"I want to stick my foot through my tv screen when...."

I'm Christian, but I guess I don't have any strong feelings about Merry Christmas vs. Happy Holidays vs. Season's Greetings. If I know someone isn't Christian, or I'm not sure, I tend to use one of the latter two. If I know some is Christian, I'll use the first. But if someone wished me a Happy Hannukah or a Blessed Kwanzaa (or whatever the appropriate greeting would be), I'd be okay with that. I figure whatever they're wishing me, they mean well, and it's not really a serious attempt to convert me or disapprove of my faith, though I recognize it's probably easier for me to feel that way, since my faith's holiday is much more obviously everywhere this time of year than theirs.

Really, I've often used cards with "Peace" or "Peace on Earth" as the sentiment. I can't imagine who would disapprove of that, regardless of their faith or even if they haven't one at all. And because my Christmas card for the last dozen years has featured a photo of my dog with a letter written by him, I have people who don't celebrate Christmas, but who like dogs, who put the card up every year anyway (and he's gotten responses from dogs and cats in Jewish households, though, oddly, none of the pets who live with my Christian friends/relatives have responded).

I think people say "Happy Holidays" because it encompasses everything from Thanksgiving through New Year's as well as acknowledgement of other religions. I'll bet if we asked 100 people if they are offended by the phrase "Merry Christmas," 99 would say no.

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Originally Posted by candor

I think people say "Happy Holidays" because it encompasses everything from Thanksgiving through New Year's as well as acknowledgement of other religions. I'll bet if we asked 100 people if they are offended by the phrase "Merry Christmas," 99 would say no.

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I'm not offended by "merry christmas". I am, however, deeply offended by this "war on christmas" bullshot.

I have nothing against specific greetings [merry Christmas in a variety of languages, happy chanukkah, ramadan mubarak (when it falls at this time of year), joyous kwaanza, blessed solstice, etc.]; however, given the variety of cultures in my [open] circle, "happy holidays" is wonderfully efficient and inclusive.

Whenever I see someone post on Facebook that they are "sick of being told they can't say Merry Christmas because it may offend someone", I always ask them WHO told them they couldn't say Merry Christmas? I haven't gotten an answer yet.

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Originally Posted by Rattus

As an atheist who doesn't celebrate any sort of religious event, but does celebrate having a few days off with a lot of food at the end of the year, I'm okay with "happy holidays" being used in a media message intended to reach the largest number of people, many of whom are not christian. As are the huge number of people I know whose non-christian religious events also take place in December and are looking to buy some stuff.

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Christmas was originally a pagan holiday. Christians tagged the Jesus b'day thing to it. No one knows when he was born.

Origin of Christmas | The history of Christmas and how it began

I want to kick my screen in when: I see the same old, ridiculous images of xmas. People dressed in turn of the century clothing, kids playing with wooden trains and rocking horses, sleighs going to grandmothers house and on and on and on.

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Originally Posted by Lil Bit

Whenever I see someone post on Facebook that they are "sick of being told they can't say Merry Christmas because it may offend someone", I always ask them WHO told them they couldn't say Merry Christmas? I haven't gotten an answer yet.

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They. :lol

I am not or have ever been with any organized religion. Xmas, to us, was always a fun day of exchanging gifts. Easter was all about the bunny, colored eggs and candy.

My mother used to put Franky Lane's song Mule Train on the record player xmas morning!

When shows give you tips on how not to gain weight over the holidays. Just eat what you want. How much weight can you possibly gain in one meal?!

Go for the raw vegetable platter instead of ________. Oh please.

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Originally Posted by Shoepie

Christmas was originally a pagan holiday. Christians tagged the Jesus b'day thing to it. No one knows when he was born.

Origin of Christmas | The history of Christmas and how it began

I want to kick my screen in when: I see the same old, ridiculous images of xmas. People dressed in turn of the century clothing, kids playing with wooden trains and rocking horses, sleighs going to grandmothers house and on and on and on.

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I'd add to that any television show/made for television movie that decides to do yet another take off on A Christmas Carol. OMG, figure out a new ploy for your Christmas episodes! Dickens must roll over in his grave every December, because he didn't even like A Christmas Carol--and wrote it primarily because he had a bunch of hungry relatives to feed and knew a Christmas book would sell. Not keen on rip-offs of It's a Wonderful Life either.