Enjoying season's peace and good will requires us to chill

In 1957, Dr. Seuss wrote his classic “How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” with the uplifting message about how Christmas still came to Whoville despite the Grinch stealing all the decorations, food and presents.

Had he written it today, the ending might have been different.

“Then all the Whos down in Whoville really did cry ‘boohoo.' ‘That clerk said ‘happy holidays,' I think I might sue.' So they howled and they fought over each trivial thing, and the Grinch saw his chance to be even more mean. By the time the Whos realized they weren't having fun, it was Dec. 26th and Christmas was done.”

As someone who got ticked off when a trick-or-treater stole our one cheap, battery-operated ghost, I understand the anger and heartsick feeling that afflicts suburbanites who put so much effort, money and, yes, love into Christmas only to see vandals trash decorations, swipe baby Jesus figurines, steal packages and generally take a page from the Grinch's playbook. Those “pranks” are horribly mean crimes and certainly inspire ill will. I want to see all the vandals punished severely, even if their deeds don't officially measure up to hate crimes.

But as I munch the wonderful, homemade gingerbread men given to us this time of year by friends who don't celebrate Christmas, I am reminded that people of all faiths and no faith can spread peace and good will regardless of whether their private traditions this holiday season are all about Jesus or Santa or Menorahs or family or food or football or capitalism.

I'm happy for the chance to listen to Run DMC's “Christmas in Hollis,” but I also like to sing the bass part in “Joy to the World.” I love when my son and his buddy make “Christmas cookies,” and the friend always puts blue frosting on any one shaped like a candy cane so it can be a “J” for Jewish. I'll get misty-eyed while watching “It's a Wonderful Life,” and think about all the reasons why life is wonderful and Christmas really can be the most wonderful time of the year no matter what obstacles we let others and ourselves erect before us.

All of the people who take offense when someone wishes them a “happy holiday” think they have a winning argument.

“Christmas is a national holiday,” they argue, insisting that all Americans, regardless of faith, must acknowledge a national holiday by name. If that's truly what they believe, these same people will be up in arms next month when store clerks fail to wish them a Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day. While many Americans recognize Monday, Jan. 17, as a day off school or an opportunity to buy discount mattresses, those national holiday sticklers should remind us that King is the reason for the holiday.

If someone wishes you a belated “Happy Hanukkah,” a “Merry Christmas,” a “Joyous Kwanzaa,” an early “Milad un Nabi,” a “Happy New Year,” a “Wonderful Makar Sankrant,” a “Glorious Year of the Rabbit,” an “Amusing Festivus,” a “Happy Holidays” or even an insincere-sounding “Have a Nice Day,” be gracious and let your manner serve as a shining example of the happiness your own holiday brings you.

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In what will be my last column of 2010, I must acknowledge an error in a recent column about Mona Abboud of Sleepy Hollow, whose performance of the novelty Christmas song “The Pretty Little Dolly” was chosen among all other clips on www.JohnnyCarson.com to lure viewers to the late, great comedian's website.

I wrote that when Abboud left “The Tonight Show” stage to thunderous applause on Dec. 15, 1966, a following guest, Eva Gabor of “Green Acres” fame, gushed, “Oh, darling, you were marvelous.” Gabor actually said that after Abboud sang her song on the show the following year. It was opera soprano Roberta Peters who bolted out of her dressing room to compliment Abboud after that first appearance.

And now, simply enjoy whatever traditions you have this time of the year, and be respectful of the traditions of others.