Dear Cousin Butchie,

I am a junior in high school, and I absolutely need to save some money for college. It's for this reason that I work in a small but very busy store. I usually enjoy the job, even if the wages are close to minimum wage.  We have been told by the store manager that we should end each sale by saying "Thank you and Happy Holidays."  That seemed workable until some customers would respond with a venemous "Merry Christmas," often followed by some kind of mini-sermon on the meaning of the season. This annoys me. I am a Christian but I realize that many other people are celebrating different holidays or holy days at this time of the year. Just for the record, I also am well aware that the details surrounding Christmas are contradictory and not based on any other specific belief than the belief in the birth of Jesus Christ. I'm starting to recognize some of the people who annoy me are the same ones who always leave the store during the rest of the year wishing me a "blessed day."  Should I just ignore the people who get so demonstrative about their faith in Christmas?

Mark

Dear Mark,

Cousin Butchie is also a Christian, and he agrees with you that we cannot and should not put some proprietary rights on this holiday. It's one of those non-issues which have no place among people of all faiths and no faith at all. I suggest strongly that you simply do as your employer tells you. When a customer recants with the Christmas greeting, just thank them or wish them a Merry Christmas in reply.

PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING PIECE I FOUND IN A MAGAZINE RECENTLY;

Are we guilty of not keeping Christ in Christmas? Do we care for the less fortunate, the elderly and the infirm? Do we help those in need whenever we can? Do we raise our children with respect and love? Do we interrupt ethnic, gay and slanderous jokes and say "That's not funny"? Do we stop bigotry as we show love and acceptance? The fight to say "Merry Chritmas" is far less important than actually living a decent and moral life.... SO HERE'S TO A HOLIDAY FILLED WITH PEACE, LOVE AND CHARITY FOR ALL...NO MATTER WHAT IT IS CALLED!