Oxford embraced the holiday season a little early this year, as the downtown square now looks like a Christmas wonderland. Our main roads are adorned with festive wreaths. 

With the election now behind us, we believe that everyone could use a little holiday cheer.

In the coming months, there will be plenty to discuss, argue about and debate, so let’s not waste time worrying about how we greet each other this holiday season. 

There are many holidays coming up, including Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and New Year’s Eve. The point of the holidays is to spread joy, not to focus on the specific words we use to wish our fellow citizens a happy and merry holiday season.

If you know that someone celebrates Christmas, then wish them a Merry Christmas. If you know your friends are Jewish, wish them a Happy Hanukkah. And if you want to spread cheer to someone you don’t know, like a grocery clerk or a restaurant server, saying “Happy Holidays” is a nice way to do so.

There’s so much to worry about in the world—let’s not get into arguments over what should be a time for us to come together in celebration. This season is about honoring our families, our traditions, our religions, and all the positive things in our lives. 

Wishing someone “happy holidays” doesn’t mean you don’t recognize the true meaning of Christmas; it simply means you’re sharing goodwill.

From all of us at the Oxford Eagle, we wish our readers a wonderful Thanksgiving, a very Merry Christmas, a Happy Hanukkah, a joyful Kwanzaa, and a blessed New Year.