Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays?

[AFCM]

This isn't a debate; I'm just curious how you will greet others this season and why. No answer is right or wrong.

I will greet others with "Merry Christmas". Here are my reasons why:

1. I am of Christian faith and I believe in keeping Christ in our greetings.

2. Some people say government employees shouldn't say "Merry Christmas" citing separation of church and state. No one is trying to convert anyone by wishing someone a "Merry Christmas". Last time I checked, Christmas was still a federally recognized holiday. As long as Christmas is recognized as a holiday by the federal government, I am going to greet others accordingly. We all say, "Happy fourth of July", "Happy Halloween", "Happy Thanksgiving", etc. for their respective holidays. Why should Christmas be any different?

3. I have a hard time believing anyone could be offended by hearing "Merry Christmas". That's not to say it doesn't happen; I could just be apathetic or ignorant. However, out of respect for others, I try to refrain from saying "Merry Christmas" if a particular person objects.



Before replying, please try to be respectful or this could end up a heated debate. I don't want to be an instigator.

[MadMonk]

Same as I always have. Merry Christmas.

However if someone greets me first with "Happy Hanukkah" or "Happy Holidays" or whatever, I'm inclined to say the same back to them (to be polite and respectful of their beliefs), then add "and Merry Christmas" at the end. Why is this so hard for people?

[Karried]

How will I greet people?

'Bah Humbug' ... because I'm grumpy, tired and the lines are too long.

Nah..just kidding.. I'll say Merry Christmas.. I just always have done so and it is Christmas time..

[redredwine]

Merry Christmas. I am sure it will be a heated debate, why who knows, but some people do not like to use the word CHRIST in any sense I to am a Christian so Merry Christmas is what I like to use. I do not even write Xmas on anything always the whole word.

[redredwine]

LOL, Karrie! I totally agree with the lines!

[NE Oasis]

Great respone by MadMonk!
Resond in kind to acknowledge thier holiday, then mention yours.
I'm adopting that immediately.

[BDP]

I have a hard time believing anyone could be offended by hearing "Merry Christmas".

It makes a lot more sense than someone being offended by being wished "Happy Holidays". That's certifiably insane, but that's really where this issue comes from. It's mainly comes from the uber-senstive and delusional Bill O'Reilly types saying they are offended by hearing "Happy Holidays". That guy's paranoia even leads him to claim it's part of some sort of larger “war on Christmas” and people eat that crap up.

The media has some thinking that Happy Holidays is meant to supplant Christmas, but it really is a way to include Thanksgiving, New Year's, and Christmas, as well as Hanukkah, Quanza, Festivus, or whatever. It is the Holiday Season, after all, hence: Happy Holidays. It's hard to imagine that this issue is even on anyone's consciousness, but the other day my Jewish friend's boss actually asked her if it was okay to put Merry Christmas on some company correspondence. WTF? No one would have even thought of asking that just 5 years ago. It's bizarre.

In any event, I wish my Christian friends Merry Christmas because I know they're Christian, otherwise, I just say Happy Holidays, which happens to include Christmas or any other Holidays, simply because I just want to be considerate and contextually appropriate to the person upon which I am trying wish some happiness. Why it has to be any bigger deal than that is ridiculous, imo. But what’s even more ridiculous is people insisting that I default all my holiday wishes, no matter who I am speaking with, to their holiday. It makes zero sense for me to assume what religion, if any, everyone practices and go around wishing everyone ‘Merry Christmas’ like a fool. How insecure can you be?

I mean, should I wish everyone happy birthday… just in case…
I would hate to wish someone a "good day", have it be their birthday, and end up offending them.

Some people just need to relax and understand that Happy Holidays includes Christmas and that the whole world doesn’t have to cater just to them. In the end, I guess it may be easier just to wish everyone Merry Christmas so some nut job doesn’t go all freaky on me.

Merry Christmas everyone!

[Keith]

This isn't a debate; I'm just curious how you will greet others this season and why. No answer is right or wrong.

I will greet others with "Merry Christmas". Here are my reasons why:

1. I am of Christian faith and I believe in keeping Christ in our greetings.

2. Some people say government employees shouldn't say "Merry Christmas" citing separation of church and state. No one is trying to convert anyone by wishing someone a "Merry Christmas". Last time I checked, Christmas was still a federally recognized holiday. As long as Christmas is recognized as a holiday by the federal government, I am going to greet others accordingly. We all say, "Happy fourth of July", "Happy Halloween", "Happy Thanksgiving", etc. for their respective holidays. Why should Christmas be any different?

3. I have a hard time believing anyone could be offended by hearing "Merry Christmas". That's not to say it doesn't happen; I could just be apathetic or ignorant. However, out of respect for others, I try to refrain from saying "Merry Christmas" if a particular person objects.



Before replying, please try to be respectful or this could end up a heated debate. I don't want to be an instigator.

I agree with your reasons.

[sweetdaisy]

I agree, BDP.

I've used "Happy Holidays" for quite some time, because it covers that month between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and also includes New Year's (and also includes the Advent season, which sounds very silly to say "happy advent" therefore Happy Holidays works well). Once it gets to actually BE Christmas Eve & Christmas Day, THEN I wish people a "very blessed and merry Christmas". And on to a "Happy New Year".

I don't say Happy Holidays to be politically correct, it just seems more appropriate to me.

[bandnerd]

^^ Totally agree. There are too many holidays to list them all in one greeting, so Happy Holidays sums them up.

So does Happy Chrismahanakwanzika

There are too many students in my school of different faiths, and with me being completely non-religious, it would seem odd to say Merry Christmas.

[Jack Wonder]

What I can't stand, is that it now feels FORCED if I use one or the other!

If I say "Happy Holidays" I feel like a pagan conformist, and if I say "Merry Christmas" I'm trying to make some political statement...which I'm NOT!

It's pretty unfair what has happened. But if I do use it, I prefer "Merry Christmas".

[Karried]

For My Politically Correct Friends:

"Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, our
best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible,
low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter
solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the
religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your
choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or
traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or
secular traditions at all. We also wish you a fiscally successful,
personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the
generally accepted calendar year 2007, but not without due respect for
the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society
have helped make America great. Not to imply that America is necessarily
greater than any other country nor the only America in the Western
Hemisphere, and without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical
ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the wishes. By
accepting these greetings you are accepting these terms. This greeting
is subject to clarification or withdrawal. It is freely transferable
with no alteration to the original greeting. It implies no promise by
the wisher to actually implement any of the wishes for herself or
himself or others, and is void where prohibited by law and is revocable
at the sole discretion of the wisher. This wish is warranted to perform
as expected within the usual application of good tidings for a period of
one year or until the issuance of a subsequent holiday greeting,
whichever comes first, and warranty is limited to replacement of this
wish or issuance of a new wish at the sole discretion of the wisher."



For Everyone else:

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year


Got this in an email today.. lol.. love it!

[okcguy]

It makes a lot more sense than someone being offended by being wished "Happy Holidays". That's certifiably insane, but that's really where this issue comes from. It's mainly comes from the uber-senstive and delusional Bill O'Reilly types saying they are offended by hearing "Happy Holidays". That guy's paranoia even leads him to claim it's part of some sort of larger “war on Christmas” and people eat that crap up.

The media has some thinking that Happy Holidays is meant to supplant Christmas, but it really is a way to include Thanksgiving, New Year's, and Christmas, as well as Hanukkah, Quanza, Festivus, or whatever. It is the Holiday Season, after all, hence: Happy Holidays. It's hard to imagine that this issue is even on anyone's consciousness, but the other day my Jewish friend's boss actually asked her if it was okay to put Merry Christmas on some company correspondence. WTF? No one would have even thought of asking that just 5 years ago. It's bizarre.

In any event, I wish my Christian friends Merry Christmas because I know they're Christian, otherwise, I just say Happy Holidays, which happens to include Christmas or any other Holidays, simply because I just want to be considerate and contextually appropriate to the person upon which I am trying wish some happiness. Why it has to be any bigger deal than that is ridiculous, imo. But what’s even more ridiculous is people insisting that I default all my holiday wishes, no matter who I am speaking with, to their holiday. It makes zero sense for me to assume what religion, if any, everyone practices and go around wishing everyone ‘Merry Christmas’ like a fool. How insecure can you be?

I mean, should I wish everyone happy birthday… just in case…
I would hate to wish someone a "good day", have it be their birthday, and end up offending them.

Some people just need to relax and understand that Happy Holidays includes Christmas and that the whole world doesn’t have to cater just to them. In the end, I guess it may be easier just to wish everyone Merry Christmas so some nut job doesn’t go all freaky on me.

Merry Christmas everyone!

I couldn't agree more! You said it all. I celebrate Christmas but understand that not everyone does and understand that 'Happy Holidays' encompasses any and all of this season's holidays, assuring everyone gets covered in one sweeping greeting. Nothing to get one's panties all in a wad about!

[redredwine]

Exactly Happy Holidays covers Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year, hell you could even throw in Halloween and start saying it early.

[redredwine]

Or you could just start saying it in January and cover the WHOLE year, since they are all a holiday.

[okcguy]

Or you could just start saying it in January and cover the WHOLE year, since they are all a holiday.

Let's not get carried away, lol!

[redredwine]

It was a joke.................LOL!

[BDP]

What I can't stand, is that it now feels FORCED if I use one or the other!

Totally agree. It is so dumb. I don't understand why anyone would be offended for being wished well just because it didn't specify their paticular religious holiday. It's as if consideration for others is no longer respected in some religious circles.