Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays?

Question

Why are people trying to take Chirst out of everything? Now even Christmas! The very holiday meant to celebrate His birth. How many people are okay with this? As a christian I think it's crazy. Why after all this time is it being changed?

Answer 1

If I know that someone celebrates Christmas, I am more than happy to extend good wishes for their Christmas celebration. If I know they celebrate Yule, Saturnalia, or Hanukkah, I extend them good wishes for their respective holidays. If I do not know what someone celebrates (if anything), I use the phrase "Happy Holidays". That is the phrase that I use for acquaintances or even strangers that I may bump into and I use it out of respect for all. I wish more commercial stores did too since it is a general phrase that is inclusive to all who celebrate a holiday in December.



When dealing with those for whom I do not know what (if any) holiday they celebrate, should I just choose one and apply it to all? Should I just wish everyone a Happy Yule? Or Happy Hanukkah? Perhaps Happy Kwanzaa? Or do you only want me to be respectful to those who celebrate Christmas?

Answer 2

Jeremiah 10:1-5 (or the whole book for that matter)



[1]Hear ye the word which the LORD speaketh unto you, O house of Israel:

[2] Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.

[3] For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.

[4] They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.

[5] They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.



To me the customs of Christmas do not really have much to do with the real Christ. In fact no one really knows when Jesus of Nazareth was born. And it probably wasn't Dec 25. So one could even say that calling Christmas...Christmas is contradictory, since the holiday came from a different religion to begin with. I would suggest doing some research (including what the "Christian" Bible says about it..see above) on where Christmas came from and what it really represents before you get too hooked on the idea that saying "Happy Holidays" is crazy.

Answer 3

What a silly issue that has taken up so much news time. Happy holidays refers to all of the holidays, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years. Most people are not referring to Kwanza, a really new, made up holiday, or the jewish holiday, since most people don't celebrate that except the jews.



Christmas is actually set on a pagan holiday; I just chortle when I read these so called stories where something miracleous happens on Christmas or Christmas Eve--they are all man made holidays.

Answer 4

First of all, I AM a born again Christian-----NOW let me ask that you find out the origin of christmas ---type origin of christmas in the search line. Christmas is not Jesus birthday. Christmas is a pagan holiday that was started by the Catholic church to satisfy the people. Jesus was Not born on Dec. 25th. I do like the holiday season & I don't care whether you say Happy Holidays (which would include New Years) or Christmas. Either is fine with me. I have sent cards that said Merry Christmas and I have sent those that said Happy Holidays and said and say both.

Just chill out and have a good time with your family and friends.

But know the truth about the origin. Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays to all.

Answer 5

Nobody's trying to take Christ out of Christmas. Kinda hard to call it Christmas without him.



Secondly, Christmas is NOT the only holiday being celebrated this time of year. We have Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Yule, etc. Stores have to be respectful of their multicultural customers, therefore, saying "Merry Christmas" to everyone is quite presumptuous and, well, rude. Not rude to Christians, of course, but to anyone who isn't, it's rude and insulting to presume they worship a religion and thusly celebrate a holiday that they don't.



After all, as a Christian, you wouldn't want to be wished a Happy Hanukkah, would you? You're not Jewish, after all. Saying things like "Happy Holidays" or "Seasons Greetings" can allow stores and their clerks and any other business to wish you a happy holiday season without insulting you by trying to assume what religion you are and wish you a Happy Hanukkah when they should be saying Merry Christmas.



In my opinion, this whole "war on Christmas" is a load of baloney cooked up by the media and likely the extreme end of the conservative religious spectrum to get attention and force their beliefs on others. Whether or not to say "Happy Holidays" or "Merry Christmas" is hardly something to start fights over. It's words. Be glad that you're wished anything at all besides the usual "have a nice day".



And for the record, I'm an atheist, and I don't get myself in an uproar anytime some clerk around here wishes me "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays". Christmas isn't the only holiday celebrated this time of year in this country, so get used to the "Happy Holidays" and get over it.

Answer 6

Christmas has evolved to become a superficial, money grubbing, retail holiday. Yes, originally it was to celebrate the birth of Christ. But it should also be about getting together with the people that you love to celebrate being together. It doesn't have to be about Christ. So I would stick with Merry Christmas, because that's what it is, Christmas.

Answer 7

The United States was formed on Christian beliefs, therefore if we are gong to have a holiday in the US it should be Christmas, not that people can't chose to celebrate the holidays anyway they wish.



The main people you see taking Christ out of Christmas is the media and retailers. The retailers are just trying to make more money by trying to please more people. The media supports it because they are anti-Christian.

Answer 8

AMEN! I don't think I am a religious fanatic but I think the whole meaning has gotten lost. Christmas is to celebrate the birth Christ! I respect other peoples beliefs and customs but I don't believe this is right. It is MERRY CHRISTMAS for me, Not the happy holidays that is being shoved down our throats!

Answer 9

Seriously, do you really think that saying "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas" does anything more to take Christ out of Christmas now that the mass commercialization has pretty much turned it into a secular holiday?



And I agree. Why did things change after all of this time? In fact, let's forget about computers. We never needed them before. Let's toss modern medicine too. If blood-letting was fine for my ancestors, it's fine for me. While we're at it, let's bring back the caste system and slavery. If people don't have the potential for social mobility, they won't be disappointed when they don't go anywhere.

Answer 10

Say what you like, but Happy Holidays/Seasons Greetings is the politically correct thing to do.

You don't have to take Christ out of anything if you don't want to.

Just remember that a lot of people are not Christian. There is absolutely no reason to make them believe in Christmas, say prayers in school etc.

Christianity in politics is a thing of the past.It's 2006 and now governments are realizing the diversity of all cultures.

Answer 11

I wrote this for our local paper last year. I work in retail and run into this every year:



Saying “Happy Holidays” rather than “Merry Christmas” has nothing to do with being politically correct. It’s about being inclusive rather than exclusive; it is about having respect for the fact that not all people you encounter may share your belief system.



Wishing a non-Christian a Merry Christmas is a meaningless token. Many lament the secularization and commercialization of Christmas; reserving one’s Christmas greetings for those who share in your joy at Jesus’ birth is a way of preserving the depth of the message, rather than reducing it to a generic holiday hello.



By all means extend a cheery “Merry Christmas” to those you *know* who are Christian, or those strangers who proudly display their faith. If you are unsure, say “Happy Holidays” to show that you are aware that in the Season of Light, miracles come in more than one denomination.



.

Answer 12

Maybe because Christ wasn't in Christmas to begin with? Winter Solistice was a festival enjoyed by many different religions and pious Christians created "Christmas" many years after Jesus' alleged birth in order to sway more "pagans" over to Christianity.



Also, Christmas may have religious significance to some, but to many it's another holiday, like Thanksgiving or Veterans Day that has it's own secular meaning. I agree that it doesn't make sense to stop calling it Christmas, but not because "it's taking Christ out", but because the "Christ" part simply has no significance anymore. We call it "christmas", two separate syllables, but slurred together, not crisp or distinct like "Christ - Mas".



BTW, Easter wasn't about Jesus' ressurection either, but fertility rites, usually associated with Isis (aka Holy Mother), that were practiced long before Christianity was invented.

Answer 13

I think this claim is exeggerated. It is in fact very easy to find christian elements and traditions in the holiday season.



If a store wishes to say "happy holidays" instead of "merry christmas" don't mistake their business decision to try to include as many potential customers and promote consumerism for chanukah, kwaanza, etc, in addition to christmas as a commentary on how christmas should be celebrated or the value of the religion or holiday.

Answer 14

Christ will always be in my Christmas. I won't shop at or buy anything from anyone or a store that advertises x-mas. If Christians would stick together and do the same the merchant's would eventually get the message. The problem is too many of us are complacent. They go along with whatever is politically correct at the time and are afraid of stepping on toes.

Answer 15

I say Merry Christmas to Christians, satisfied xmas or satisfied iciness solstice to Pagans etc. If i do not recognize what the guy celebrates i imagine satisfied vacation trips is proper. that is a thanks to be commonly used and favor everybody satisfied vacation trips, no count number what they celebrate. those who say Merry Christmas to everybody, no matter if or not they extremely celebrate Christmas or not, comes throughout as them purely desiring Christians to savour themselves and they don't provide a damn about something else. that is a kind of vanity and says plenty about them. Merry Christmas to you.

Answer 16

Many different people celebrate different holidays. Just because i celebrate Christmas, i don't want to offend anyone celebrating Kwannza or Hannakua or other holidays important to them.

Answer 17

Aw the heck with it; "Merry Christmas and

Happy Holidays".

Answer 18

If you only want to be nice to people who celebrate Christmas then fine. It's your choice either way, but if you work for a corporation that generally means you should include all people in your greetings.

Answer 19

I prefer Merry Christmas. Kwanza isn't even a holiday, is it? I know many Jewish people who celebrate Christmas. Majority rules in this country and the majority are Christians.

Answer 20

Why does it have to be either or? That's what annoys people. Except that no-one is trying to make YOU do things you don't want to. You are yet another whiney Christian whose definition of "persecuted" is that you aren't allowed to force everyone to do things the same way you do. Have your Christmas with whatever homage to Christ suits you. Pay the same respect and let the rest of the world be.

Answer 21

I believe the correct pronunciation...as it was originally intended anyway...is "Happy Holy Days" :)



In that case, either works for me. But you are right. Let us not forget the reason for the season...and the precious sacrifice that was made - whether or not it is politically correct to do so! (Tolerance does not always translate to love and truth...sometimes it means just doing that which is easier to do and causes us less conflict)

Answer 22

since it originally was a pagan holiday .. the pagans were happy and respectful enough to allow you to adopt that ...

cant you show the same courtesy ?

live and let live ..

happy Christmas .. holidays .. winter fest or whatever you want to call it ... just have a happy one

Answer 23

I say both. We have Jewish friends who don't celebrate Christmas. They celebrate Hanukkah.

Answer 24

Merry friggin CHRISTmas! MUHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA

Answer 25

Eid Mubarak.........

Answer 26

I don't care one way or another.

Answer 27

hhmmm, hell is waiting for non-believers.... wow, good news

Answer 28

PERSECUTION