Putting 'Christmas' back in Christmas
It's that time of year -- the time when Ron Klamert is sick of hearing people say "Happy Holidays."
And this season, he's taking action.
As the general manager of an Aurora-based Christian television station, Klamert is launching a "Merry Christmas" campaign, urging viewers to send in tapes with their own Christmas messages.
"To us, 'Happy Holidays' is mindless noise," said Klamert of St. Charles. "You don't have to neutralize it and make it generic. It turns the holiday into a secular, material, boring event."
This season, leaders at Total Living Network, which reaches about 1.6 million households in the Chicago area, want people to send in taped Christmas greetings to family, friends or even troops overseas.
The station will air the messages in December. For a $5 fee, it also will produce a DVD for viewers to keep.
People can send in their tapes or visit the Aurora studio at 2880 Vision Court to tape a message.
The inaugural campaign is the first local sign of the "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays" debate that seems to arise every year.
In recent years, government and businesses have become particularly wary of sounding politically incorrect, often choosing to stick to all-inclusive descriptions like "holiday" or "seasonal."
But a national survey last year shows that more people are offended by "Happy Holidays" than they are by "Merry Christmas."
A Zogby Interactive poll of roughly 12,800 adults showed 95 percent said they're not offended by a Christmas greeting while shopping. But 46 percent are offended by a "Happy Holidays" wish.
And 36 percent of shoppers say they have even avoided a store or cut their visit short after being wished "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas." The figure jumps to 41 percent for weekly Wal-Mart shoppers.
Last year, several businesses -- including Wal-Mart -- gave into the backlash and incorporated "Merry Christmas" back into their store greetings.
But, of course, not everyone likes to hear that.
The poll showed one in three Jewish people are upset at hearing "Merry Christmas" as are 10 percent of non-Christians.
The Aurora station's message could rub some the wrong way, said a spokesman for the Anti-Defamation League, which says it aims to stop the defamation of Jewish people and secure justice and fair treatment for all.
"It's not a church-state issue, and people have a right to go on a Christmas campaign if they want," said Lonnie Nasatir of the group's Greater Chicago/Upper Midwest area. "But saying 'Merry Christmas' has a religious connotation and some people feel left out. Saying 'Happy Holidays' takes into account all people's backgrounds."
Klamert insists he's all about celebrating diversity, too -- but for him, that means also celebrating the differences.
"If you don't want to be a part of Christmas, hey, this is America, that is your right and should be respected," he said. "Respect our right to say, 'Merry Christmas.'"
If someone were to wish him a "Happy Hanukkah," Klamert said, he'd return the greeting and add "Merry Christmas." It's about educating others, he said.
"Our diversity is our strength, not our weakness." he said. "We should cherish each tradition, not make it neutral, boring and meaningless."
Moon Kahn, a Lombard Muslim, sees nothing wrong with saying "Merry Christmas" -- it is, after all, Christmastime, he said.
Of the 300 holiday cards he sends out each year, none say "Happy Holidays." He personalizes them with Christmas, Hanukkah or New Year's greetings.
"This is a celebration of Christians," he said. "I want to tell them 'Merry Christmas.' What is wrong with that?"
Merry Christmas campaign
• Viewers can send tapes to:
Merry Christmas
Total Living Network
2880 Vision Court
Aurora, IL 60506
Info: www.tln.com. Messages should be 10 to 15 seconds long.