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.

[Quick1]

I still have the right of choice in America, and I chose not to shop any Store that refuses to recognize the birth of Christ during the season.

Personally, I'd like to know what purchasing material goods has to do with celebrating the birth of Christ, but that's just me.

[paratrooper82]

I do not care how people greet others. It is when they call up a Store and demand they use "happy Holidays."

I only said that if a Store decides to do that, then I have the right not to shop there.

The people calling up these Stores and demanding that they use Happy Holidays have an agenda, and that agenda is "anti-christian."

Now Walmart understands that it cannot stay in business placating 4% of the anti's in order to keep them happy, because most Christians will not shop in a Store that thinks it is more important to keep 4% of the population happy, while ticking off 85% of the Christian population.

[blu]

Sorry, don't really have the time to get into it with you right now. I'm working on my Holiday knitting, getting ready to put the Nativity set up (you know, Christ's birthplace) with the 2 littlest darlings (2 & 3), then we'll put up one of the many Holiday trees we put throughout the house.

Oh, but before I go...should I tell the kids we celebrate Jesus' birthday (cake and all) on the day called Holiday? LOL!

Not meaning to be snarky, just feeling like a smart a--!

[Quick1]

I'm working on my Holiday knitting,

I'm sure you meant your Christmas knitting. Otherwise, I'll be offended!

[Stone Mountain]

I don't get it. I express my opinion that saying "Happy Holidays" is a perfectly fine way to greet people, and all of a sudden, I'm anti-Christian and anti-Christmas? Tell your kids what you want, shop where you want, decorate as you please. That's all immaterial to my origianal question, to which although I have received replies, nobody has actually answered it. Why is it offensive to be as inclusive as possible during the holiday season?

[dmw]

No, it is not a scam email. I know the organization that put this email out and I can assure you it is not a scam.

[3niner]

The wonders of a free market. They figured out that more of their customers were offended by "Happy Holidays" than by "Merry Christmas".

[Quick1]

The wonders of a free market. They figured out that more of their customers were offended by "Happy Holidays" than by "Merry Christmas".

So they found out that Christians are more sensitive and easily offended than liberals, and they changed to appease them?

[Stone Mountain]

I do not care how people greet others. It is when they call up a Store and demand they use "happy Holidays."

I totally agree with you here.

I only said that if a Store decides to do that, then I have the right not to shop there.

Of course. You have the right to shop wherever you please for whatever reason you please.

Now Walmart understands that it cannot stay in business placating 4% of the anti's in order to keep them happy, because most Christians will not shop in a Store that thinks it is more important to keep 4% of the population happy, while ticking off 85% of the Christian population.

This is where you lose me. Why should Christians be offended to hear "Happy Holidays?" Isn't it a genuine expression of good tidings? You don't have to shop at delis that wish you Happy Channukah, but I do, and am grateful for the good wishes. Even though I'm not a member of the Jewish faith. I like it when people say Merry Christmas or Bless You to me even though I'm not Christian - I accept it in the spirit in which it was offered. If someone is forced to say Happy Holidays, then of course I have a problem with it. But if someone is saying it to be nice, I think it's ridiculous to take offense or try to correct them.

[Stone Mountain]

The wonders of a free market. They figured out that more of their customers were offended by "Happy Holidays" than by "Merry Christmas".

So they found out that Christians are more sensitive and easily offended than liberals, and they changed to appease them?

LOL!

[SJSAMPLE]

They say that Jesus died for our sins. But, now we've got Christmas starting in October. I'd say we're even.

[popdonnelly]

OH, the Humanity!

[dmw]

"Why not just take the greeting in the spirit in which it was offered?"

I have no problem with that at all just as long as you don't forbid your employees from using the word Christmas as many businesses have done for the past couple of years (and some still do).

[paratrooper82]

"This is where you lose me. Why should Christians be offended to hear "Happy Holidays?""

You are missing the reason for Christians being offended. I am NOT offended to hear Happy Holidays from anyone. As I stated earlier, I am offended when anti's call up Stores and demand that Marry Christmas be removed form their Stores!

Why do I get offended when the Store removes Merry Christmas from their Stores, allow me to try and explain my position:

Do you understand that "Christ" is a name included in the phrase "Merry Christmas" and to exclude Christmas, to most Christians, it is the same as excluding Jesus Christs very name which is extremely offensive to most Christians.

Again, I am not offended to hear any kind of greeting. I do not want greetings forced upon me through Stores, and then expect me to shop at them.

[Stone Mountain]

I have no problem with that at all just as long as you don't forbid your employees from using the word Christmas as many businesses have done for the past couple of years (and some still do).

Sure. I think that's insane. But it seems reasonable to me for stores to encourage a generic greeting to be inclusive of all of their customers. Enourage, not mandate.

[nina0113]

If you don't know the religious beliefs of the person you are talking to, I don't see that assuming they are a Christian is the most polite thing.

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.

[Quick1]

Do you understand that "Christ" is a name included in the phrase "Merry Christmas" and to exclude Christmas, to most Christians, it is the same as excluding Jesus Christs very name which is extremely offensive to most Christians.

I'm still at a loss to understand how buying material things for other people who you barely see all year celebrates the birth of Christ. Personally, I'll be celebrating that at my local Church, not Wal-Mart.

[antiRepublicrat]

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.

[Stone Mountain]

You are missing the reason for Christians being offended. I am NOT offended to hear Happy Holidays from anyone. As I stated earlier, I am offended when anti's call up Stores and demand that Marry Christmas be removed form their Stores!

I agree with this. But your original post to me said this:

The anti Christian people are the ones that started this "xmas" and "happy holiday" as a slap in the face of every Christian!

We've dealt with Xmas. And here, you seem to be saying that anyone who says "happy holiday" is a slap in the face of every Christian. When you say that the people who started saying "Happy Holidays" are specifically anti-Christian, sorry if that seems extremely paranoid to me. If you had just mentioned that your ONLY problem with the Happy Holidays thing was that people were forced to say it, then I never would have posted back to you.

Do you understand that "Christ" is a name included in the phrase "Merry Christmas" and to exclude Christmas, to most Christians, it is the same as excluding Jesus Christs very name which is extremely offensive to most Christians.

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.

[nina0113]

It's a day off with pay, everybody's bringing homemade goodies to work, everybody's trying to be a little nicer than usual. How can anyone AVOID having a merry Christmas, whether they actually celebrate it or not?