During the Friday, December 13 “Toys for Tots” event at the White House, Dr. Jill Biden, at one point, told the gathered children “Happy Holidays,” either intentionally or unintentionally using the politically correct-coded phrase instead of the religious, traditional phrase “Merry Christmas.” The gathered children, however, didn’t going along with it and replied by telling her “Merry Christmas.”
As background, Toys for Tots is a charitable program that the United States Marine Corps Reserve runs, and has been around since first founded in the 1940s. It collects donated toys and distributes those donated toys to needy children whose parents cannot afford to get them anything for Christmas.
In any case, the “Happy Holidays” moment occurred when Dr. Jill was greeting the gathered children and awkwardly waving, trying to be pleasant. As she did so, she told the gathered crowd, “Happy Holidays.” After an awkward pause, a young child in the audience responded by telling her, “Happy Christmas!” Dr. Jill, awkwardly, laughed and said “Happy Christmas,” to which other kids in the crowd responded by yelling back “Merry Christmas.”
Dr. Jill Biden, speaking during the Toys for Tots event hosted at the White House, commented on those who led the program this year, saying, “Joe and I are so grateful to you and Lieutenant General Laster for your decades of service and leadership. Both of you have built inspiring careers guiding troops and giving back to our communities alongside your amazing Toys for Tots team.”
And, a bit later, praising the band, Dr. Jill said, “The festive music we’ve heard today is performed by the President’s Own Marine Band. Joe and I are grateful to them and to their families for their service, and for filling the White House with talent and grace. Each year, we decorate this house for the holidays—and I’m so glad that all of you can be part of the magic.”
Shortly afterward, she commented on the need for charity and love, saying, “This season can be filled with excitement and wonder—with colorful lights and hot chocolate and presents. But if you only remember one thing from the holidays, after all the wrapping paper is cleaned up, let it be this: you are loved.”
Continuing in that sweet vein, the First Lady told the gathered children, “There are so many people who care about you—from your family and friends, to your teachers and classmates, to the President and me. And the best thing we can do with that love is to let it overflow—to share it with others who might really need it.”
And, commenting on what it means to help such children and how they can make a difference in the lives of others, she said, “I know that you already do this in so many ways: by caring for your siblings and cousins, by being a friend to a kid at school who feels lonely, and you’re doing it today, by helping more children experience the joy of the holidays.”
Watch the incident here:
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video
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