Happy Holidays = Happy Short Time That We’ve All Got Off From Work Because The Hegemonic Religion Wanted It But Capitalism Would Prefer That We Never Sleep, So We Will Take Whatever We Can Wrest From Its Grasping Metal Hands.
Obviously saying “Happy Holidays” is a good thing because it means that you are acknowledging that many different religions have a festival at this time of year — but the fact remains that any time off you might get is scheduled between Christmas and New Year, and doesn’t encompass Yule or Hanukkah. And Boxing Day is not even a public holiday in the US, so tough luck to any Catholics wanting to observe the feast of St Stephen.
Also tough luck if your other major festivals are outside the window of opportunity for rest provided by either a public holiday or a weekend. I wonder if the ruling classes were so keen to embrace Protestantism because Catholicism provided too many days off in the form of saints’ days.
I’ve often said that Pagan festivals should be public holidays. I gleefully say this to non-Pagans and get a hard stare until I point out that Pagan festivals are spaced evenly across the year and happen about every six weeks.
I’m guessing that Hindus have to celebrate Diwali and Holi at the nearest weekends. And can you imagine being a Muslim trying to observe Ramadan while everyone else is happily snacking around you?
Some workplaces allow people to swap a public holiday for their religious festival, which is very sensible.
But really I just want fully automatic luxury space communism like the 1950s promised.
Dowsing for Divinity 