May We Wish You a Merry New Year?

A Merry Christmas? A Happy New Year? I have often wondered. Why these specific verbal distinctions?

Christmas is an essentially religious festival. More 'Holy' than 'Merry'. But the business world has appropriated the patent rights for its commercial exploitation with cake and wine (though they didn't invent Christmas, or basumati rice or...) And what of New Year?

But I am sidetracking the issue. Why 'A Merry Christmas And A Happy New Year', and not the other way round?

Actually, it makes sense. Christmas Day is now largely given over to merriment and excess. 'Happy New Year' greetings anticipate a whole year of joy and happiness. (Still, 'Merry New Year' would not be an inappropriate wish for a generation which works hard and parties hard; and shops till it drops.)

Last year, my household help and I had much argument about Christmas and New Year. She used female pressure tactics to get me to buy our traditional Christmas Tree, to decorate it with cotton 'snow', tinsel and candy. But for the first time I resisted: 'We in India waste too much time and money on indigenous feasts. We don't need to import any more.' She was very disapproving that I had no plans for Yuletide merriment.

She got back at me when I asked her to sell off all the old newspapers and bottles on New Year's Day. 'Not today, tomorrow,' she replied. I asked, 'Why?' -- since she has very little work to do without festivities; and no extravagant lunch or dinner. 'Not today,' she explained, as if to a half-wit or an irresponsible child. 'It is very inauspicious to give away things from the house on the first day of the New Year!'

'It's not my New Year!' I protested. 'Our New Year is Ugadi!' Be that as it may, there was an uneasy truce between us, so the papers were not sold till later.u00a0

Now again, it's New Year. And I feel free. The Christmas season, with its traditional celebrations and excesses, is past. The Old Year, with its mixed bag of fortunes, is finished.u00a0 The New Year lies ahead like a bundle of 365 unspent currency notes!

As the Greeting goes:
'We stand at the threshold of a New Year
Let us look back with understanding,
before us with faith; and
around us with love.
May God help us to be kind, fair and wise
in all our affairs.'
Happy New Year.