To the editor:

The Dec. 10 edition of The Call includes a letter implying other faiths are not welcome in Crestwood’s Christmas celebration.

This attitude that Christmas must include other beliefs isn’t new. It’s been around for awhile and is why we have the term “holiday parties” instead of “Christmas parties.”

It seems to me this idea mimics the “everyone gets a trophy” mentality — in other words, “everyone” is happy.

In my many years, I’ve never expected Muslims to include Christmas in Ramadan celebrations.

I’ve never expected Jews to include Christmas at Hanukkah.

I’ve never expected celebrants of Kwanzaa to include Christmas.

I’ve never expected atheists to include God in their celebrations.

To do so would dilute each of those separate and specific celebrations or weaken the joy each of those celebrations brings its respective participants. I respect the right of other celebrations to focus on their own uniqueness.

I think it only becomes a problem when some try to force unwanted alliances. Interesting perhaps just to me, I’ve not heard anyone pressuring those celebrations to include “other faiths.”

Yet I am not offended. Why not let the already diluted Christmas celebrations alone for those of us that enjoy Christmas as Christmas?

Don Henrich
Affton

Editor’s note: Mr. Henrich is the husband of Call Newspapers employee Diane