Merry Christmas.

Woah. I said it. Lock the door and wait out the social media onslaught.

Our society is so caught up with making sure some religions are not overly represented that we discriminate against them. Whether you celebrate Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa or any other religion this season, you have the right to celebrate it. You have the right to celebrate a religious holiday even if you aren’t a religious person. We tell Christians they aren’t allowed to spread their merry cheer. Why not? The first amendment tells us they can. Their cheer does no harm to anyone. Our country was founded on a Christian basis; that’s no secret. Yet, we were also founded on the principle that you can take part in any religion you choose.

If someone wishes you a ‘Merry Christmas,’ ‘Happy Kwanzaa,’ or a ‘Happy Hanukkah,’ just say ‘thank you’ and a simple ‘you as well.’ You have every right to not celebrate a holiday, but you do not have the right to tell others they cannot celebrate their own.

So have your merry cheer, wish everyone on the street a happy or merry whatever. Don’t be the person to make a deal out of someone’s holiday spirit. You don’t have to celebrate the holiday if you don’t like the religion because it isn’t about the gifts. It isn’t about the vacation or sleeping in. There’s a meaning behind every ‘Merry Christmas.’

And, by the way, have a Merry Christmas.