MERRY Christmas to you!
My friend, Dr. George Grant, has done some interesting research on the word 'merry' -- which we mostly use around Christmas...
“'Merry' is from an old Anglo-Saxon word which literally means 'valiant,' 'illustrious,' 'great' or 'gallant.'
To be merry, then, is not merely to be mirthful, but to be mighty.
In Shakespeare we read of fiercely courageous soldiers who are called 'merry men.'
Strong winds are 'merry gales.'
Fine days are marked by 'merry weather.'
So, when we say 'Merry Christmas,' we are really exhorting one another to take heart and to stand fast!"
And that, I think, definitely makes an especially fitting greeting as we celebrate the birth of Christ in 2020.
MERRY Christmas!