The holidays are a time of family, happiness and giving. However, in lieu of the recent Starbucks red cup controversy, the issue of overgeneralized holiday representation becomes apparent. While Starbucks merely removed the snowflakes and ornaments that adorned the cups in previous years, this year’s plain red design brewed debate on whether the cup was a “war on Christmas,” or simply implied that there was more to the holidays than Christmas trees and snowmen.

Contrary to the ambiance of the season, the controversy surrounding the design created an overall impression that people take offense when their holiday is misrepresented or simply unacknowledged. According to an Oracle-conducted survey of 239 students, 69 percent of students believe that other people take offense to inaccurate recognition.

In reality, the same survey revealed that 92 percent of students don’t personally take offense when not properly addressed. Therefore, the Oracle Editorial Board believes that this time of year shouldn’t be so focused on the issue of incorrect greetings, but rather on the good tidings of the season.

Nevertheless, with all of the Christmas hype, from Christmas sales on TV to an entire radio channel dedicated to its music, the greeting of ‘Merry Christmas’ is more widespread than most. According to senior Courtney Morrison, the holiday greeting could be applied to everyone if people understood the intentions behind it.

“In essence, this person is wishing them well,” Morrison said in the survey. “They aren’t saying ‘Merry Christmas’ to offend anyone.”

While the belief that inaccuracy of celebrated holidays causes hostility to an exaggerated extent, it is still important to recognize the 8 percent of students who do take offense.

Therefore, the Oracle Editorial Board suggests that, when giving holiday greetings, people should practice more general greetings of “Happy Holidays” or “Season’s Greetings,” in order to respect those that are disgruntled by inaccurate greetings.

However, this compromise is a two-way street. For those receiving the greetings, keep in mind that everything is meant in good spirits, not to blatantly disregard other holidays. While it is apparent that some holidays are not represented as others this season, it does not necessarily imply that it is being prioritized.

As the holidays draw near, remember that this season isn’t meant to overgeneralize and ignore the celebrations of other cultures. During this time, it should be assumed that all intentions mean well, despite lack of political correctness.