feel like their

religion was under siege, in the name of political correctness. (Inhale, here). That’s

it, in a nutshell.


Here is this writer’s humble truth of the matter. If it happens to be the day

marking 25 years since you were married, I’m not going to fail to wish you Happy

Anniversary because there are a large number of folks out there whose anniversary

is celebrated on a different calendar day. And I guarantee you, those other folks are

not going to be offended as you celebrate your day. They are very much aware that

they have their own. It’s as simple as that. Although I believe that the ACLU has

done some meaningful work, this particular move is not amongst the meaningful.


The reason I could not find a synonym for the word Christmas is because one

does not exist in the English language. Christmas is more than just a word, it is an

essence. Around the world Christmas cookies are baked, Christmas trees are lit,

and wide-eyed children anxiously await the sounds of Santa’s sleigh and eight tiny

reindeer on the rooftop. Christmas is a day that lends itself to the spirit of giving,

faith and joy for millions of people all over this planet. There is only one Christmas,

the festival that celebrates the blessed birth of the Baby Jesus. And whether or not

December 25 serves as a personal choice to experience spirituality, the attempt

should not be made to dilute a day that carries a magnitude of reverence for so

many, with what is arguably deemed to be politically correct, for all.


It remains my privilege to continue writing my column for this newspaper and its

readers. Believe it or not, in this small mountain community, my writing is

published in its purest form. My hands are not tied by my amazing editors, nor is

my message spun to please advertisers. In my rather new, rapidly growing career,

right here is where I love writing most. I am grateful to be able to say, in print, to

the citizens of our town,” Merry Christmas.” Believe me folks, it wouldn’t be

printed everywhere. Until next week . . .