Happy Holidays VS Merry Christmas

[KingRanger]

People who celebrate Christmas for their kids usually come from a Christian or lapsed-Christian background, so it's easy for them to celebrate the ceremony from its religious implications. If you come from a background that is actively non-Christian, I can see very easily how the entire atmosphere would be off-putting, and a "nice" gesture would come off as the opposite.

And for heaven's sake, it is possible to be bothered by something without being deathly offended by it.

As for the latter stuff, well, that's why I admitted it is an imperfect solution. But lacking any personal experience with someone who expresses discomfort at "Happy Holidays," it's what I'll use until something better occurs to me or is pointed out.

Can I ask you were you get your info on the, people, that you talk about? As I said, and I can only speak for people I know(not in general), I know people that are not christian, never were, never will be, and have Christmas. They do it to have a nice time for them and their kids. It' snot about a religious thing, it's about them giving gifts and being together.

 

[KingRanger]

People are really making an issue out of this?


...really? :sly:

Yup. It's been in the news and on tv for about 3 years now.

 

[Adventknight]

When someone tells me Merry Christmas I take it a good gesture. But I guess Happy Holidays is formal way of saying it without insulting someone.

 

[Fox-Chan]

It's not that big of a deal.

Unfortunately, people will complain about every little thing.

 

[Phanto5692]

I usually say Happy Holidays for the simple reason of I'm too lazy to say Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanza, Happy New Years, Happy Valentine's Day, Happy Thanksgiving...

 

[KouAidou]

Can I ask you were you get your info on the, people, that you talk about? As I said, and I can only speak for people I know(not in general), I know people that are not christian, never were, never will be, and have Christmas. They do it to have a nice time for them and their kids. It' snot about a religious thing, it's about them giving gifts and being together.

I'm speaking from my personal experience and that of the people in my life that I know. I'm also speaking to the general demographics of the United States. While there are no statistics on "lapsed Christians", the percent of the population that reports itself as Christian is down 10% in the last 20 years, which certainly suggests a relatively high population of lapsed Christians.

Now, if you know Jews, Muslims, or Sikhs who celebrate Christmas for their kids and enjoy the secular holiday, then I'm really happy for them. Nevertheless, if they openly celebrate Christmas, they would fall under the "people I know who celebrate Christmas" banner, regardless of what their stated religion is. I hope you'll agree that not every non-Christian celebrates or should be expected to celebrate Christmas "for the kids."

So let me turn the question to you: what would you say to, or in the presence of, a person you knew did not celebrate Christmas?

 

[KingRanger]

I'm speaking from my personal experience and that of the people in my life that I know. I'm also speaking to the general demographics of the United States. While there are no statistics on "lapsed Christians", the percent of the population that reports itself as Christian is down 10% in the last 20 years, which certainly suggests a relatively high population of lapsed Christians.

Now, if you know Jews, Muslims, or Sikhs who celebrate Christmas for their kids and enjoy the secular holiday, then I'm really happy for them. Nevertheless, if they openly celebrate Christmas, they would fall under the "people I know who celebrate Christmas" banner, regardless of what their stated religion is. I hope you'll agree that not every non-Christian celebrates or should be expected to celebrate Christmas "for the kids."

So let me turn the question to you: what would you say to, or in the presence of, a person you knew did not celebrate Christmas?

I would say Hello, if you mean as a greeting that is.

 

[KouAidou]

I would say Hello, if you mean as a greeting that is.

Can I take from this that you agree that it's inappropriate to wish Merry Christmas to someone who doesn't celebrate Christmas?

 

[KingRanger]

Can I take from this that you agree that it's inappropriate to wish Merry Christmas to someone who doesn't celebrate Christmas?

It depends on the person. Some people don't get offended by little things like that. They take it in stride, and just let it go. Then you have the people that get all pissy about the smallest things. I would try and judge the situation.

 

[KouAidou]

It depends on the person. Some people don't get offended by little things like that. They take it in stride, and just let it go. Then you have the people that get all pissy about the smallest things. I would try and judge the situation.

I'm not really talking about the other person's feelings in this case. I'm just talking about what you would say, from the point of view of what you think is right or appropriate.

If you knew a person who didn't celebrate Christmas, even if they weren't particularly bothered by it, would you still greet them with "Merry Christmas"?