I’m not sure if she assumed that the $2 socket adapter she had just rung up was some sort of trinket to be placed under the tree or if I just looked ripe to have my holiday proclivities questioned, but she took the lead on the transaction conversation.

She told me, in her friendly British accent, that she personally doesn’t care for Christmas. She added that she gives her daughter money in the summer to buy stuff for her (the daughter’s) children, but that she (the cashier) doesn’t buy gifts for her grandchildren. It was stated as if it was a principled stance, right down to picking summer as her season of giving so it couldn’t be misconstrued as a Christmas type thing.

When I countered that I do buy gifts and that it can make for some rough times financially, she looked at me with some degree of pity.

I suspect that if our chat had gone on further she would have gotten into more specifics on why she doesn’t like Christmas. Maybe it’s the over commercialization. Maybe it’s the religious aspects, or the secular ones. Or maybe she’s just a contrarian British expatriate looking to mix it up a with a Yank in a home improvement warehouse.

Given the nature of most retail interactions, that rarely rise above a mumble, I found this to be an odd yet worthwhile experience.

The important thing to note here is that I wasn’t offended.

Remember that when someone wishes you Merry Christmas. Or if they say Happy Holidays instead. Or Happy Chanukkah or Pleasant Kawanza or Super Solstice or Seasons Greetings or have a nice day.

Chances are they aren’t trying to offend you or presume anything about your personal beliefs. They’re just wishing you their best.