Scrolling through Instagram reels, I found a highly liked video featuring a Target aisle with Merry Christmas signs hanging from the ceiling. The caption read, “Target finally saying Merry Christmas instead of Happy Holidays,” and the overlaid music was John Lennon’s “Happy Xmas (War is Over).”

Saying Happy Holidays versus Merry Christmas has been a contentious debate in America for generations. Some believe the very idea of Christmas is under attack, alleging a “War on Christmas.” This conspiracy can be traced back to the 1920s, when Henry Ford released a series of offensive essays using anti-semitic rhetoric to argue that the holiday season should uphold only Christian ideals.

Versions of this argument have persisted through the present day. Fox News host Bill O’Reilly popularized the phrase “War on Christmas” in 2004, and the next year “War On Christmas” believers boycotted Target for its secular signage.

Nowadays, Fox News anchor Jesse Watters claims he reports on the “War on Christmas” from the front lines. Watters, an advocate for wishing a Merry Christmas to all, argues that not saying Merry Christmas erases his history and traditions of celebrating Christmas.

However, this war is nothing more than hysteria. Christmas and its celebration have not received mass public attacks. Christmas has always been beloved by the media, and increased appreciation for diverse holidays has not changed that.

I have to admit: I love Christmas. For many, Christmas holds religious value: a Christian recognition of the birth of Jesus Christ, who is believed to be the son of God. For me, however, Christmas is simply a spirited celebration of loved ones. It’s a recognition of the traditions and relationships we have built with one another, complete with gingerbread houses, plastic trees and lots of shopping. Whatever Christmas means to you (even if it means absolutely nothing), it’s impossible to deny that to many, it is a sacred day. And there is nothing wrong with that. Approximately 90% of Americans celebrate the holiday, according to Pew Research Center. Yet, perhaps more important in this context is those 10% who don’t.

If you had a plate of nine fries and one apple, you wouldn’t put ketchup on the whole plate. If you were planning a vacation with nine days of heat and one day of snow, you wouldn’t pack only short sleeves. If you were speaking to nine women and one man, you wouldn’t address the group as “ladies.” Do you get my point? “Merry Christmas” is not a catch-all phrase. It’s as simple as that.

The winter holiday season should be unifying. As is supposedly characteristic of America, everyone celebrates their own culture. We should be spreading respect and acceptance, embracing diverse holidays and celebrations. Instead, an imaginary war was created by those who can’t deal with the fact that not everyone is the same. Despite what many think, this is not a debate about cancel culture. You will not be (and have not been) canceled for saying, “Merry Christmas.” Rather, this debate is about common human decency. If you know a phrase excludes certain people, why would you use it? It’s understandable to slip up once in a while, and there is certainly a time and a place for Christmas well-wishing, but the deliberate, constant use of only “Merry Christmas” should be a thing of the past.

So, while Target should not be condemned for hanging Christmas banners, they should also opt to display signage for the 10 other highly popular winter celebrations. Or, they could just use a Happy Holidays banner. It seems a lot easier, doesn’t it?