If you participate in the Christmas holiday, "Merry Christmas" is a traditonal greeting as well as a response to the same. As a former JW, do you feel strange if you say the words "Merry Christmas"? DO you say them?
I said "Merry Christmas" tonight in response after making a purchase. I said Just that: "Merry Christmas!" NOT: "and You too!" or "and Same to You" or "Happy Holidays!" or the ever appropriate "thank you", in response. I said very clearly "Merry Christmas" I have faded for 8 yrs; given gifts, attended parties, celebrated Yule, & so on. But I never said "Merry Christmas" untill now. I didn't realize I wasn't saying it.
Now, in the scheme of things, saying "Merry Christmas" is minor issue, or trivial to many. It's not really a big issue to me. I don't think about it or fret over it every year. But the prohibition of saying a single phrase & fear that your faith would be questioned, in addition to severe consequences was still in my sub-conscious. It was a tiny, little block in my progress. Now that I've gotten over the hump, I'll say it to as many people as I can before Wed. Why, next year I'll probably spell it out in lights on my front porch!
However, it is one of those little things that seems like everyday life to a non JW. But to a JW or recovering JW, IMO, it's one of those links or part of a composite link in the repressive chain of JW slavery. Breaking them one by one is, I suppose, all part of the bizzare process of de-programming.
Everyone, please have a safe and MERRY CHRISTMAS!! yyyyiiiiiiippppppppeeeeee
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