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The agonstic/atheist thread had me and my coworker talking and somehow the discussion got to "Merry Christmas" vs "Happy Holidays". I like Happy Holidays because not everyone celebrates Christmas, but most people celebrate something. It's inclusive and festive. But there are a lot of people who strongly believe in keeping Christ in Christmas. What do you think?
I am a follower of Christ, but I say Happy Holidays in public or social situations out of respect
I love the UK's Happy Christmas! Just something awesome about combining the two together!
I say Happy Holidays...in NYC there are TONS of different cultures and everything...I don't want to be insensitive.
I also buy generic/Happy Holidays cards to send out. We send to people that don't celebrate Christmas.
For the record, I live in the South and have encountered a number of people (even clerks at stores) who outright say they will not say Happy Holidays because it's taking Christ out of Christmas.
@kate169: I think it should be up to the individual as to what he or she wants to say. I celebrate Christmas, but if someone were to say to me "Happy Hanukkah," I would hardly be offended!
I live in the South, where many people get downright brutal about the whole "keeping Christ in Christmas thing." If you're a Christian, yeah, you should keep Christ in Christmas. However, I think it's ignorant of Bible-thumpers to assume that Christmas is the only holiday celebrated this time of year.
When I used to work retail, I had several people correct me after saying "Happy Holidays" by saying something like "You mean Merry CHRIST-mas, right?" I remember how awful it was for my Jewish boss, who basically pretended she celebrated Christmas each year just to make these ridiculous customers happy.
Personally, I say "Happy Holidays" most of the time to be inclusive, but I honestly think you should just say whatever you feel and acknowledge the holiday you personally celebrate if you wish to do so.
I work at a school, most students (like 80%) are not of Christian faith etc. and are from crazy random coountries. Our boss suggested we should say Happy Holidays just to play it safe....as far as im concerned people dont say Merry Christmas bc of the meaning behind it anyways...its fairly "hallmark" now a days if you know what i mean. Anyways...i find that most if not ALL my students say "Merry Christmas" anyways....so it doesnt matter.
I say Merry Christmas
I always say Happy Holidays when I'm talking to someone this time of year. When I design our holiday card I get bored with Happy Holidays though, so I try to come up with something else that remains inclusive. Last year, it was "peace. love. joy" and the year before "merry & bright," as a couple examples.
I hear more Merry Christmas than Happy Holidays in Ireland. I say Merry Christmas to co workers ets, without even thinking. But.. I like Happy Holidays the best :) In Sweden, it goes for Merry Xmas as well though..
I usually say Happy Holidays to others so as not to insult anyone but if I know they celebrate christmas I say merry christmas to them and I prefer merry christmas because thats the holiday I celebrate but I don't really care if christ is part of it or not because to me I don't see the holiday as a religious one anymore.
I say Merry Christmas but it has nothing to do with keeping Christ in Christmas. I am not religious at all. I used to say Happy Holidays until I had a professor explain his dislike for the phrase in a way that made a lot of sense to me. He said that saying Happy Holidays is ignoring the fact that we are all different and that is what makes America so great. So because he celebrates Christmas he says Merry Christmas to everyone. He said he believes people should say the greeting for whatever holiday they personally celebrate to highlight and celebrate the differences.
@brideatbeach: I'm not a big fan of the term "Bible-thumpers" but I understand the frustration. I'm Christian and from the south so I do hear a lot about "keeping 'Christ' in Christmas." Still, I've never been one to force my beliefs or traditions down anyone's throat. If I know the person well, I say Merry/Happy whatever-holiday-they-celebrate. If I don't know the person well or I'm unsure, I just say Happy Holidays! :)
I say "Happy Holidays." I'm non-religious, my SO is traditionally Jewish, and I feel like "Happy Holidays" is more inclusive of everyone. We always send out Happy Holidays cards or something not specific to any religion.
But I live in the south, and my new immediate neighbors already have "Jesus is the reason for the season" signs in their front yards, and last year a different neighbor corrected me when I said, "Happy Holidays." She said, "No, it's Merry Christmas." ugh.
I'm a "Happy Holidays" person too. But I don't mind when people say "Merry Christmas" either.
I celebrate Christmas in the secular sense - but I understand/respect it's religious roots too. I don't really understand the "taking Christ out of Christmas" because ultimately, you decide how you celebrate. Why do you care how other people choose celebrate it?
Sometimes I say "Happy Winter" just to be all inclusive :)
I tend to say Merry Christmas, because most of the people I'll say anything to at all, I know well enough to say that to. If I'm in a situation in public, I'll say Happy Holidays if I think about it.
I don't run around yelling Merry Christmas to strangers - I tend to keep to myself anyways, I'm very introverted, and my job involves working with 2 other people who I know celebrate Christmas. So I'll just be completely honest and say I don't overthink it.
@Mrs.Enne: And I don't think there's anything wrong with saying "Merry Christmas" if that's what you celebrate. It's when we start getting mad at others for not celebrating what we do that it becomes a problem, IMO.
I say Happy Holidays unless I know the person celebrates Christmas or they said Merry Christmas to me first.
@Mrs.Enne: I'm a Christian myself, and I'm sorry if the term offends you. However, if we're honest about it, there are a lot of people who really do fit the term and are malicious with how they approach people about faith...
I usually say Merry Christmas out of habit unless someone leads in with Happy Holidays, in which case I reply with the same.
Our Christmas cards this year have us holding a Merry Christmas banner but the card itself says Happy Holidays... guess we are pacifists on all sides :)
I typically say "Merry Christmas" out of habit, but most of the time I'll follow it up with "Happy Holidays" in public. I'm the awkward "merry Christmas....and happy holidays!" girl.
For people who I know celebrate Christmas, I stick with that just because I like the way it sounds better.
When I worked retail I got really good at reading people. Most of the time I said Happy Holidays, but I could tell who would "correct" me if I said it, so I said Merry Christmas to them.
One time I had a guy come in and (i worked in a gift shop) he asked me if I was irish and it was random, but I answered I told him yes and he was like "Oh your Jewish, well Happy Hanukkah" and he left. I was so by confused that. lol Most people associate irish and catholic, but for some reason he assumed I was jewish. While I wasn't offended by being told Happy Hanukkah, I can understand why people may be offended/confused being told Merry Christmas when they don't celebrate it.
I think it always depends on the situation. But since there are so many holidays around the same time, Happy Holidays seems to be a perfect blanket celebration statement.
I say "Have a wonderful holiday" at my shop. I avoid any kind of secular anything.
I say Merry Christmas
(except when I was working retail and told not to)
But I would love a Jewish person to wish me happy hanukkah, for example.
@MissCallieJean: Haha as awkward as that conversation sounds, it's rather sweet he was trying to greet you with the holiday you celebrate (even if it wasn't correct lol).
I say Merry Christmas. Most of the people that I would say that to I know well enough to know that they celebrate Christmas. I don't know anyone who doesn't celebrate Christmas. The only other instance where I'd use either of the terms is if I'm shopping and a clerk says something to me and, in that case, I'll usually say whatever they say. If they say Happy Holidays I'll say "Happy Holidays to you too." Same thing with Merry Christmas.
Depends on the situation. Usually I'll say happy holidays, but if I'm with family or Christian friends I'll say Merry Christmas.
Newenglandgirl's professor's idea would be awesome in a sense - if everyone heard that lecture! If others could understand what you were doing when you said it, then that would be perfect, but I think that happy holidays is more inclusive generally. Maybe some day, when we become a more inclusive society.
I'm shocked at this thread....
I don't know when wishing someone well became about imposing your own beliefs, rather than respecting their.
Saying "Happy Holiday" or "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Hanukah" is not about what you - as an individual- believe. It's about wishing someone else happiness and joy in celebrating their religious/non-religious holiday.
Hence - if I know which holiday they celebrate because they are family, friend, co-worker who has made it obvious, or wearing obvious religious jewelry - they get the appropriate "Merry Christmas" "Happy Hanukah" "Happy/Merry Yule"
If I have no clue, it's "Happy Holidays."
BTW - It's Merry/Happy Yule for me. :) Also Merry Christmas, as I celebrate that with family out of tradition.
I usually say Merry Christmas. I find it really annoying when people get offended by the specific form of the holiday greeting. Even if you don't celebrate Christmas, why get angry about someones good wishes? Some people need to lighten up
I say Merry Christmas because that's the holiday I celebrate and I happen to believe that the original purpose of this holiday was to celebrate the birth of Christ (who may or may not have been born even close to this time of year, the holiday was stuck over the winter solstice to convert the pagans, yada, yada, I get it ;)
But I wouldn't be offended in the slightest if someone said Happy Hannukah or such if that's what they celebrate.
FIL wears a pin on his coat this time of year that says 'it's ok to say Merry Christmas to me' and I really dislike it. Most of the policies that ask employees to say Happy Holidays are not decided by the cashiers, so I don't get being all pissy to them and correcting them when they say Happy Holidays.
I always think about the whole "Christ in Christmas" thing, but not like most Chrstians...
I think of it more along the lines of "UMMMMMMM Christmas is NOT a Christian holiday!.... So there is NO "Christ" in Christmas!.. pfft" lol
Considering DH and I are not celebrating Christmas this year, rather we're celebrating Hanukkah, we'll probably say whatever is fitting for the situation... ie. His family & my Dad's side we'll say Merry Christmas, my mom's side (who is also changing "tradition") we'll say Happy Hanukkah, and others maybe Happy Holidays. idk.. I'm not a big fan of the "season" at all. lol
@dragonlover: I agree with you 100%! I was thinking about that actually, but couldn't come up with a succinct way to say it!
I usually say "Merry Christmas". Christmas has become a secular holiday anymore anyway.
I think people get WAY to hung up on being "politically correct". If someone tells me "Happy Hanukkah", I'll just say "Happy Hanukkah!" or "thank you, you too!", even though I'm not Jewish. Their intent was to wish me a good holiday season, I'm not going to be offended if my holiday season celebrates something different than theirs.
Happy Christmakwanzakah! Merry Festivus!
@dragonlover: I completely agree. What is the point in saying Merry Christmas to somebody who doesn't celebrate Christmas? If somebody said Happy Hannukah to me, I wouldn't be offended but it would mean absolutely nothing to me. That is why I prefer to say Happy Holidays.
@msfahrenheit: Can't speak for others but I dont have any issue with Merry Christmas...I celebrate Christmas and use it with people I know who also celebrate. The problem is when people say "Happy Holidays" and someone corrects them and says "NO, it's MERRY CHRISTMAS."
I give a **** about atheists.. lol.. I myself don´t really believe in anything too much (I was raised as catholic, but I´m not really religious) but even so, Christmas is Christmas! It´s the best thing I can remember celebrating when I was a kid, and I love when people say "Merry Christmas".. If I were in Israel it would be just as nice to be told "Happy hannukah" even if I´m not jew. It´s the good wish behid those words what counts... So, if I knew someone who is, let´s say jew, I´d tell him happy hannukah, but hell I´d tell him Merry Christmas too, because what´s wrong with that?
Being someone who doesn´t really believe in religious stuff, I don´t see why anyone would be offended for being told something so common as Merry Christmas.. It´s just stupid..If they don´t believe in it, well, just say thanks politely and be glad someone had the delicacy of wishing you a nice thing.
@brideatbeach: haha very true. I think I was just confused by the situation. He came in looked at these shamrock ornaments and then started the whole conversation and then walked right out. It was quick and caught me off guard. I have to admit I do miss the random conversations people come in to have with you when you work retail!
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