"Happy Holidays!"

I'm not sure if you've noticed, but it's that time of year again, and people are already flaring into heated debate.

A perennial question has been whether using the phrase "Merry Christmas" is offensive or over-religious or whatever, and many suggest using "Happy Holidays" instead, so as to be more multiethnically accepting or something.

This topic shouldn't need much more introduction, so what do you guys think?

Still Sheepin'

I was once an insufferable little fundamentalist Catholic, and of the few psychological traits I've kept from that (horrible in hindsight) time of my life was to always say "Merry Christmas."

~shrug~

If you're honestly that stuck-up about it to get offended (assuming it's said in good faith, and not in a tone intended to insult), I'm probably not going to care if you dislike me. To use an old cliche, "it's the thought that counts."

I am now known as Flyboy.

I don't have any issue with either, I guess.

I can see why one would, but it seems rather petty.

I say whatever feels right. Both sayings roll off the tongue easily, and I'd end up saying both to whoever.

Very big Daydream Believer. "That's not knowledge, that's a crapshoot!" -Al Murray "Welcome to QI" -Stephen Fry

I always say Happy Holidays because it implies you can have more than one day to have fun in

I seriously dont see why people are getting so bent out of shape.

"OH MY GOD MY RELIGION IS NO LONGER DOMINATING THE CONVERSATION!"

I'll say "Merry Christmas" on Christmas day, and not before or after. Christmas =/= all winter.

"I don't know how I do it. I'm like the Mr. Bean of sex." -Drunkscriblerian

Good one.

Also if saying happy holidays gets people riled up Then how could I not say it?!

edited 16th Dec '11 3:39:21 PM by Thorn14

I did get in trouble once at work for sarcastically telling a customer "Happy Hannukkah" in response to them saying "Merry Christmas" though.

"I don't know how I do it. I'm like the Mr. Bean of sex." -Drunkscriblerian

I normally say merry christmas and have yet to have anyone take offense. It's not really a big deal.

Is using "Julian Assange is a Hillary butt plug" an acceptable signature quote?

Yeah, I'm kind of the same way. It depends on the focus, really. Like, I have no problem referring to the general time of year as "the holiday season" or say "Happy Holidays." If we're talking about Christmas specifically, I'll typically use "Merry Christmas."

Or heck, sometimes I just say both. "Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!"

^^ My personal experience as well. While I imagine for some it is a big deal, it's not really much of one down here in the rural south from what I've seen/read. The attitude seems, from what I've seen and read, to more or less be along the lines of the "it's the thought that counts" mentioned above.

edited 16th Dec '11 3:58:44 PM by Nohbody

All your safe space are belong to Trump

There's a german word that merges both "holiday" and "Christmas" into one word. It's called "Weihnachtsferien".

The issue's never come up.

I use them interchangeably.

Except for 4/1/2011. That day lingers in my memory like...metaphor here...I should go.

I don't have much of an issue with "Happy Holidays", but it's horribly generic. I'd very much prefer if people greeted me with "Happy Hanukkah", or "Happy Kwanzaa", or "Happy Saturnalia", or whatever.

As for myself, I'll just say "Merry Christmas". And if someone is going to get offended about myself wishing them well on a day which is sacred to me but not to others, so be it (although, in my experience, that simply never happened...)

But they seem to know where they are going, the ones who walk away from Omelas.

I think kay just won the thread.

I am now known as Flyboy.

I use whatever is appropriate for the situation. This is mostly Merry Christmas.

If someone wants to accuse us of eating coconut shells, then that's their business. We know what we're doing. - Achaan Chah

However, I do draw the line at "xmas". Not because it is areligious or because it takes out the word "Christ" or whatever, but because it looks bloody stupid.

But they seem to know where they are going, the ones who walk away from Omelas.

Xmas is retarded looking.

If someone wants to accuse us of eating coconut shells, then that's their business. We know what we're doing. - Achaan Chah

Once?

Was it the sarcasm that got you in trouble, or the Hannukkah part?

I imagine the response from the average American to that would be, "Gesundheit."

Personally, I just stick to "Bah Humbug!"

That’s the epitome of privilege right there, not considering armed nazis a threat to your life. - Silasw

It's a lot shorter though, so I think it's okay if you have limited space. I'll use 'xmas' instead of "Christmas" if I'm texting or something.

It was the Hannukkah part. The customer complained, and I got written up for violating store policy.

edited 16th Dec '11 4:09:14 PM by DrunkGirlfriend

"I don't know how I do it. I'm like the Mr. Bean of sex." -Drunkscriblerian

Yes. Once upon a time I was a little jackass anti-gay, anti-atheist, pro-theocratic idiot. My parents—unabashedly socially conservative folks—also are the ones who, I presume, my ideas on justice and criminal punishment come from (though my mom is far harsher than I am... if the people who object to my morals can believe that on this board).

The one thing I never picked up from my parents was the racism. I hated that, with a passion. I can't stand to be in the same room as them when they bring it up.

Ah well. I've gotten rid of most of it. Still working on the homophobia. I've gotten from "burn teh GAYZ!" to "eh, it's kind of gross, but whatever," and by the prompting of annebeech and others I've come to the conclusion that even that's rather bad.

/derail

edited 16th Dec '11 4:15:53 PM by USAF713

I am now known as Flyboy.

@DG: I think the customer may have complained because you were being sarcastic, not because they thought you were Jewish.

Except for 4/1/2011. That day lingers in my memory like...metaphor here...I should go.

Maybe, maybe not. I was only sarcastic about it because I had gotten three people through the line already that had "corrected me" for saying "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas".

"I don't know how I do it. I'm like the Mr. Bean of sex." -Drunkscriblerian

@USAF

Well... you've certainly changed into a decent guy. I greatly admire that.

Whatever is appropriate, indeed. Merry Christmas if I'm talking about that to a Christian, Happy Hannukah if I'm talking about that to a Jew, Happy New Years, etc. And Happy Holidays if it's about the entire season or it's someone I don't know what they celebrate or don't - as a secular Jew, I appreciate people not assuming I celebrate Christmas.

Although I do believe I have seen 'Happy Holidays' on what was obviously a Christmas tree... there's really no point in the ambiguity there, just write 'Merry Christmas'.

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