I̢۪M GOING TO SAY IT.

Hang on, let me get our lawyers on the phone.

Ready? Here goes:

I̢۪d like to wish all our readers this year a merry Christmas.

It̢۪s not politically correct, I̢۪m aware. It could be perceived as forcing religion on people. It might even be seen as discrimination against Jews.

So why not just say “Happy Holidays?â€Â

Because being offended by the word “Christmasâ€Â makes no sense.

Most people know that the tradition of bringing greenery inside has roots in mythology from a variety of cultures. The Norse believed in a great ash tree that encompassed the world, which throughout time turned into the tradition of burning the Yule log. Egyptians brought palm fronds indoors during the winter solstice. The Romans adapted the Egyptian custom as part of Saturnalia, a celebration of the god of agriculture, but used fir trees instead of palms.

Most famously, the Germans brought evergreens indoors as a reminder that spring was not far away.
“So what?â€Â you say. Santa Claus still has his roots in ancient Christianity, and then there’s the whole issue of the word itself bearing the name of Jesus Christ.

While Coca-Cola developed today’s best-known image of Santa Claus, it’s true that Old Saint Nick is based on St. Nicholas, patron saint of children. St. Nicholas of old — if he even truly existed, which is not clear — was celebrated for his generosity toward the poor and the wrongly accused, according to the Saint Nicholas Center.

The tradition of hanging stockings hearkens back to people leaving small goodies, such as nuts or fruit, in children̢۪s shoes in remembrance of St. Nicholas̢۪ good heart.

In this era of Christmas lists and bigger, better gifts, we need to stop to remember those who need help. Instead of teaching our children to sit on Santa̢۪s knee and ask for things, we should teach them that reaching out to help and expecting nothing in return is one of life̢۪s most rewarding experiences.

As for “Christâ€Âmas, well, I’ve yet to meet anyone who attempts to convert people by greeting them in such a way. Yes, I have seen campaigns to “keep Christ in Christmas,â€Â but such displays of belief are what America was settled for. I have plenty of friends that are not Christians that choose to still celebrate the season’s spirit of friendship and appreciation without getting caught up in what the title actually means. Those friends also have yet to have an issue with me for choosing to celebrate my faith during December.

So merry Christmas. Whether or not you choose to leave the religious aspect of the holiday, take the message of warmth that is inherent to the greeting. If you don’t, we may end up celebrating the way country singer Brad Paisley portrays in one of his songs: by singing, “I’m Dreaming of a Caucasian Holiday.â€Â

And a Caucasian holiday in itself sounds like grounds for a lawsuit.

Heather Billings is a senior at Fresno State majoring in mass communication and journalism with emphases in print journalism and digital media.