"Happy Holidays"?

It's that time of year again. Thanksgiving is today for us US people, and Christmas is just around the corner. Or is it Hanukkah? Or Kwanzaa? Or the solstice? What the hell do we call it?

Happy holidays - that's what employees are supposed to say to shoppers now. It doesn't discriminate anyone, doesn't leave anyone out, and it's still a pleasant greeting that fits this oh-so-wonderful season. Or does it discriminate people? Namely, the people who think that we shouldn't be forbidden to say, "Merry Christmas"?

A few years ago, there was a huge thread/argument about this on the forum I frequented, with a lot of people supporting each side. The two sides being:
1) "Happy holidays" should be said in stores and on TV and such because not everyone celebrates Christmas or is Christian
2) "Merry Christmas" is fine because the holiday has become quite disjointed from Christianity, so you don't need to be Christian to celebrate it, and "Christmas" is the American holiday, with Santa Claus as its mascot. You get rid of Christmas, then you get rid of Santa, and you get rid of an American tradition

I sided with the latter back then, but I've changed over the years. There are a lot of people who celebrate a mostly non-religious Christmas, yes, but there are also a lot of people who don't celebrate Christmas at all. Each religion has its own holiday celebration, and it is rude to dismiss all the other celebrations in favor of Christmas, just because it's more popular and widespread. It's like saying that America is a Christian nation just because the majority of people are Christian. And "happy holidays" works for more than just Christmas; it can be used from the start of November all the way through January. Telling your employees to say "happy holidays" is better than telling them to say something new every other week.

What does everyone think? "Happy holidays" or "Don't tread on me" "Merry Christmas"?

I don't think it's healthy having to always worry that some group is going to be discriminated against. Treating people equally is enough. If happy holidays is somehow discriminating against those merry christmas assholes(who complained about discrimination), then fuck them.

I fully understand why employees of stores should say Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas since there are people who don't celebrate Christmas. But I still don't see any harm in saying Merry Christmas instead of Happy Holidays.

It seems stupid to get offended when someone is trying to wish you a good time during the holidays, even if it is specified down to just one.

I think the First time saying "Merry Christmas" At my school was take away I freaked out. I felt wronged that i was not allowed to freely spread my joy for the holidays around.

It took A while before I came to terms that not everyone celebrates my holidays, and it was only taken away to help make others feel welcomed during the holidays.


I now say "Happy Holidays" to most people I meet on the streets, but I continue to say "Merry Christmas" to the people I know!


:3

At this point I'd blame the media for it more than anything. It's another fake controversy they can drag out to get people worked up at the end of the year.

People should be allowed to say either one if they choose. Let the Christians say Merry Christmas and let the Jews say Happy Hanukkah,etc. If you don't believe in that particular Holiday, who cares? As for companies, I would let the management decide which one they wish to go with. Their store, their rules. As for the Government, I say a neutral "Happy Holidays" should be the mandate as anything else tangles with the first Amendment

Personally, I'm trying to get my own holiday started so the wise asses that I know will stop questioning me "Why do ya celebrate Christmas if yer an Atheist her her?"

I'm thinking of naming it Atheist Gift Exchange Day. A.G.E.D. for short. Just a thought.

I'm an apathetic kinda guy so I'll leave my comment at I support media/in-job greetings to happy holidays. If I say that to someone and they say in a bad attitude back to me Merry Christmas, I say I have the right to kick 'em in the back of the knee.

Personally, I say "Merry Christmas" because that's the established custom - I don't really care much either way. Since I don't believe in the whole Hocus Pocus in the first place, I might as well just say the little invocation and be done with it. If my atheist self were to be offended by trivialities like this, my cardiac history would fill the library of congress by now.

As far as public use of the phrase is concerned, I'd agree entirely with LD about it being an artificial media tempest in a teapot - if it weren't for the vocal Islamic lobby groups, who, each year, get in a huff about being bidden "Merry Christmas" in stores, as it OFFENDS THE PROPHET/ALLAH/KAABA/HOUR'IN, and demand an end to this discrimination, or else...

I know they're just trying for cheap media attention, but even so I don't want to see them being given any quarter whatsoever. Principiis obsta!

I could really care less as I usually don't greet people differently in accordance with the season/holiday/celebration or any of that lot.

When I used to work as a clerk at a gas station I would sometimes pick up Christmas Day shifts to get double time pay with a 10th of the work. And every now and then I would get a customer who would take pity on me for being at work on Christmas. My response was usually*, "It's ok, I'm jewish." Which 9x out of 10 would be followed by, "Oh, I'm sorry." and then they quietly finishing their shopping and leaving the store.

The real reason why I brought up this anecdote is to show that people have recently become so obsessed with being pc that it has begun to color our interactions with one another in a bad way. So what if I'm jewish [I'm not really], does that mean that you cannot enjoy your holidays around me? I don't care what you celebrate, and if it makes you happy then by all means feel free to do so without making accommodations for others like me. If they want to say Happy Holidays, go ahead. If they want to say Merry Christmas/Happy Hanukkah/Feliz Navidad/or go fuck yourself then they can be my guest. As long as your greeting is not preceded by or followed by any efforts to convert me then I'm ok with whatever you choose to say.

*I tried saying "It's ok, I'm muslim." first, but angered a customer so badly that I decided not to risk being killed over a joke. I guess 4 years after 9/11 is still too soon to bring up islam with some people.



Or you could just go with boxing day. It's supposed to be celebrated on the 26th but you can really go with any countries date and celebrate then.



^^Instantly better than christmas in my book!^^

I saw something on the news today while at work that there's a couple of women putting billboard signs out saying "I miss it when you say Merry Christmas -Jesus"

Their "Mission" is to bring "Merry Christmas" back, which is fine - but they have to understand that there's more than just Christians living in the United States.

Personally I think the United States is getting too sensitive. Everybody has to have their way, and then the government feels the need to bend over backwards to accommodate everybody equally. Which, everybody should be treated as equals in the United States.

However, when you start doing 'missions' to remind people that Jesus was "born on December 25th" and to say Merry Christmas instead of Happy Holidays is obnoxious.

On the same note though, I think it's rediculous to take a "Christmas Tree" and turn it into a "Holiday Tree" Only the fucking people who celebrate Christmas are going to get the fucking christmas tree. There is no need to be careful about all the other gobs of holidays because it's a fucking christmas tree, not a hannakuh tree, not a kwanza tree - it's a custom that Christians, actually Pegans, seemed to take in tradition of having a Christmas tree around.

You don't see Christian's buying a menorah, we're not changing the name to 'Holiday Candle Stick.' It's fucking stupid.

It's too much of a hassle to worry about discriminating someone. Our culture has gone too far off on the other side of the fence. Sometimes you just can't give care to every little politically correct phrase that comes out of your mouth. This is a prime example to me of carrying way too much. I say Merry Christmas all the time, if someone doesn't like it they can tell me and I'll say something else to them, but otherwise I just don't care. It is making a big deal out of nothing.

Doesn't really matter in my opinion. Doesn't really prove much that we're "uniting" the holidays to seem politically correct. If someone's really going to call me on saying, "Merry Christmas" then they can shove it up their tight asses.

Another reason they say Happy Holidays is because it includes New Years, no?

Yea, that was always my reasoning for it. Come Thanksgiving time you're saying happy holidays to Thanksgiving, Christmas/insert whatever holiday you celebrate instead of, and New Years

I don't know what's the big deal about it. So someone says "Merry Christmas" instead of Happy Holidays, are people going to really bitch about it? Anyone who does should get off their high horse and get a swift kick to the face.

Regardless of whatever you celebrate, it's a time of unity. Any asshole that would disrespect that should just die.

When you're wishing someone well does it really matter what words you use? Honestly, that's all one does when they say Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays. Christmas is a day and wishing someone to have a merry day when Christmas happens is just that.

Honestly, people get too caught up in semantics and they're far too quick to feel offended over nothing. Saying Merry Christmas isn't forcing one's religion on another. It's the same damned thing as saying have a nice day on the 25th. People in Japan celebrate Christmas whether they're Christian or not. They've taken the spirit of the holiday and expanded it.

What I'm getting at is people should lighten up and just accept well wishing for what it is rather than getting bent out of shape at the way it's said. I wouldn't get offended if someone told me Happy Kwanzaa. I'd say, "hey, thanks, you too." Christmas is a big event thanks to the media and tradition. It's natural for people to say it.

tl;dr version: People should be allowed to say whatever they want without worrying about stepping on toes. Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Cheerful Hanukkah, Fantastic Wednesday, Ecstatic Tentacle Rape Day, whatever.

I don't see why there should be such a big deal about it. All you're trying to do is wish someone well. There's no need to be all bitchy about it, but I understand why people would get bitchy about it. Everyone calls it Christmas anyways, so what's the point of being so mad if someone wishes for you to have a great time on that day?

It seems like everyone is saying the same thing, that the exact words shouldn't matter since it's just wishing well, but opinions are still somewhat split. Some people say you shouldn't care if "Happy Holidays" is said, while others say that you shouldn't care if "Merry Christmas" is said. That may not be worth noticing, but I like looking at the little things.