I hope you have a Merry Christmas.

I hope you have a happy one, too.

While we in America typically use the word “merry” in our greetings for the holiday, the word “happy” is used more prominently in European circles.

Or is it?

From all I’ve read, it seems to be whatever your family has done for … forever.

I say Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays. I like the way the familiar phrasings flow.

Whatever you say, I do sincerely hope you have both.

I hope you have opportunity to make merry this year. I hope you can gather with family or friends and talk and laugh and reminisce and dream and share the joy of togetherness.

I hope you get to exchange gifts and well-wishes, to drink good coffee or whatever else with someone special, to sing a song or tell an old story everyone has heard a thousand times and still chuckles over.

A little merriment could do us all some good, especially toward the end of a tough year.

But I also hope you’re happy.

I hope you have genuine reason to feel happy.

You have a place to lay your head. You have food. You’re still breathing. But I hope you have even more than those great blessings.

I hope you are satisfied, content. Contentment comes from thankfulness. If you are truly thankful for what you have, you’ll find you are content.

And don’t forget joy! Joy comes from deep inner contentment, a peacefulness that is supernatural. The CHRIST in Christ-mas is the reason for that joy, if you didn’t already know.

So I wish you merriment, happiness, joy and … dare I say it? Jesus.

Merry Christmas.

News editor Brett Campbell can be reached at brett.campbell@dailyleader.com.