As a Muslim, I appreciate the sentiment in the editorial “A Respectful Holiday Greeting” (Dec. 19). However, I have to disagree with its argument.

The editorial points to the decline in the percentage of Christians in the U.S. and notes that there are many non-Christian holidays that regularly fall in December.

Some of these “December holidays” are not tied to December, at all. One that was listed, Mawlid al-Nabi, is the Muslim holiday marking the birth of the Prophet Muhammad, which fell on Dec. 12 this year. However, the Muslim calendar — like the Jewish calendar — is lunar, which means that the holidays move around.

In my lifetime, I’ve witnessed every major Muslim holiday from Ramadan to Eid al-Adha fall during December — and many Decembers with no Muslim holidays at all. I’ve also witnessed the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah fall in November — remember “Thanksgivukah” 2013?

For Christians to say “Happy Holidays” in December in order to recognize these other religious events does little to acknowledge religious diversity and challenge Christian hegemony (ie. the pervasive ways that Christianity shapes our culture and is assumed to be the “norm”). If the intent is actually to acknowledge the religious diversity of our community, we shouldn’t be scheduling that acknowledgement around Christmas.

To truly acknowledge and celebrate the rich religious diversity of our community, our friends and neighbors could wish me and other Muslims a “Happy Ramadan” next May, or “Happy Eid” in June and again in September.

We would wish Jews a “Happy Passover” in April and a “Happy Rosh Hashanah (New Year)” in September.

We would greet Zoroastrians with “Happy Nowruz (New Year)” in March and Buddhists with “Happy Vesak (Buddha’s birthday)” in May.

If the city wanted to put up lights and host holiday strolls around these events, I would be overjoyed! How about a community sukkah in Pulaski Park for the Jewish holiday of Sukkot? A city-wide potluck to mark the end of Ramadan? Or a Hindu Holi color-fest in March?

None of these need be in place of honoring Christmas — let’s add to our festivities, rather than watering down one of the brightest and most widely celebrated. I can’t imagine how our community could fail to be enriched, blessed, enlightened and entertained by a truly diverse celebration of holidays.

If we can’t keep all those holidays straight, then we could use the generic greeting of “Happy Holidays” throughout the year – instead of reserving it as a placeholder for “Merry Christmas” in December.

Personally, when someone says “Merry Christmas,” I hear the person wishing me the best of a holiday that is meaningful to them. That doesn’t offend me; it honors me. It also gives me a cue to wish them the same.

I know not everyone feels that way, so we can skip the centering of holidays with “Season’s Greetings.”

Another option, favored by a friend of mine, acknowledges the Jewish festival of lights and the plethora of Christmas lighting displays without focusing on the religious, with “Happy sparkly season!”

To all celebrating holidays in this season, whatever you may call them, may they bring you joy.

Tynan Power, of Florence, is founder of Pioneer Valley Progressive Muslims.