Christmas Spirit In'Ya Face!

I was born in Australia nearly 49 years ago and have never lived overseas. Both my parents are Australian as are their parents. None of them have ever lived anywhere else. I am married to an Australian born and raised man, and both his parents were born in Australia - both still living at 91 years old in NSW. My grandmother was one of 14 kids in a pioneering family of the suburb where I grew up and went to school. They were dairy farmers. My father in law went to both wars and was a navigator in the Airforce. He flew in Papua New Guinea in a bomber.

Through birth, heritage, and lifestyle I am a true Aussie. By the time I was 30 I had travelled more of Australia than most people will in a lifetime - including some of you. By the time I was 32 I had named my business - ExplorOz. My vision is to encourage other people to get out and see the real Australia - the beauty and adventure of exploring this wide vast harsh land.

So I don't need to be told what is the "correct Australian Christmas greeting". I think I am Aussie enough to just say whatever comes instinctively. I'm a bloody Aussie and I'll say it as it is!

So when I wrote the last ExplorOz newsletter for the year yesterday, explaining that the office was closed, I also wished everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. I also gave recognition to those that have become disillusioned by the over-commercialism of Christmas and highlighted that the point of Christmas is to try to focus on espousing the principles of the Christmas spirit, which despite any particular religion you aspire to, or even if you lack religious faith (like me), you can still practise the principles of patience, forgiveness, selflessness and compassion towards others. But it seems this was wasted on some of our readers...

Like the majority, my holidays start soon - and the Christmas/New Year week is well known as the holiday period as most businesses close over this time of year. So in my personal sign off I said "Happy Holidays" as that is what I am looking forward to right now - and what I hope you will have too.

So imagine my surprise to receive 2 emails of complaint this morning - from people who have taken offence to my choice of words. To them, "Happy Holidays" is un-Australian and they felt so angry about it that they sent us back an email to complain. Oh p-lease!

What has happened to people these days that now we have to criticise how we give well-wishes to one another. There is no correctness to wishing someone a happy holiday - so what is the big deal?

It makes me wonder what else do these people complain about?

If this simple phrase is deemed "un-Australian" then I suspect you have both have completely missed the point of what being an Aussie is all about and I will bang my head on my desk and go and have a very long break from "working with the public"!X@#%*

It's Christmas folks - don't get so pent up over it with political correctness! It's time to chill. There are better things to do than seek blame and vengeance on your mates.