Merry Christmas - or: Happy Holidays?

Traminer

Traminer

Markgraf von Baden-Baden
Dec 28, 2014
2,981
3,342
#1
Merry Christmas - or: Happy Holidays?
Here is an interesting article about it:

A colleague made a curious statement when she returned to New York recently from London, "Everything was so Christmas-y there."
At first glance, it's a bizarre statement. New York and London (among other cities in both countries) are decked out for the holidays. Who hasn't heard of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree or London's Oxford Street lights and mince pies? And that's to say nothing of the famous storefront windows all aglow.
But look beyond the seasonal window treatments at Macy's and you'll quickly find a different story. In corporate America, everything is "happy holidays". Ads refer to "holiday shopping", end-of-year office soirees are "holiday parties" and kids' school concerts this time of year are "holiday concerts". You get the idea.
Click to expand...

More about it: https://www.theguardian.com/comment...tter-to-say-merry-christmas-or-happy-holidays

And what do you usually wish? :smile:
 
  • Like
Reactions: Merris
#6
kkfiregirl said:
I don't see why anyone would be offended by 'merry christmas.' if that offends someone, well ... that person is probably just looking for a reason to pissed off anyway.
Click to expand...

You'd be surprised! I've encountered quite a few people myself who were upset when I said it((I used to work in sales and as a cashier when I was younger)). They would snap like "I dont celebrate it!" or "I'm not Catholic!" and then start rambling lol

Funny thing is that I'm not Catholic myself! I just love Christmas!!
 
#7
Yoshi1296 said:
You'd be surprised! I've encountered quite a few people myself who were upset when I said it((I used to work in sales and as a cashier when I was younger)). They would snap like "I dont celebrate it!" or "I'm not Catholic!" and then start rambling lol

Funny thing is that I'm not Catholic myself! I just love Christmas!!
Click to expand...

haha. no i'm not surprised, but those people just want to be angry/annoyed/whatever. merry christmas has become such a generic phrase now ... why bother getting upset over someone wishing you well?
 
  • Like
Reactions: HandbagDiva354, frick&frack, BettySaysExcuseMe and 3 others
#8
I say Happy Holidays because it is impossible to know what someone does/does not celebrate and what might offend them. I like when someone says Happy Holidays to me, too, and when companies use it. It feels more inclusive and makes the season last longer than a single day. I do not celebrate Christmas, but will say Merry Christmas back if someone says it to me first. I don't mind looking at the beautiful Christmas displays either, they are pretty. I just don't have any myself.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Charles and Yoshi1296
#9
Yoshi1296 said:
You'd be surprised! I've encountered quite a few people myself who were upset when I said it((I used to work in sales and as a cashier when I was younger)). They would snap like "I dont celebrate it!" or "I'm not Catholic!" and then start rambling lol

Funny thing is that I'm not Catholic myself! I just love Christmas!!
Click to expand...

That's really funny! :biggrin:

Do some people really think that Christmas is something exclusively Catholic?
And not something for all the Christians worldwide? :smile:
 
#11
We really don't seem to have an issue here. A few years ago, I had a colleague who just moved from India to the UK. He was a Hindu. During his first Christmas in the UK, I specifically ask him what he was doing for Christmas. He had a little boy who was at the time 4/5 years old. He said they were getting a Christmas tree and he was buying his boy some presents. There wasn't anything religious or political about it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: foxylock, kkfiregirl, carmen56 and 2 others
#12
xiangxiang0731 said:
We really don't seem to have an issue here. A few years ago, I had a colleague who just moved from India to the UK. He was a Hindu. During his first Christmas in the UK, I specifically ask him what he was doing for Christmas. He had a little boy who was at the time 4/5 years old. He said they were getting a Christmas tree and he was buying his boy some presents. There wasn't anything religious or political about it.
Click to expand...

Exactly! I'm Hindu myself (my parents are from India) and we celebrate Christmas a lot! I have 3 Christmas trees LOL!! My mom and I also collect ornaments and nutcrackers, and our house is always the most decorated on the block. Everyone seems to appreciate but some neighbors are a little annoying about it but we just ignore them.
 
  • Like
Reactions: SomethingGoodCanWork, kkfiregirl, chicinthecity777 and 1 other person
#13
Traminer said:
That's really funny! :biggrin:

Do some people really think that Christmas is something exclusively Catholic?
And not something for all the Christians worldwide? :smile:
Click to expand...


Precisely. Which is why in a pluralistic society like the US, many non-Christians (not all) are not thrilled to be subjected to a distinctly Christian greeting as if it were neutral. It isn't generic--the word "Christmas" literally combines "Christ" and "Mass."
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: MySharona and Meggowaffle
#14
Well, I do not think that only those, who are 100 percent religious Christian believers celebrate Christmas.
Anybody may, who feels like celebrating it with their friends.

In that way, Christmas celebrations have really become "generic" or "neutral" or whatever. :smile:
 
  • Like
Reactions: daisychainz
#15
jellyv said:
Which is why in a pluralistic society like the US, many non-Christians (not all) are not thrilled to be subjected to a distinctly Christian greeting as if it were neutral.
Click to expand...

Even if they are not "thrilled", they need not feel offended or "subjected".

Myself, I am not offended by a Hindu greeting or a Muslim greeting or a Jewish greeting etc.
Rather - I 'd be pleased to be greeted.
Isn't it the good intention that counts?
 
  • Like
Reactions: SomethingGoodCanWork, foxylock, BettySaysExcuseMe and 3 others
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top
Back