Are You Offended by "Merry Christmas"?

[wanderingone]

I find any greeting that isn't really a greeting distasteful, so merry christmas is not offensive until someone says or writes merry christmas and follows it with some foolish rant about "that's right I said Christmas, it may be outlawed soon so everyone join me and spread this message around blah blah blah...."

Otherwise what do I care if someone says Good Yul or Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays or whatever else?

 

[wanderingone]

Also, the term Happy Holidays was coined by some Irving Berlin song in the 40’s and it was shorthand for Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. It’s only been the last few years that people have started being “offended” by it, claiming that it purposefully leaves out Christmas.

EXACTLY, the idea that "happy holidays" has anything to do with anything other than the dominant culture's celebrations is just silly, obviously is CAN mean every holiday being celebrated at this time of year, but basically it's away to acknowledge we're celebrating a few things between now and when I'll see you again so "happy holidays".

My grandmother used to have this huge barrel full of cards and postcards from as early as the late 1800's - hundreds of her holiday greetings said "Happy Holidays" on them (even before the Irving Berlin song) There were cards that said "Yuletide Greetings" with Nativity scenes on them.. never mind that yuletide greetings probably goes more appropriately with old German pagan ritual. (Alas my grandmother also allowed us to hack away at her ephemera with scissors so most of those wonderful old cards are long gone and I mourn the blasphemous disposal of all those great treasures every time I'm working on some mixed media creation)

 

[Eudaimonist]

So basically, it's Christmastime for the overwhelming majority of the West, but you won't say "Merry Christmas" for fear someone with a disorder might be offended?

I often do say Merry Christmas, but generally to people who I know are Christian, or who I know call the holiday that they celebrate "Christmas".

If I say "Happy Holidays", it's because:

1) I don't know if they celebrate Christmas or not.
2) I don't want to make assumptions about which holiday they do celebrate.
3) I wish to express kindness and inclusiveness by saying "Happy Holidays".

It has nothing intrinsically to do with a fear of offending others. It's a kindness.


eudaimonia,

Mark

 

[TouchingTestimony]

thank you again people, happy holidays

 

[Larry Salamander]

I'm not offended by "Merry Christmas", not at all, but I prefer "Happy Holidays" and "Season's Greetings" because a lot of my friends and relatives are not Christian or don't celebrate Christmas (Jehovah Witness) and I don't like seeing them excluded.

 

[wanderingone]

I'm not offended by "Merry Christmas", not at all, but I prefer "Happy Holidays" and "Season's Greetings" because a lot of my friends and relatives are not Christian or don't celebrate Christmas (Jehovah Witness) and I don't like seeing them excluded.

Well JW's would prefer to be excluded from holiday greetings wouldn't they? I once told a coworker to enjoy her holiday and nearly got my head bit off, and honestly when I say "enjoy the holiday" as we're leaving work before a day off it's the same as "enjoy the weekend" meaning enjoy the day off of work, enjoy the break. I figured she was just tired of the endless Christmas "stuff" and didn't respond but geez she really lit into me.

 

[GryffinSong]

Does anyone else find this thread ironic? The question was whether anyone was offended by "Merry Christmas", and very few, if any, are. Instead, lots of people seem offended by the seemingly harmless and inclusive "Happy Holidays."

 

[JadeTigress]

Does anyone else find this thread ironic? The question was whether anyone was offended by "Merry Christmas", and very few, if any, are. Instead, lots of people seem offended by the seemingly harmless and inclusive "Happy Holidays."

I'm offended by 'Happy Holidays' because it offends me that you won't cater to me and my holiday of choice.

 

[wanderingone]

Does anyone else find this thread ironic? The question was whether anyone was offended by "Merry Christmas", and very few, if any, are. Instead, lots of people seem offended by the seemingly harmless and inclusive "Happy Holidays."

It's not ironic, being the jaded person I am I tend to view post's like the OP's as leading to the notion that businesses, institutions and individuals who choose to use a more inclusive greeting shouldn't bother since nobody is offended by "Merry Christmas"

In reality I do think more people ARE offended by "Happy Holidays" because it's those obsessed with the "war on Christmas" who look for ways to validate that they are being persecuted while people who just don't care and are used to not having their own beliefs as the focus of attention don't look for offense in every sentence.

 

[keith99]

I'm not offended by "Merry Christmas", not at all, but I prefer "Happy Holidays" and "Season's Greetings" because a lot of my friends and relatives are not Christian or don't celebrate Christmas (Jehovah Witness) and I don't like seeing them excluded.

It seems the JWs do not celebrate any holidays and Happy Holidays thus would be little difference than Merry Christmas.

Should We Celebrate Holidays? - Jehovah's Witnesses Official Web Site

Ironically they do not explicitly mention Christmas.

 

[ryeaber]

I was emailed this earlier, and thought you'd all get a kick out of it.

 

[Red Tornado]

I'm not offended. Christmas is a combination of pagan and christian like characteristics.

Slightly on topic - Doesn't Holidays come from "Holy Days?"

 

[JRSut1000]

yes I belive it does. But I have a hard time calling Christmas a ' holy day'.

 

[PassionFruit]

Does anyone else find this thread ironic? The question was whether anyone was offended by "Merry Christmas", and very few, if any, are. Instead, lots of people seem offended by the seemingly harmless and inclusive "Happy Holidays."

I agree with wonderingone, being inclusive is what offends people, because heaven forbid we acknowledge that some people don't celebrate Christmas.

 

[TouchingTestimony]

thank you again people, happy holidays

 

[Maren]

It's not ironic, being the jaded person I am I tend to view post's like the OP's as leading to the notion that businesses, institutions and individuals who choose to use a more inclusive greeting shouldn't bother since nobody is offended by "Merry Christmas"

In reality I do think more people ARE offended by "Happy Holidays" because it's those obsessed with the "war on Christmas" who look for ways to validate that they are being persecuted while people who just don't care and are used to not having their own beliefs as the focus of attention don't look for offense in every sentence.

This seems quite ironic to me -- since more people are offended by "Happy Holidays", which they feel is because of political correctness, than "Merry Christmas", then to be truly politically correct and not offend we should just use "Merry Christmas".

 

[Lovely Lane]

Happy Festivus !!


Festivus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[dies-l]

I think that the real moral of this thread is that most people don't really care one way or the other.

 

[keith99]

I think that the real moral of this thread is that most people don't really care one way or the other.

I think you are right, and most of the remainder who are offended would have been more upset if they were denied thsi offense and had to look harder.

I just thought of one group where I would take Merry Christmas as wonderfully well ment. That is the Jews, often in the Medical profession but I'm sure also in other vital professions who volunteer to work on Christmas so that those for whom hte Holiday is more important can enjoy it with their families.

To them I say 'God bless you, everyone'.

 

[Eudaimonist]

Happy Holidays, everyone!


eudaimonia,

Mark