"Happy Holidays"

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tiny_dancer33

Guest
Just what the heck is wrong with "Happy Holidays"? I mean, it could be seen as a generic, PC-greeting in the season, but I and must people I know always just used the phrase as a way to shake up saying "Merry Christmas" on every card and to every person who enters the office or something like that. "Merry Christmas," "Happy Holidays," "Happy Christmas," "Joyeux Noel," etc. etc. Plus, as a family with several close Jewish friends, it makes it a heck of a lot easier to buy cards that say "Happy Holidays" than separate ones for Christmas and Hanukkah and etc. I see nothing wrong with being all-encompassing for the sake of convenience. Maybe Southern Maryland doesn't have a high Jewish/non-Christian population, but, uh, other places do. And it's not a matter of "Let's not hurt anyone's feelings," it's just convenient and breaks up the monotony of the standard Merry Christmas greeting. I mean, I wouldn't send my grandmother a Hanukkah greeting card. Why would I send my Jewish godfather a Merry Christmas one?

Um, basically what I'm saying is that the only people more belligerent and anti-spirit-of-the-season than people who are militant about saying only generic statements like "Happy Holidays and Winter Solstice, too" are the ones who automatically assume that everyone who uses "Happy Holidays" and "Winter Break" is waging some kind of war on Christmas.

And that's my soapbox for the day. Thoughts? Does it really offend those of you who are very religious when people say "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas"? Does it only bother you when the use of "Merry Christmas" is discouraged?
 
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tiny_dancer33

Guest
I have, in fact. Three weeks, actually. Haha thanks twinoaks.
 

libby

New Member
I didn't read/participate in the other thread. I would say I am a "very religious" type, and I always said "Happy Holidays" growing up and working at my family's business. Back then I understood it to mean the holiday season, encompassing Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years.
In recent years, from what I understand, retailers are making a policy decision to use the generic term for the purposes including all holidays, which only bothers me if they are intentionally rejecting Christ, although I doubt it.
I have noticed this year that when I say, "Merry Christmas" at the checkout, the cashier does not return the "Merry Christmas" greeting, but "the same to you". Nobody has even said, "Happy Holidays" that I can remember.
As a fervent Christian, I would say this is getting a little out of hand, thinking the retailers are rejecting Jesus. A simple phrase is not going to affect anyone's belief about the the origin of Christmas.
 
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tiny_dancer33

Guest
A simple phrase is not going to affect anyone's belief about the the origin of Christmas.

Yeah, I assumed the use of "Holidays" meant the entire season too, from Thanksgiving up through New Year's. That gets everything in, doesn't it? :p

I would agree. Anyone who's agnostic isn't going to say "They said Merry Christmas! I must repent!" And anyone who's Christian isn't going to leave the church because someone said "Happy Holidays." :yay:
 
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