[Tribune7]

I've gotten/saw Merry Christmases at Target, Boscovs (regional chain), Radio Shack, Barnes & Nobel, various supermarkets and dollar stores, Walmart and Ace Hardware.

The only store, in fact, that I remember aggressively trying to avoid the phrase was Sears, which was surprising because in recent years that had used it. I got what I had to get & got out as fast as possible. Sears seemed a little deader than the other places and a little less happy.

Home Depot is another one with a rep for being anti-Christmas. I didn't even go there this year.

[null and void]

Yes. You'll note that I don't expect to be greeted with Merry Christmas.

I totally get it. No store clerk is going to look at me and be able to accurately determine if I'm Christian, Buddhist, Atheist, muslim, Pagan, Jewish, Wiccan, Hindu, Zoroastrian, etc.

I recognize that some of the above could (and at least two of the above would) be offended by the presumption that they are Christian.

But when a store is willing to exploit Christmas, and a customer has self-identified that they are willing to be wished a 'Merry Christmas' and the store refuses to do so. I'm offended.

I'm not even a Christian (I'm Agnostic) and I'm offended.

I can't even begin to imagine how offensive this is to a devout Christian.

[Churchillspirit]

I own and run a store and say "Merry Christmas" to all my customers. So far this year every one has responded in kind - not one "Happy Holidays".

Things are looking up.