por Marvin Ramírez
During this December season, it is impossible to ignore a phenomenon that has gained strength in recent years: the transformation of “Merry Christmas” into the generic “Happy Holidays” or “Felices Fiestas.” This seemingly inclusive practice has been driven by an agenda that seeks to dilute Christian values and reduce Christmas to a mere commercial event, stripping it of its divine essence. This change is not accidental; it reflects a society that, under the influence of atheistic revolution and materialism, attempts to erase our cultural and religious roots. Now more than ever, we must reclaim the greeting “Merry Christmas” as a declaration of faith, identity, and cultural resistance.
Christmas, as its name indicates, was conceived to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ, the foundation of the Christian faith. Saying “Merry Christmas” is not just a greeting; it is an acknowledgment of that historical and spiritual event that has profoundly marked our Western civilization. By replacing it with a generic term like “Happy Holidays,” we are conceding ground to a narrative that seeks to strip this holiday of its original meaning, reducing it to a period of shopping, lights, and empty parties.
How did we get to this point? The answer lies in an agenda promoted by various sectors, especially governmental and educational, advocating for the absence of God in the public sphere. In many schools, for instance, it is prohibited to speak openly about Jesus Christ or about Christmas in its religious sense. This silencing is not innocent; it is part of a movement that seeks to replace spiritual values with superficial materialism. We are taught that there is no supreme being, that everything is the result of chance, and that happiness is found in consumption and possessions.
This narrative has also generated a feeling of fear or shame in openly expressing our faith. Saying “Merry Christmas” has become, for some, an almost subversive act, as if we were imposing our beliefs on others. But who is really bothered by such a greeting, full of good wishes and meaning? The answer is clear: those who seek to erase our roots and confuse us with ideologies foreign to our culture.
Western civilization, to which we belong as Hispanics, is grounded in Christian culture. It was Christianity that shaped our laws, our morals, and our sense of community. Through the centuries, this faith became integrated into our identity as a people, giving us a unique language and a sense of belonging. Today, that identity is being attacked by an entertainment industry that promotes empty values and a television that glorifies the superficial and ephemeral. Hollywood, with its productions, sells us a distorted version of reality, where what matters is not the soul, but the appearance and consumption.
In this context, the greeting “Merry Christmas” becomes an act of resistance. It is a reminder of who we are and where we come from. It is a declaration that we are not willing to abandon our faith or our cultural identity. By saying “Merry Christmas,” we are affirming our connection with our roots, with our parents and grandparents, who professed this faith with pride and passed it on as a precious legacy.
As Hispanics, we have a special responsibility in this regard. We are a great family, united by language, culture, and faith. If we allow these values to be taken from us, we will be letting them weaken us as a people. We cannot allow external ideologies to divide us or social pressure to make us ashamed of our faith. On the contrary, we must strengthen our traditions and pass them on with pride to future generations.
It is true that we live in a diverse society, where people of different creeds and cultures coexist. This diversity is a richness, but it should not be an excuse to dilute our own beliefs. Respecting others does not mean renouncing who we are. We can live in harmony, recognizing and celebrating our differences, without needing to erase our identity. Saying “Merry Christmas” is not an act of exclusion; it is an expression of our faith and our sincere desire to share the joy of this holiday.
“Merry Christmas” is more than a greeting; it is an affirmation of faith, culture, and identity. It is a reminder of our roots and an act of resistance against a society that tries to empty our traditions of meaning. I urge all Hispanics to say “Merry Christmas” with pride and courage. Let’s not allow them to steal this cultural and spiritual treasure from us. Let’s defend our faith, our history, and our identity, and celebrate together the birth of Jesus Christ, the true reason for this beautiful holiday. Merry Christmas to all.
