Comments on: Happy Holidays vs. Merry Christmas

by: Stacy

Mon, 24 Dec 2007 16:38:58 +0000

As an agnostic living in a large American city, I have learned to see the world through the eyes of people who belong to “other faiths” and have noticed that Christmas can be rather oppressive and those who celebrate it are becoming increasingly rude, intolerant and greedy during this time of year.

One good reason people in the service industry should not say “Merry Christmas” to everyone is because some people, many people, do not celebrate Christmas. It didn’t even start as a Christian holiday, but as a time of year to celebrate the winter solstice, that time of year when the daylight begin to get longer.

Imagine for a moment what it is like to live in America as a person of another faith and not be able to escape the constant barrage of decorations, lights, music and hordes of shoppers acting anything but Christian.

I’m not asking ya’ll to tone it down a bit… make it as flashy and gaudy and bright and silly as you want Christmas to be. The rest of us know it will only last a couple months of the year, so the majority of us don’t complain…

But please don’t add insult to injury by wishing us to have a merry YOUR holiday just because I happen to be out shopping or at a restaurant in the month of December. Why not just make it something general and non-religious. I’m cool with “enjoy the holidays.” I don’t think it’s an issue of corporate America not wanting to alienate any particular group… I think it’s an issue of respect for other people and their beliefs.

by: Wendy W

Mon, 17 Dec 2007 15:17:30 +0000

Hi Julia,

Though in some cases people may avoid saying Merry Christmas because they hate or are offended the gospel, I truly do not think this is the case with the majority. With retailers, it makes sense to say “happy holidays” because they want to be all-inclusive; alienating anyone by not acknowledging their holiday does not benefit their sales.

I do not feel that saying Happy Holidays is necessarily “people pleasing.” I don’t feel that by saying it I am not standing up for the gospel. True, I do not share the beliefs of most people that celebrate different holidays. But how does insisting on saying Merry Christmas prove anything?

Yes, I still say Merry Christmas to others. But I do not feel that not saying it is a compromise or shrinking back from the gospel. If you are convicted to do so, that is your conscience and I understand.

by: Julia

Fri, 14 Dec 2007 00:03:36 +0000

The whole argument over the phrase “Merry Christmas” is just another example of how much the world hates the gospel. When we stand for saying Merry Christmas instead of Happy Holidays, we are standing for the gospel. The world will hate us for this. One thing to think about, is being a people pleaser worth the compromise? Stand up for what you believe in. I say this not in a condemning way, but as an encouragement to stand firm. 2 Thess. 2:15 “So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught”. Our aim as Christians is not to be accommodating by not offending people. We are to proclaim the gospel, not shrink back from it.

by: Sarah

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 01:10:10 +0000

possibly

by: Wendy W

Mon, 10 Dec 2007 01:31:19 +0000

Wow. That is seriously conservative. So if you told them “merry holidays” would they disown you?

by: Sarah

Mon, 10 Dec 2007 01:14:36 +0000

My parents and grandparents are even more conservative than that. Not only do they NOT say Happy X-Mas (for the reasons you mentioned) but they refuse to say ‘Merry Christmas’ either (Happy Holidays is not common in Oz). Reason being that Merry = drunk people, and they are strict tee-totalers. Not sure what my stance on it is since I do drink occasionally. But I still only say ‘Happy Christmas’.

by: Wendy W

Fri, 07 Dec 2007 22:55:43 +0000

Heheh. That’s awesome. I love grumpy old ladies.

by: Adena

Fri, 07 Dec 2007 22:37:09 +0000

When I worked at the Olive Garden, we weren’t “supposed” to say “Merry Christmas,” but most of us did it without thinking about it. The best (worst) part were the old ladies who would growl the phrase at me, trying to make a point. I liked making them feel stupid by responding “Yeah Merry Christmas!”

Old lady dumbfounded face is the best.

by: Christ and Pop Culture | Happy Holidays vs. Merry Christmas

Fri, 07 Dec 2007 21:28:31 +0000

[…] “As Christians, yes, we celebrate Christ’s birth. That’s what this season means to us. But why get hostile over it? Saying happy holidays or merry x-mas won’t take away what we have. It just means something different to other people. Why do we have to be so dogmatic about it?” […]

by: Wendy W

Fri, 07 Dec 2007 19:31:47 +0000

Also, the United States was ORIGINALLY founded to find religious freedom. So why should we be banned from saying Merry Christmas?

Exactly. But it can be turned the other way around as well. People of different religions may feel that when we say “Merry Christmas,” we are leaving their holiday out (even the “chosen people,” of whom it is hip with evangelicals to revere, have Chanukkah). The way I think of it, “Happy Holidays” is just all-inclusive. Sort of like, “whatever you celebrate, I wish you well.”

It’s not like we’re giving in to the secular world and denying God and Christ by not saying Christmas, which is how some people feel.

I liked your comparison to bopping people on the head.