Are you offended by 'happy holidays' instead of 'merry Christmas'? (Freep this poll)

South Florida Sun-Sentinel ^

[ConservativeStatement]

What do you think?

Are you offended by 'happy holidays' instead of 'merry Christmas'?

[ConservativeStatement]

Yes. The name of the holiday is "Christmas," not "holiday." We need to put Christ back in Christmas, despite all the people and media who want to take it away. (605 responses)71%

No. We are a multi-cultural society which celebrates many different holidays at that time of the year. There is no offense intended when you tell someone "Happy Holidays." (125 responses)15%

People who are very offended by "Happy Holidays" really need to chill. (128 responses)15%

858 total responses

[HIDEK6]

I’m not offended. I just think those happy holiday people are dumbasses.

[allmendream]

X-mas is a secular holiday that takes place at the mall.

Christmas is a religious observance that takes place in homes and Churches.

It registers to me as false piety if retail outlets interested in commerce besmirch the birth of our Lord with shallow observance, reindeer, snowmen, and a fat man in red and call it Christmas instead of “Holiday”.

But maybe if someone were to pray LOUDER in Church, people might think they were more pious! ;)

[DManA]

No. The only authentic Christmas experience is the midnight service/mass on Christmas eve.

[trimom]

I try to keep in mind that holiday is just a variant of Holy Day and move on.

[A_Former_Democrat]

Yes

I always correct them with MERRY CHRISTMAS

[pnh102]

If a company wants to make money as a result of Christmas then it should use the word Christmas in its advertising.

[And2TheRepublic]

i find it sad and yet funny that everyone is going to the “happy holiday” label more and more.

This federal holiday is in observance of Christmas, not any other religious celebration that some people may observe.

when those who came before us decided to recognize that time in December it was Christmas that was on their minds and lips.

this “winter holiday” crap reminds of those people who use the CE (common Era) and BCE as their dating system. they can label however they want to, but we all know its really BC and AD...

[JWinNC]

No, of course not. And if they are offended when I answer with “Merry Christmas,” I’m not offended either.

JW

[raccoonradio]

Me too and I always buy Christmas cards that say the C-word. I am a DJ at a college radio station (have stuck around for close to 30 years!) and will play Christmas music, etc. and I always tell my listeners Merry Christmas. Yes if there are tunes for other holidays I’ll play them too (”I’m Spending Hannukah In Santa Monica”—Tom Lehrer; “Hannukah Song”—
Adam Sandler) but in general I don’t forget to say Merry Christmas _AND_ happy Hannukah, etc.

Dec 25 is observed as Christmas Day, not “...holiday...”
And here will come the various stories of schools
having “holiday” concerts and shying away from any
“Christmas” mentions (just sing Let It Snow instead of
Silent Night, O Come All ye Faithful, etc.)

Whatever happened to embracing all cultures? Celebrate the various holidays but don’t forget Christmas is a part of
them. And I’ll shop at stores that use the C-word.

[ladyvet]

Then there's always....

[allmendream]

Great analogy!

Yes, let us all call the year 2010 CE. What is it (roughly) 2010 years after......... um......... the birth of Christ? Yes! Exactly! So why the superficial change? All to maintain the pretense that we do not count the years from the time of Christ.

Happy Holidays is to maintain the pretense that we are not, largely, celebrating Christmas.

But as to RETAIL outlets..... let them save their false piety. They obviously don't care if it is Christmas or Hanukkah (elevated in secular importance to pretend that Jewish people need time off in mid December as well) Yule (the pre-Christian European holiday that Christmas supplanted), New Year, Scientologist Xenu day, or whatever. They just want your money.

“Christmas” decorations are mostly Yule decorations anyway, and as far as I can tell, most secular Americans are celebrating Yule, not Christmas.

[ari-freedom]

I say Happy Chanuka to fellow Jews on Chanuka (it is this week) and Merry Christmas to my Christian friends on Christmas.

[GonzoGOP]

No, but I think the person doing it is a cop out. I would hope people aren't offend when I wish them Merry Christmas, just as I'm not offended when my Jewish friends wish me a Happy Hanukkah in return. We should be proud of who we are, and live our lives in such a way as to be ambassadors of the values we hold and groups we chose to belong to. Know what you are and be that person. Trying to be unoffensive to all people just makes you a gray useless nothing, who believes in nothing, stands for nothing, and a shadow of a real person.

[Texas Eagle]

No.

I've had about all I can take about this. My fellow Christians are about as whiny as the whiniest of Left-wing victim groups. News flash. You're not victims! Quit acting like it.

There are Christians actually suffering and dying around the world for their faith and we get our knickers all in a twist because some stupid store has a banner up or runs a flyer that says Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas.

Besides, what the hell does spending thousands of dollars on worthless crap that is going to be broken, obsolete or otherwise abandoned in 2 weeks have to do with the birth of Christ anyways?

Grow up. Get a grip. And get a life.

Oh, yeah. And Merry Christmas.

[Le Chien Rouge]

Holiday Greetings:

1)Merry Christmas to my Christian friends.

2)Happy Hanukkah to our Jewish friends.

3)Drink One for Me to our Atheist friends.

4)I have a gun to many,not all, Islamics

5) F Off to the secularists who want to eliminate the Christian/Hanukkah season.

[Turbo Pig]

I think that everyone who is offended by “Happy Holidays” needs to chill. I also propose that here to fore Easter be renamed “Happy Colored Eggs and Candy Day” and that the Forth of July be renamed “Happy Fireworks Day”.

I am sure that other “right” minded and accepting people here can come up with other holidays that should be more appropriately named.

[trisham]

What do you think?
Are you offended by ‘happy holidays’ instead of ‘merry Christmas’?

Yes. The name of the holiday is “Christmas,” not “holiday.” We need to put Christ back in Christmas, despite all the people and media who want to take it away. (858 responses)
73%

No. We are a multi-cultural society which celebrates many different holidays at that time of the year. There is no offense intended when you tell someone “Happy Holidays.” (154 responses)
13%
People who are very offended by “Happy Holidays” really need to chill. (157 responses)
13%
1169 total responses
(Results not scientific)

[faucetman]

I mam not offended. We have a large Jewish community here. Also in stores their employer may have directed employees to use this phrase.

I do however ALWAYS respond with MERRY CHRISTMAS.

[two23]

Even small towns here in rural Georgia put up banners that say
“Season’s Greetings”
Which is by far, THE most sterile, generic, nonsensical, idiotic clause in the holiday repertoire of heartfelt wishes.