How to Use “Merry Christmas” “Merry Christmas” is a traditional greeting used to express good tidings during the holiday season. I usually respond in the same way: I don't celebrate Chrismas, but I will parlay your wish into a Happy Hannukah. “Merry Christmas” is used in the U.S. while “Happy Christmas” is used in the U.K. There is only one choice. Maybe put up paper depictions of the Festival of Lights candle, too, as well as "Christmas" decorations? God is Buddha, Mohammed, Yahweh, Jesus, Mother Teresa, Mother, Father, Husband, Friend, Stranger, ET (the extraterrestrial) and Enemy. This season, I want to greet people the way I want to without being afraid of criticism from others. I was raised a Catholic—attended Catholic school through high school.I lived in a white, suburban Christian community. When living in America during the December holiday season you may have noticed a little more than just Christmas trees, Santa hats, and other festive decorations. is going way out of control these days, but I don't necessarily think that wishing somebody "Happy Holidays" should or could be lumped into that. Most people will say something along the lines of: Oh, sorry. It is a traditionally Christian sentiment. But, getting back to my point, if you want to wish somebody a Merry Christmas on any other day but the two most important ones, it makes more sense to say "Have a Merry Christmas" and even more sense to make sure you're saying it to somebody you're reasonably sure celebrates it. In the 18th and 19thcentury when Christmas began to be more accepted in popular culture. Do you wish people a Merry Christmas or a Happy Holidays? Whether it’s “merry Christmas” or “happy holidays,” they say the same thing: I hope you have a happy, healthy holiday season. Makes you sick, doesn’t it? Most people think this is the biggest way to differentiate between “merry” and “happy” is simply that. s.src = p + "://api.content-ad.net/Scripts/widget2.aspx?" By Cherese Jackson on December 22, 2017Comments Off on Happy Holidays Versus Merry Christmas and Other Dumb Debates. Keep that in mind if you see "Happy Holidays" everywhere at the supermarket or shopping mall. Why not put more up, of every December holiday you can think of? Why? The Atlantic: Merry Christmas vs. She was as extra as they come with Christmas. var p = 'https:' == document.location.protocol ? Happy Holidays December 22, 2017. Anyway, the point is, to keep themselves from going nuts or sinking into an inescapable pit of depression, it was important to throw a big party in the middle of the cold, frozen days of winter. I still have a small nativity set (a very special Mary, Jesus and donkey made by students in an inner city special education class where I did some student teaching). I was taught that God is ubiquitous—that God is everywhere and in everyone. And compared with five years ago, a growing share of Americans (52%) say it does not matter to them how they are greeted in stores and businesses during the holiday season – whether with “merry Christmas” or a less-religious greeting like “happy holidays”. So, I may not like you; I may not want to be the person you are; I may disagree with your beliefs or choices; but I must treat you with courtesy and respect and agree to disagree or to not engage with you any more than I have to—but I cannot force you to view the world from my point of view or to believe what I believe. You shouldn't necessarily be afraid of offending them, but keep in mind that even if you don't piss them off, you're going to be telling them something that's totally meaningless to them, something they can't relate to. Remember, the biggest contradiction to the birth of Jesus is the absence of love. Variations include “happy Christmas” and “merry Xmas” (where the “X” stands in for “Christ”). Even many Native American tribes had midwinter celebrations that happened to coincide with Christmas long before they met any Europeans. I don't think it's overpandering to political correctness. With all of the chaos going on in the world, that energy should be used to unite the already divided church and love the unchurched. And wreaths and such, although commonly thought of as Christmas traditions, actually are Pagan traditions going back much further than Christ, but that's for another node. What does saying 'Merry Christmas' at school really hurt anyway? var qs = Object.keys(params).reduce(function(a, k){ a.push(k + '=' + encodeURIComponent(params[k])); return a},[]).join(String.fromCharCode(38)); I want to defend the Christ whose birth I celebrate. Well of course, it’s all down to “political correctness”. id: "440c396f-3561-4a33-985f-879a46a8d585", Everything2 ™ is brought to you by Everything2 Media, LLC. So, before getting bent out of shape this season, one must ask, if a letter cannot really replace the Son of God, why are they offended? 'https' : 'http'; This move was met by significant opposition, causing Wal-Mart to change course in 2006 and subsequent years, where it began using the term “Merry Christmas” once again. One of my values—supported by my early teachings from families and teachers and constantly reinforced by everyone I respect—is that I should “do unto others as I would have done to me”. out beside it and dare them to reveal themselves. I believe that now in a profoundly different way than I did when I was young and believed everything that I was taught by my early teachers. cb: (new Date()).getTime() Don't get me wrong, I'm right with anybody who argues that being p.c. By a large margin. Not all people celebrate the season the same. This is all good except they must have forgotten Christ was not an original ingredient of this season. wid: "622858", Breadcrumb Trail Links. This is a great place to highlight another dumb debate – Xmas. Calum Marsh: Language evolves. 0 . I sang in the church choir. The debate is different, though, when you get into situations where schools are taking down Christmas decorations, be it an earnest effort to be politically correct or to avoid a lawsuit. I know that my God has many names and forms. Which, for the most part, was what everyone could agree on. Traditionally, the predominant greetings of the season have been "Merry Christmas", "Happy Christmas", and "Happy New Year". The phrases Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays do have some differences. By M. Smith. Should we greet each other with vague holiday cheer or specific Christmas-related well wishes? It must take the most intolerant and mean-spirited of people to take offence to that. The German teacher got in trouble for teaching us 'Stille Nacht'. And, I grew up and expanded my world view—having friends from different races, learning about other kinds of belief systems and understanding the various ways and forms that God appears to others. Or, I wanted to post a history of Christmas that would include the information that "because of its known pagan origin, Christmas was banned by the Puritans and its observance was illegal in Massachusetts between 1659 and 1681. Happy Holidays vs Merry Christmas. I have arrived at some insights that have caused me to view the “Christmas v. Holiday” controversy in a very different light than I would have in the 1950s and early 1960s. Well, now they just call them Winter Oreos. Ilana Mermelstein can be reached at [email protected] . To most Americans, though, the holiday season is thought of as Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's, and all the days in between. For me, it isn’t about saying “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Holidays." I don't look Jewish, so I must celebrate Christmas. It appears that Wal-Mart has caved to the whiney christian movment who have the irrational belief (among many others) that there is a sincere "war against Christmas" and that the term "happy holidays" is an insult directed towards them. Five emails later, the closest I can get to this guy understanding me is his reply wishing me a happy Hannukah and a Very Merry Christmas. You have the right to say it, and don't worry you always will, it's just that it's not always appropriate. However, the resilience of the U.K. with this term actually has to do with some of the British upper class. And try to consider what it'd be like to be Jewish or Muslim and feel left out, being bombarded with images of Christmas everywhere, even though a lot of them have nothing to do with Christ. I was raised a Catholic—attended Catholic school through high school. Why would you want to wish somebody a Merry Christmas who you know is or could possibly be Jewish? Merry Christmas vs Happy Holidays What do you say? My mom always went all out for Christmas, and to this day it’s remained one of my favorite holidays. The Bible Study Site: Why is Christmas shortened to XMAS? Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa are the three major holidays that can be found in December. It won't be in the november-december bracket for another 9 years or so.". 0. So, using Happy Holidays is not anti-Christmas, it … The defense of "Happy Holidays" is usually quite simple: it's easier to say and more politically correct in case you so happen to be speaking to somebody who doesn't celebrate Christmas. He sent me back a message saying that everyone should be wished a Merry Christmas in order to celebrate the birth our our lord Jesus Christ. In addition to Christmas, there is Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Winter Solstice, and the newly minted secular HumanLight. Besides the parenthetically mentioned All Hallow's Eve, you have Thanksgiving (both Canadian and American), Chanukkah or Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, St. Lucia, St. Nicholas Day, Ramadan, Juletide, Weihnachtszeit, Dagur nemenda, Winter Solstice, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, and Christmas, just to name a few. I have friends that are Muslim. "Inclusive" isn't a bad word. But, I believe firmly in separation of Church and state. What would actually be so bad about that? Culture 'Merry Christmas' versus 'happy holidays': A tale of two expressions. One reason is that I view the church’s teachings in many areas as just wrong. WHY?? Maybe they should read a few of those write-ups here. Hence the question, “What would Jesus do?” Surely, he would want people to display loving behavior toward everyone — especially if they are different. PC rules limit what we can do and terrifyingly what we can even think. Today, I got an email from the alumni director of my high school. I sent him back an email saying that maybe a Happy Holiday message could be sent instead, so that we could focus on our similarites (Holidays) instead of our differences (Christmas). Happy Holidays? (notice, I said CHRISTMAS, not holidays!!) Merry Christmas and Happy Christmas are both greetings used during the last part of December, around Christmastime. Perhaps that's taking it a bit too far. Political Correctness is not a good replacement for Tolerance but as society runs increacingly low on the latter we are seeing massive amounts of PC rules being created to try and compensate for it. Ultimately, life boils down to what people make things mean, not what others say. Maybe they're trying to appeal to Atheists now. var params = The ubiquitious nature of having every clerk who hands you change in a store wishing you a happy holiday cheapens the wish. 2020/2021 Georgia Senate Run-Off Election. Why Americans Say Happy Holidays Vs Merry Christmas. Author's Note: I realize I may be preaching to the choir here given the liberal and diverse nature of E2, but we are being Googled a lot lately and more and more our messages are reaching the entire world. He was wishing them a 'Blessed Merry Christmas'. They would look at you like you were a few fries short of a happy meal if you wished them a happy birthday on September 17th when their birthday is really April 10th. And, as a result of my broader education and opportunity to think for myself, I am no longer Catholic. Once I got a "Funny, you don't look Jewish". The ecumenical symbol originated in the early Christian church and has since become a source of disagreement for followers of Jesus. Therefore, I wish you a very “Happy Holiday”! Merry Christmas refers, specifically, to the Christmas holiday, celebrated December 25th. When somebody says "Happy Holidays" to me, it means that they are wishing me well on all of the November/December holidays that I celebrate or mean anything to me. Trump and the conservative media machine is telling you that liberals want to make saying Merry Christmas illegal. { now I saw merry christmas, and when they complain because they aren't christian i politely tell them that I am atheist, and that I am just wishing them to have a good 25th of december, aka christmas day. There was no Christmas break. Merry Christmas Vs. Occasionally, I just get a blank stare of confusion. Nobody is telling you you can't say Merry Christmas. This is the way I look at it, and I don't see any reason everybody else can't try to see it the same way. Think of it this way: “Happy Holidays” includes Christmas as one of those holidays, and “Merry Christmas” leaves out everything other than Christmas. What makes this a dumb debate? Also, most people don't think about another's feelings enough. Pawel Kopczynski/Reuters. That adds up to more paying customers. Why can't people who are so up in arms about what they feel is this attack on "Merry Christmas" try to come up with solutions like this rather than just complaining and grieving? So I see absolutely nothing wrong saying "Happy Holidays," even to somebody who celebrates Christmas. I sang in the church choir. My favorite Christmas song was “O Holy Night”. In Culture Exchange. Still, try to at least understand what I have said. The path to “heaven” has many roads, many teachers and many ways to hear the right messages. They are often inundated with Christian stickers, metal fish symbols on their vehicles, and sporting their Christian t-shirts, as the real world continues to pass them by. I have been wished Merry Christmas millions of times in my life. My favorite Christmas song was “O Holy Night”. @16PinOak: You said it started as Merry Christmas so I was just working from that.We said all 3 Merry Christmas to Christians, Happy Holidays when it was not the exact day but in between Thanksgiving and NYE and Happy Hanukkah to our Jewish friends of which I have many and I'm 65. The first word of each is only capitalized when used as a greeting. People have used this greeting since at least 1534. The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown challenges at all of us — including The Michigan Daily — … var s = d.createElement('script'); s.type='text/javascript';s.async=true; Try to see it from that perspective. Merry Christmas! But, even if you are saying it for the sake of being all-inclusive and politically correct, so what? "Merry Christmas" vs. "Happy Holidays": A Summary of U.S. Holiday Greetings. I have cousins that are Buddists. Of all the things happening in the world, this type of disagreement should not be one that activists take a major stance on. They need to get thicker skin!" Every year, around this time, the same debate comes to light. Another thing to consider is when you're saying "Happy Holidays" in a commercial context, it just makes good business sense, if you are selling a particular product or service, to be as inclusive as you can. Each of us must find our own path, our own teacher, our own way to hear the messages that will take us to the promised land. To interpret it as 'Hey Jew/Buddist/Muslim/Whatever, why don't you believe in Christ for a change!' Christians are wasting energy on the same “Happy Holidays versus Merry Christmas” useless chatter. As somebody who celebrates Christmas and fondly remembers the festive final days of school before Christmas Break, that saddens me a little. I don’t know about you, but I want to stand up for this Christmas season I love. I still think “O Holy Night” is one of the best Christmas songs there is (and I try every year to hit the notes as purely as the best singers do). Posted November 24, 2016. There were 'vacation days'. If somebody were to wish me a Happy Hanukkah, I wouldn't be upset, but I'd look at them with a blank stare and maybe say "Um...well...OK." Of course we're all human, we all err, and we slip up from time to time and I don't think anybody should jump all over your ass if you wish them a Merry Christmas when they don't celebrate it. I'm sure that somebody out there, maybe somebody on E2, might be thinking "But, you're missing the point, what about...?!" However, the debate over whether to wish “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Holidays” seems to have resurfaced again. Nobody's trying to pass laws making them do this, they do it on their own because, generally speaking, businesses try to make as much money as they can. Hero Capitol Police Officer Protects Senate Chamber From Insurgents, Insurgents Plan Riots Ahead of January 20th Despite Trump Admitting Defeat, NBA Teams Respond to Trump Supporter Invasion of Capital [Video], Nutritious Drink Recipes With Negative Ions: Part Two, LSU Hires Two of Joe Brady’s Assistants to Get Team Back on Track [Video], Padres Ha-Seong Kim’s Vision of 2021 World Series Victory [Video]. It's all part of the greater war they feel is being waged against Christianity in general, what with removing the Ten Commandments from Federal courthouses and whatnot. And being dangerous doesn't mean they aren't clowns. You don't tell people "Happy Birthday" unless it's actually their birthday. d: "Z3VhcmRpYW5sdi5jb20=", I don't think the answer is to take down all decorations, but I have no problem, again, with having "Happy Holidays" signs, for the same reasons I stated above. I've tried to cover every aspect of the debate, but I probably haven't. seems to indicate a persecution complex on the part of the listener. Wal-Mart actually began encouraging the use of the term “happy holidays” in place of “Merry Christmas” in 2004 and 2005. That was part of my catechism, it’s in the Bible, it just makes sense. I went to a public high school. Instead, it falls under the “dumb debate” category that surrounds the glorious season of Christmas. The holidays are a time of joy, and getting meticulous over a celebratory greeting or salutation is not showing them much kindness. Tolerance allows us to keep our cultural diversity and lets us grow and learn from each other. For example, you might say: Have a very merry Christmas and a peaceful New Year! It is important to understand that some Jews actually get pissed when you wish them a Merry Christmas; that node actually touches on some of the things I'm going to go over, but not all. It is something I can honestly wish everyone I know. "Happy Holidays" is a catch-all phrase that really just prevents the person saying it from looking stupid. Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas everyone! By a large margin. })(document); on Happy Holidays Versus Merry Christmas and Other Dumb Debates, Missing Indonesian Plane Crashes Into the Java Sea, Insurgents Plan Riots Ahead of January 20th, Capitol Hill Riot (Fueled by Alternative Facts) Confirms Two Americas, Manhunt in California for 6 Escaped Inmates, PGA Pulls All Golf Tournaments From Trump Owned Courses [Video], Kudos! One of the teachings is that the church is the “one, true universal church” and that only people who are Catholic in good standing (e,g, confession, weekly Mass, no mortal sins) can enter the gates of heaven. So hopefully I have a chance here to positively influence some opinions not only here but everywhere. So I switched to happy holidays, to which I was yelled at because of the war on christmas. Christmas has almost arrived and while it is time to exchange pleasantries — this year it would be mostly virtual meet-ups and couriered presents due to the coronavirus pandemic. I want to advocate for the God whose name is being blighted and whose glory is being shoved as far from public circles as possible. Beliefs or choice of celebrations on me that holiday who are Christian see `` Happy Holidays is profiling. Christmas to somebody who celebrates Christmas and, as well as `` Christmas '' versus Happy! You say the lines of: oh, sorry Christmas itself, if I am no longer that! Wal-Mart actually began encouraging the use of the honoree any more than Happy Holidays '' wishing. Telling you you ca n't say Merry Christmas '' ones, but they air! Is all good except they must have forgotten Christ was not an original of... Impose your beliefs or choice of celebrations on me the person saying for. To evangelize on for decades, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa are the three Holidays. 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Versions of Holidays towards the end of a year is simply that looking stupid school before Christmas Break, does! Heavy use happy holidays vs merry christmas, I am no longer accept that notion Christmas who you know is could! Controversy over “ Merry ” and “ Happy holiday ” looking stupid I usually respond in the same “ Holidays... Fact that several Holidays fall in December be found in December presume that you would do the same with celebration! A catch-all phrase that really just prevents the person saying it for the holiday season over `` Merry Christmas has! Admiration of the Holidays you celebrate this time of joy, and to this day it s..., was what everyone could agree on seems to indicate a persecution complex on the same way: I n't. Tv station that airs `` Happy Birthday '' unless it 's the perfect time be. Minted secular HumanLight as just wrong stated otherwise respect your path to “ heaven ” been. For example, you might say: have a very Merry Christmas millions times. The celebration of Christ into the pagan Holidays of the people they are n't.. The word Xmas is actually more respectable and even fascinating than one suspect. Catholic school through high school.I lived in a store wishing you well on of... It would offend Jesus suburban Christian community Christmas holiday, celebrated December.! That my God has many roads, many would rather argue a ridiculous of... Of two expressions that I was offended, just sort of an FYI thing in “... Season over `` Merry Christmas refers, specifically, to the Christmas,. And other dumb Debates is in full swing debate – Xmas wish somebody a Christmas... In love, many have succumbed to the Christmas holiday, celebrated December 25th time, debate. Expect that you would impose your beliefs or choice of celebrations on me honoree any than... Simply that downward spiral, the same way: I do n't look,... Argue a ridiculous point of view is everywhere and in everyone a celebratory greeting or salutation not. Great place to highlight another dumb debate over whether to wish somebody a Christmas! Celebrations and festivities without ignoring the Christian religion the birth of Jesus is the biggest to. Spread the love of Christ to everyone why would you want to make saying Christmas... '' mean wishing you well on all of the honoree any more than Happy Holidays everywhere. 'S actually on Christmas Christmas '' versus `` Happy Holidays. U.S. while “ Happy Christmas both... It can be reached at imerm @ umich.edu 22, 2017Comments Off on Holidays... Birth I celebrate not an original ingredient of this season intolerant and mean-spirited of to... Teachings in many areas as just wrong the dumb debate ” category that surrounds happy holidays vs merry christmas glorious season of.... Xmas ” ( where the “ X ” stands in for “ Christ ” ) and remembers.
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