Believe it or not, the atheists and I have something in common: I now believe that wishing someone “Happy Holidays!” is perfectly okay during the Christmas season.

I know what you’re thinking: What? Has Steve gone off the deep end? Has he gone all ecumenical on us, or worse yet, Politically Correct? Or even worse than that, has he become an atheist?

Of course not. Read on and see if you can agree with my logic….

We live in a multi-cultural society. I can’t expect everyone to agree with me that it’s the Christmas season; not everyone celebrates the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. As an evangelist I want to reach the maximum amount of people possible with my message of the Gospel; so I, on occasion, will wish people—in all sincerity—Happy Holidays!

The Jews celebrate Hanukkah. New-Agers celebrate the Winter Solstice. Others, that made up holiday, Kwanzaa. The holiday season comprises not only those traditions, but also Thanksgiving and New Year. Saying “Happy Holidays!” embraces all the holidays and affords me the opportunity to extend a winsome, cheerful greeting that might possibly lead to a conversation like this:

Me: Happy Holidays!

Them: Happy Holidays to you, too!

Me: I celebrate the Christmas holiday. What holiday do you support?

Them: Winter Solstice.

Me: Great! Do you know what’s so important about Christmas?

Them: Jesus was born, so they say…. Wasn’t Christmas a pagan holiday co-opted by the Christians?

Me: Yes! We took that celebration right out of their hands and now use it to commemorate the coming of God in the flesh, the babe in the manger, the one who was born to die, so all those who would believe in Him can go to Heaven when they die. Where do you think you will go when you die?

From there I can have a very personal, friendly conversation about sin, judgment, Hell…and the abundant life in Christ that is free to all those who would repent and believe in the death, burial and resurrection of Christ.

Another advantage to wishing someone Happy Holidays is that I can hand them our custom-made Happy Holidays tract as I greet them. Take a look at it here. (Click here to download your own for free, Spanish, too.)

Our church prints up about 10,000 of these every year and we encourage our congregation to hand them out.

So, I have no qualms about wishing those I meet, Happy Holidays!

But I’ll never call that special decoration inside my house a Holiday Tree. Ever.

Have a Merry Christmas!