Life

This is Why I Stick With "Happy Holidays"

by Doyin Oyeniyi

Will the real Mr. Scrooge please stand up and kindly exit the plane? At least that’s what I imagine was said to the man who was kicked off an American Airlines flight after yelling at airline workers for wishing him Merry Christmas.

Not everybody celebrates Christmas, but most people still can’t help spreading some seasonal joy with “Merry Christmas" greetings. While that can be reasonably annoying to people who don’t celebrate the holiday, I don’t think anybody has every been as annoyed by the seasonal greeting as this unidentified man.

According to the New York Post, the man was about to board American Airlines flight to Dallas when the airline worker at the gate wished him a “Merry Christmas.” He was not having it.

“You shouldn’t say that because not everyone celebrates Christmas.”

The agent replied, “Well, what should I say then?”

“Don’t say, ‘Merry Christmas!’ ” the man shouted before brushing past her.

And then he boarded the plane and went on his way to Dallas without incident. Or at least he would have if a flight attendant on the plane hadn’t also wished him a “Merry Christmas.”

The man apparently yelled “Don’t say ‘Merry Christmas!’” before launching into a lecture about appropriate seasonal greetings to the flight attendants, pilot and other passengers unfortunate enough to be within earshot. The crew tried to calm him down, but he eventually had to be escorted off the plane. A few merry passengers cheered and applauded his departure.

For the well-intentioned airline agent who wasn't sure what else to say to him, I suggest "Happy Holidays." Even "Happy Hanukkah" or "Happy Kwanzaa" would be based off assumptions, so to avoid that altogether, "Have a good flight" would do just fine.

Wherever this man is, I hope he had a … happy holiday.