Merry Christmas!
Long before there was any question about the political correctness of wishing others a “Merry Christmas,” the pastor of the parish of my youth (Monsignor John Cusack, St. Richard Parish in Danvers, MA) took the occasion every year of telling us why he preferred to wish everyone a “Happy Christmas.” He’d point out that we never wish anyone a “Merry Easter” and would question whether this adjective for Christmas, dating back to the 17th century, was the best one for us to use today. The first printed Christmas card (1843) wished recipients a “Merry Christmas” but at the end of A Visit From St. Nicholas (‘Twas the night before…), Clement Moore wishes his readers a “Happy Christmas.” The history, then, is mixed. “Merry” seems rather light and even “Happy” might fail to bear the weight of this day’s wishes. What kind of Christmas do we hope and pray our family and friends will have?
My prayer is that you will have a Joyful Christmas: a Christmas rooted in the serenity that deep faith provides, strong enough to survive the disappointments and sorrows life delivers to our doorstep and exuberant enough to celebrate life’s happiest times. May the birthday of Christ touch you with deep joy...
I pray, too, that you will have a Peaceful Christmas: the peace the world so clearly is unable to give itself; the peace that broken hearts long for; the peace that is ours to share with one another in forgiveness, kindness and charity. May the birthday of Christ sow seeds of peace in your heart...
Finally, I pray that you have a Hopeful Christmas. So much in the world around us encroaches on our capacity to hope: a spirit abroad that seems intent on draining the beauty and poetry from our lives while our ever burgeoning knowledge robs us of awe and reverence before the mystery of life, of love and of God. May the birthday of Christ renew hope in your heart...
I wish you a Joyful, Peaceful, Hopeful Christmas and should your Christmas be Merry and Happy, too – all the better! Please pray the same for me.
Peace,
I will pray the same for you. Thank you for a beautiful Christmas message, CP.
ReplyDeleteRosemary
A very Mary Christmas, Father. First, here's the punch line: in Old English, people wished each other a Mary Christmas; that is, to experience the Christmas of Our Lady. English has evolved over the mellenia and the etymology of the English language may be to blame here re Merry and Happy Xmas. Plus, it is Irihs to say Happy Christmas, as opposed to Merry Xmas. Languague hostility, a possiblity; however, the Irish made the English language more beautiful once they were mae to drop their mother tongue.
ReplyDeleteGetting back, Old English is a language we could scarely hope to understand, because then came Middle English, and finally, Modern English. Because Shakespeare wrote in Modern English (!!!, the thoguht), this should give us an idea of how foreign Old English truly is.
So A Very Mary Christmas to all, as and peaceful and restful end of the year!
John from Quincy
Sorry for the typos; Christmas makes us tired, and fore me, sloppy!
ReplyDeleteJohn
John: Thanks for your interesting comment but I must ask: have you any evidence to support that "Mary Christmas" was once a common greeting?
ReplyDeleteI've been unable to find anything to support your theory - but look forward to hearing from you with some documentation.
I must confess that I take it on faith from Father Charles Finnegan, ofm, at Arch Street. He stated it in his one of his weekday Advent homilies He doesn't realize it, but he singularly provided me with my whole Advent preparation for Christmas. I have a lot of Advent/Christmas books, but he was the top. He is so learned, yet so humble, and his homilies are imbued with such deep insights, yet not lofty, but approachable for all. You know that his homilies come from a deep spirituality and holiness, and from powerhouses (he seldom mentions the his sources((e.g., Augustine; Bonaventure)). Lest I make him into a living saint, I must say he nearly glows; he is an older gent and very kind and I go out of my way to attend his masses. In conclusion, I admit that I have gone out on a ledge by staking that claim publically (and I was a history major!); however, based on Fr. Charles' homilies, I believe the theory will stand scrutiny! I will also search around myself and report back. Based on gut, Merry and Mary and the evolution of English, a carnivore of languages, it seems plausible. We may find documentation lacking; and if that is the case, I will ask Fr. Charles personally at one of his masses soon (they're posted online). Thanks for upping the ante for the history major! If you find something, report back as well. I hope I have not offended him in personally naming him; it is only inteded to commend him. Try one of his masses if you get into town.
ReplyDeleteBest wishes,
John
Thanks for pledging to follow up on this, John. My search of online sources turned up nothing remotely substantiating this claim and I'm inclined to think it an interesting theory but one without historical substance.
ReplyDeleteCP: here's a possibly the first piece of the puzzle. I have other ideas in mind, which I will trace out as well. This is intersting isn't it.
ReplyDeleteHappy/Mary/Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year, CP.
John
"Some years ago I was assigned to do the visitation of Franciscan houses in England, Scotland and Wales. While I was there, one of the friars told me that the modern English word "Merry" was in Olde English "Merie" which in modern English is "Marie" or Mary.
He added that "when England was Catholic and truly merry" -- he said that with a chuckle -- "our Catholic forefathers wished each other a 'Mary's Christmas' that is the joys that Mary experienced on the first Christmas.
I do not know if English scholars would all be in agreement with that and I think there are dictionaries that trace the original meaning of words but I don't have access to those works here in our small library. Sorry, John, that I couldn't be of more help."
CP, as I noted before, I am going to reach to medieval scholars at my college (specialists English, Irish and Church History). I think, however, this "theory" is getting a little warmer. The computers will not hold the answer to this question(e.g., google and wikipedia can be misleading as you know at times). Therefore, we must hit the books.
ReplyDeleteNow, what do you think? Warmer and still holding out; or just still holding out?
John, I'd be more than pleased to find that your theory is not only warm but hot and correct! What keeps me back is that there's so much out there about the origins of Christmas celebrations and I can't find a word on this particular point. I'm eager to learn!
ReplyDelete