Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays

[Aves]

(Move/Lock if necessary)

Gonna keep this short and sweet, but do you think in a country that is mostly Christian (USA), we should be able to say Merry Christmas, instead of Happy Holidays.

I know a lot of you are gonna sa "but some people are gonna be offended", but there are a lot of things that offend people. I mean, Merry Christmas can be used in two senses now. That one day that I was raised to treat with presents and family time, and then there's the religious sense. Christmas, for the most part in today's society has just become a time for businesses to thrive off of with gifts, decorations, and all the other things that go on.

There is more to be said, but I just want to know your opinion on "political correctness" about this topic.

[Rainstorm]

I say both, but I personally like Happy Holidays, because I also talk about news years with Christmas, which is why I use Holiday.

[Perseus]

I like Merry Christmas, but Happy Holidays means the same thing.. just including New Year

[Sage]

I prefer happy holidays, mostly because of the alliteration.

[theOperaGhost]

I'm going to say Merry Christmas whether people like it or not.

[TheKingDavis]

Merry Christmas!

[Bougainvillea]

I really don't give a shit anymore.

But I just say happy holidays.

[AllThatIsLeft]

Honestly dont care... w.e pops in my head the moment of.

[obiwan94]

Umm...here is my opinion, people are overly sensitive these days to the point that it doesn't encourage understanding and tolerance. I think if everyone greeted each other with their holiday at the appropriate time people might try to understand each other better. I might be more interested in the values and traditions of Ramadan if Muslims wished me happy Ramadan. People should care about each other regardless of religion and people of other faiths should be happy that I am enjoying Christmas, just as much as I hope that they are enjoying whatever they are celebrating.

[mrmcdonaldduck]

merry christmas definitley, and for new years, happy new years.

if you dont like it, dont complain, just shut up and stop ruinning things for everyone else

[IowaBoy]

truly i could care less. just gets annoying as shit when people assume though you are a certain religion though, if you do not know the person then happy holidays

[drumir93]

merry christmas definitley, and for new years, happy new years.

if you dont like it, dont complain, just shut up and stop ruinning things for everyone else

Well that's a bit rude, don't you think?
I don't find Merry Christmas offensive in the least bit because most people celebrate it.
But Happy Holidays is just there to recognize all the other seasonal holidays, including Christmas.
I don't understand why people think "happy holidays" means a war on Christmas, it just means we are becoming more diverse. We should be proud of that, not upset.

[TigerLily]

The UK [and the area where i live in particular] is very ethnically diverse, to the extent that in the city where I live White-British is an ethnic minority. But I really cant remember hardly ever being told "Happy Holidays"; it just doesnt seem to be an issue really.
So to answer the question, I say "Merry Christmas", and I don't think in doing so I'm being offensive. Like I said, I've never noticed it to be a controversial issue.

[Triceratops]

Such an intense and controversial topic for debate here...

I've always said "Merry Christmas".
I've never said "Happy Holidays" in my life.

[JackOfClubs]

I've always said "Merry Christmas".
I've never said "Happy Holidays" in my life.
Same here. All of my relatives have always said "Merry Christmas." In fact, I didn't even here the saying "Happy Holidays" until I moved to America.

[INFERNO]

Some of my friends say "Happy holidays" as well as some of the professors but I think most say "Merry Christmas". Even to my friends that have different faiths I say "Merry Christmas" to not to squash out their belief but referring to a time when people are happy and get together I find to be harder to get offended by. Also, if one gets offended by that, then they're wrapped far too tight in their views to even recognize what the world may truly contain. For my friends who are of different faiths, they either respond with "you too" or something along those lines or "Happy holidays" or simply "Merry Christmas".

[karl]

Here in Catalunya we say 'Bones Festes', which means 'Happy Holidays'.

[woody92]

Happy holidays; merry christmas; and a happy new year to everyone on vt!!!!!!!!!!!!

[2D]

Well with my closest friend who is agnostic we just joke with each other. I say "Merry Christmas you ungrateful little bastard, where's your Creche?" he responds with "Happy holidays you zombie worshiping asshole, I burned the Creche by the way.

This is all tom-foolery so no need to get all up in arms, we're just messing with each other.

[nnnm]

People have the right to free speech, and therefore can say whatever they want, Happy Holidays or Merry Christmas. For a while people thought it was more correct to say HH, but now MC is coming back. For example, stores like Walmart and Target are now using MC instead of HH because of backlash from people. It is probably whatever you feel is more ethical, or comfortable.

[Camazotz]

It doesn't matter to me. However, it would be rude for me to assume that everyone around me celebrates Christmas, and to add Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, and Winter Solstice is a little much. "Happy Holidays" is so much easier to say.

[mosaic.]

Here's my take on it....

I will say "Happy Holidays."

If you say "Merry Christmas", fine with me. I won't get offended. But don't accuse me of having something against Jesus Christ when I choose not to say it (it's happened on several occasions). It's not always about your god.

[Appleton]

I always say Merry Christmas. If you get offended that's your problem. I don't get offended when people say Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, Happy Bodhi Day, Happy Boxing Day or even Al Hijra. There's no constitutional guarantee of not being offended. If it offends you, don't celebrate it. That being said - Happy Christmakwanzakah to all!

[madman]

i always have and always will say merry christams, even if i shorten it to crimbo its still the same

[aaaaaaaaaaaaaaagg]

I say either. Its whatever you want. If you offend someone by saying Merry Christmas that's their problem not yours. Merry Christmas to all... unless you prefer Happy Holidays. =P

[Hyper]

I really don't get these threads or rather why there is a need for such discussions, probably because I don't live in the USA..

But here is what I think. If saying Merry Christmas is offensive then how is it not offensive for the Christians to be socially frowned upon for using merry christmas instead of happy holidays - to quote M.J ''That's ignorant!''

Everyone should just greet everyone with whatever suits them and then we'd have no problems - assuming everyone is objective enough to understand that people have different views/religions and respect them (obviously this will never happen)

[tripolar]

Merry Christmas. I won't say happy holidays because i celebrate Christmas. I think if someone gets offended about Merry Christmas they really need to man up.

People do not say merry Christmas and mean have a happy Jesus's birthday. That is not why people say it but some people find it that way and get mad. People say it to mean have a happy Christmas enjoy the gifts, day off and have fun.

[Kitty Purry]

I like to say happy holidays because I am Jewish or I say happy hanakuh

[ChaoticHarmony]

it depends. if i feel like wishing someone a merry christmas, i say just that. but if i want to wish them a happy holiday season, once again, i do just that.
more often than not, i will say merry christmas. if you get offended by that, then you can tell me, i will apologize and we can move on. no need to get all uptight about it.

[nightrider250R]

Happy Holidays. But I also say 'holiday tree' just to be politically correct. But I do prefer Merry Christmas. BTW Happy Holidays everyone.:tree:

[The Joker]

Just to make it simple, I'll say Happy Holidays.

It's not that hard to say it, and might as well not offend people.

I'm not that P.C., and if people get offended that I say Happy Holidays, then can go fuck themselves.

[Antares]

I don't know why people get so pissed off when you say Happy Holidays.
It is a GENERAL term meant to encompass all December holidays WITH New Years.
When I first heard Happy Holidays I thought it just meant Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, I didn't really think of it meaning all other religions and such.

I don't see why Americans are so bent on making everything their way.
In the country we live in thats "free" and all that other junk that people throw out, we have more than one religion and the christian-judeo philiosophy or whatever the country was founded on is becoming obsolete simply because there are soo many other cultures.

Hanukkah is the more popular other holiday and basically my view is its basically anti-semetic...youre becoming Nazi-like or Inquisition like...by not tolerating a simple culture beacuse you are so bent on Christmas.

Just say Happy Holidays to acknowledge the fact that A. There are other people out there other than Christians B. It is okay to not be Christian and C. You wish them a joyous holiday season REGARDLESS of if they celebrate Christmas or not. and D. Not to insult anyone that does not celebrate christmas like Jehovah's Witness people