’Tis upon us, the time of year when “Merry Christmas and Happy New Year” ring out, wonderously. While I merrily adhere to this great greeting, I nonetheless feel an odd sympathy for “Happy.” Say what?!

Face it, “Merry” gets a single slam-dunk celebratory day to cheerfully manage. Merry Christmas! Ho-ho-ho and see ya next year. But poor “Happy” is saddled with covering an entire unpredictable, always tenuous year to come. What an annual burden.

Thinking it through, I appreciate what a greeting and greeting card nightmare it would be to repeatedly ring out,…