Evan Saugstad: Have a merry Christmas, eh?

As 2024 draws to a close, some good news for those Canadians who still view themselves as traditionalists and still celebrate Christmas for what it is.

Despite the rhetoric about what we can say to each other, or if we should even celebrate such ancient customs that came across the ocean on ships carrying colonialist invaders, most of us Canucks still enjoy celebrating Christmas, with or without its Christian roots and significance.  

A Dec 19, 2024 poll from Research Co. (Press Release (https://researchco.ca/2024/12/18/xmas-2024-canada/) and data (https://researchco.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Tables_Xmas_CAN_18Dec2024.pdf) gives a 2024 picture of a Canadian Christmas.

The good news is that more than half of us (53%) still have fun and enjoy the Christmas holiday season. In my age bracket, 55+, 73% of us still enjoy the season and are not stressed out about an overcooked turkey, an inebriated Uncle or a sweater fitting too tight.  Come to think of it, “stressed out” is a relatively new phenomena, as us old people grew up too busy working and trying to survive to become so stressed out that we couldn’t enjoy a Christmas break.  Or was it that we never had to suffer our parent’s fears, or that one toy from Santa and a woollen winter sock full of treats was a blessing to be thankful for and turkey, no matter how it was cooked, was a family sit down meal to enjoy with company and companionship?

83% of us still like turkey, 68% like cranberry sauce and 60% can swallow the Brussel sprouts without a chaser (clear enough that sprouts don’t like me?).  58% still enjoy fruit cake, but clearly obvious that this number would have been much higher if more were to try Ian Simpson’s rum-soaked culinary delights.

The poll also found, unfortunately, that once we reach the age of “why”, our parents tell us we are delusional to still believe in Santa Claus.  56% of us were nine when this happened, and about 28% at ten or older.

The tidbit of information coming from this poll that I like best is that we Canucks still believe “Merry Christmas” as our preferred greeting (62%, up 1% from last year).  “Happy Holidays”, that “I don’t want to offend you or do not know what to say slogan” is second at 24% (up 3% from last year) while 14% (down 2%) don’t know how to respond, or don’t have an opinion.

Interestingly it is the younger Canadians (18 – 34 years of age) who have the highest percentage of preferring the mundane “just another holiday greeting” over the exuberant “Merry Christmas” that is exclusively used for and defines how we should feel about Christmas and our end of year celebrations.  Of those who identified their ethnicity in the poll, Indigenous, East Asian and European overwhelmingly endorsed Merry Christmas while South Asians were evenly split between the two greetings.

Merry Christmas is a common greeting around the world and stated so in many ways and languages.  A short sample that I took off the internet but make no claim as to their authenticity on who they apply to, or what they say. If some are misstated, my apologies.

Cree: Miyo-manitowi-kîsikanis or Mitho Makosi Kesikansi

Michif (Metis): Meyo Manitô Oķîsiķâw (MEE-yo ma-ni-too o-KEE-si- cow) or Gayayr Nwe

Inuktitut: Juullimi Pilluarit, Juullisiorluarit

Chinook Jargon: Miri Krismas Kopa Msaika!  Merry Christmas to you folks!

Diné (Navaho): Ya’at’eeh Keshmish

Afrikaans (South Africa): Geseënde Kersfees

Arabic: eid milad majid, عيد ميلاد مجيد

Australian English: Have a good Chrissy

British English: Happy Christmas

French and Québécois: Joyeux Noël

German: Frohe Weihnachten

Hindi: Subh Krismas शुभ क्रिस्मस

Irish (Gaelic): Nollaig shona duit (singular) or daoibh (plural)

Italian: Buon Natale

Mandarin Chinese: shèng dàn kuài lè 圣诞快乐

Norwegian:  God Jul or Gledelig Ju

Russian: С Рождеством

Scots: A blithe yule

Spanish: Feliz Navidad

Tagalog (Philippine): Maligayang Pasko

Thai: Suk Sarn Warn Christmas

Ukranian: ‘Веселого Різдва’ Veseloho Rizdva 

And to our Jewish friends and neighbors who celebrate Hanukkah, “Hanukkah Sameach”.  Hanukkah changes from year to year, and this year is celebrated from Dec 25^th to Jan 2^nd, 2025, which for the 5^th time since 1900, also begins on Christmas Day.

There are also countries where merely wishing someone a “Merry Christmas” can get one in serious trouble.  Most North Korean’s do not know that Christmas even exists, and any celebration may lead to imprisonment or death.  Christians in Saudi Arabia may celebrate Christmas is private but are forbidden to say or show anything in public.  Christians and Christmas are banned in Somalia, while Christmas celebrations are banned in Tajikistan.

In Canada public institutions are discouraged from using Merry Christmas as the preferred form of greeting as a small minority believe this is offensive and that it is a form of promoting Christianity as a religious.   Despite this government guidance, most choose to ignore and still wish all a Very Merry Christmas.  

From our home to yours, have a very Merry Christmas, enjoy the holiday and celebrate the day as you always have.  Only comes once a year so don’t waste it.

Evan and Karen