Wal-Mart: We're not afraid to say Merry Christmas

cnn.com ^ | 11/9/06

[peggybac]

No. 1 retailer has decided to abandon its generic 'Happy Holidays' greeting in favor of 'Merry Christmas.' NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Wal-Mart has told its employees that it's OK to once again greet shoppers by saying "Merry Christmas" this holiday season instead of the generic "Happy Holidays." CNN confirmed that Wal-Mart will announce Thursday that it plans to use the phrase "Merry Christmas" in products and around its stores this holiday season. The announcement comes a year after religious groups such as The American Family Association and The Catholic League boycotted retailers including Wal-Mart last holiday season for excluding the word "Christmas" from products sold in stores. "We, quite frankly, have learned a lesson from last year," Wal-Mart spokeswoman Linda Blakley told USA Today in a separate report. "We're not afraid to use the term 'Merry Christmas.' We'll use it early, and we'll use it often." Besides resurrecting its Christmas pitch, the retailer is also determined to be the leader in this year's holiday price wars. The November-December holiday shopping period is a critical time for merchants since it can account for as much as 50 percent of their profits and sales. To that end, Wal-Mart was the first out of the gate to chop prices on toys and electronics much ahead of its competitors like Target (Charts), Toys 'R Us, Costco (Charts) and others. To support its Christmas deals, the report said Wal-Mart will launch TV ads next week that trumpet "Christmas." It's changing the name of its seasonal decorations department to "The Christmas Shop" from "The Holiday Shop." Moreover, Wal-Mart stores will play Christmas carols throughout the holiday period and about 60 percent more merchandise will be labeled as "Christmas" rather than "holiday" items, the paper said.

[Stone Mountain]

I pointed out to the WalMart clerk a couple of years ago, when you've just rung up both indoor and outdoor nativity sets, Christmas cards, and assorted other decorations, "Merry Christmas" is a safe greeting.

: ) Okay, I'll give you that one! LOL!

[paratrooper82]

Don't worry, the PC crowd will be demanding that your church also be all inclusive or lose your nonprofit status.

[Stone Mountain]

Wouldn't someone have to also be a world-class a$$h0le to respond with "How dare you say Happy Holidays to me?"

Definitely, but I'd say they're allowed to be generally irritated at the PC aspect of the phrase in the larger sense.

So is it the same thing for some to be generally irritated at the assumption that everyone celebrates Christmas?

[Quick1]

I think you missed my point entirely.

[paratrooper82]

"And here, you seem to be saying that anyone who says "happy holiday" is a slap in the face of every Christian."

Isn't that forcing your PC on me?

"So now what are you saying? You just said you aren't offended to hear Happy Holidays from anyone. Now you're saying that excluding Christ or not saying Merry Christmas is extremely offensive to most Christians."

I am talking about the Stores that refuse to use Merry Christmas, and why is it offensive to most Christians. If any Store removes Merry Christmas or forbids its employees from greeting people with Merry Christmas is offensive.

What anyone does personally, I don't care, but, don't demand that Stores be offensive to Christians. I can't tell you what to think or say, although the PC try to. I can decide not to shop in a Store that goes along with the PC crowd.

[newgeezer]

FR was inundated with this stuff last year.

;O)

[Stone Mountain]

"And here, you seem to be saying that anyone who says "happy holiday" is a slap in the face of every Christian

Isn't that forcing your PC on me?

I don't get it. Isn't that what you said?

What anyone does personally, I don't care, but, don't demand that Stores be offensive to Christians. I can't tell you what to think or say, although the PC try to. I can decide not to shop in a Store that goes along with the PC crowd.

No problem with this for me. Do you have a problem with a store encouraging (but not mandating) their employees to use an inclusive greeting? I don't see that as a religious decision but as a business decision - doesn't it make sense as a business to be as inclusive as possible?

[Garvin]

"No.1 retailer has decided to abandon its generic 'Happy Holidays' greeting in favor of 'Merry Christmas"

I'll will do most of my shopping at Wally World this year just because of their Pro-Christmas stand..

[paratrooper82]

The Title of the thread is:

WALMART: WERE NOT AFRAID TO SAY MERRY CHRISTMAS

This is what I was commenting on.

The whole problem began because people demanded that Stores like Walmart stop using Merry Christmas! Sear, Penny's, Target, etc., stopped using Merry Christmas, and instructed their employees to greet customers with only "Happy Holiday."

I am offended when a Store is forced by the PC crowd to stop displaying Merry Christmas, and not having their employees from greeting people with Merry Christmas.

Why do you think Walmart was even afraid of using Merry Christmas? Who made them so afraid to use Merry Christmas that it took them a couple of years to stop doing it?

This is not only happening in Stores, but, the PC crowd is demanding that our Christmas trees be called Holiday trees, and Holiday cards, and on and on it goes.

I am offended by people who think they can call up a Store like Walmart and threaten them into submission and get them to stop using Merry Christmas.

I don't care how you greet anyone, you can greet people with your middle finger if you want, but, at the same time, I don't want you demanding that Walmart stop using Merry Christmas in their Stores, and if they do, then I will not shop there.

I don't know how to make it any plainer to you.

[Stone Mountain]

Why do you think Walmart was even afraid of using Merry Christmas? Who made them so afraid to use Merry Christmas that it took them a couple of years to stop doing it?

Because they wanted to welcome all customers, not just Christians? Store executives who wanted to be inclusive? Just off the top of my head...

Nobody should be forced to say anything. You were talking about how Christians were offended by the Happy Holidays thing. You seem to be backing off that now.

The whole problem began because people demanded that Stores like Walmart stop using Merry Christmas! Sear, Penny's, Target, etc., stopped using Merry Christmas, and instructed their employees to greet customers with only "Happy Holiday.

People can't force a corporation to do anything. I'm sure some people complained - people will complain about damn near anything. But the decisions were made by the stores. Why? Well, if I were a store owner, I would want to welcome all customers to my store and not alienate any. It seems like a reasonable policy to me - not to force someone to say something but to encourage inclusive greetings.

[paratrooper82]

"People can't force a corporation to do anything. I'm sure some people complained - people will complain about damn near anything. But the decisions were made by the stores. Why? Well, if I were a store owner, I would want to welcome all customers to my store and not alienate any. It seems like a reasonable policy to me - not to force someone to say something but to encourage inclusive greetings."

So why is Walmart proclaiming that they are NOT AFRAID TO SAY MERRY CHRISTMAS?

Walmarts problem was, using Happy Holidays, excluded most Christians, which takes me back to my first statement: it was offensive for the Store to use Happy Holiday to me as a Christian because I knew who was pushing this PC.

I already explained to you why I am offended when a Store uses Happy Holiday, and again, I don't care if you use it!

If a company thinks that they are being all inclusive using Happy Holidays, then good for them, I won't be shopping there, and I do believe that Walmart has figured that out for themselves, and have in fact stopped using it.

Wasn't as all inclusive as they thought was it? If it is, then why did Walmart stop using it?

Maybe because it is offensive to about 85% of the Country.

[Stone Mountain]

So why is Walmart proclaiming that they are NOT AFRAID TO SAY MERRY CHRISTMAS?

They aren't. That's just the title of this thread. Wal-Mart has told its employees that it's OK to once again greet shoppers by saying "Merry Christmas" this holiday season instead of the generic "Happy Holidays." Not that they have to say Merry Christmas or that they aren't afraid to say it. Just that they have the option.

Walmarts problem was, using Happy Holidays, excluded most Christians, which takes me back to my first statement: it was offensive for the Store to use Happy Holiday to me as a Christian because I knew who was pushing this PC.

The store executives? People can complain all they want but it's the store that makes the decisions.

Walmarts problem was, using Happy Holidays, excluded most Christians

This is where I guess we agree to disagree. Happy Holidays doesn't exclude anyone, Christians included.

[NC28203]

>>>Wal-Mart has told its employees that it's OK to once again greet shoppers by saying "Merry Christmas" this holiday season instead of the generic "Happy Holidays."

So we'll here Merry Christmas instead of Happy Thanksgiving during November, but I'll wager you won't hear Merry Christmas at all during the Christmas Season (Christmas to Epiphany). They'll be on to wishing you Happy new Year.

[paratrooper82]

"This is where I guess we agree to disagree. Happy Holidays doesn't exclude anyone, Christians included."

And that is the problem. You don't understand most Christians who are in fact offended by the Stores use of Happy Holidays.
This is the very reason why Walmart has stopped doing it.
Many Stores have used Merry Christmas for many many years, now suddenly, they are being told to use Happy Holidays. Why?

Happy Holidays does in fact exclude me as a Christian. and I would say many more Christians too, or Walmart would not be changing their decision to exclude Merry Christmas from their Stores in the first place.

[Stone Mountain]

And that is the problem. You don't understand most Christians who are in fact offended by the Stores use of Happy Holidays.

That is correct. I see it as taking offense where none is intended. I'm not saying you're the only one who feels this way, or even that you're in the minority. I'm just saying that it seems strange for someone to take offense at a genuinely proffered wish of happiness from another.

[I'm ALL Right!]

They are doing this to:

1. Combat the bad PR of late, due to their support of the homosexual agenda
2. Try to dissuade the AFA from encouraging a boycott on Wal-Mart due to the same issue.

(Got a petition in e-mail yesterday "Tell Wal-Mart you will not shop there on Black Friday." May not be the exact wording, but something to that effect.)

[I'm ALL Right!]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1735667/posts

[I'm ALL Right!]

They are doing this b/c of the bad PR their support of the homosexual agenda has brought them. I'm sure they feel that if they give in on this one, the Christians will be appeased and flock back to Wal-Mart.

[3niner]

I think they found out that a lot of their customers were Christians.

[Tribune7]

Christmas is not a bad word. "Happy Holidays" struck me as an attempt to make it one.