Happy Holidays vs Merry Christmas

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Hi all!

I hope that I don’t get thwacked with the Moderator’s steel ruler for cutting and pasting some stuff from a thread I started on the “Secular News” forum but here goes…

What’s all this nonsense about so-called “Christmas wars” in the US? Do some liberal/secular/“Reform” Jews have a bee in their bonnets about Christians enjoying & taking pride in their holyday? (I wish that these liberal/secular/“Reform” Jews would take more of an interest in the authentic version of their faith before seeing fit to lecture those of other faiths.) This orthodox Jews says, “Ah…who cares?!”

Here’s a press release from last week from another orthodox Jew (who happens to be the Mayor of Jerusalem):
The Jerusalem municipality will hold its annual Christmas tree distribution on Thursday, 22/12/05, at the Jaffa Gate Plaza, between 09:00-12:00.

The trees are given free to everyone who asks and shows and ID (For registration).

The trees were donated by “Keren Kayemet Le’Israel – Jewish National Fund”.

The Christmas tree distribution is a long standing tradition of the Jerusalem Municipality, taking place for dozens of years, and is symbolic of the way Jerusalem unites all three monotheistic religions.

The mayor of Jerusalem, Uri Lupolinaksi, wishes a Merry Christmas to the Christian residents of Jerusalem and a year of peace, tolerance and brotherhood. The mayor invites people from all religions to come and visit Jerusalem, the capital of Israel.
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And this is from
PM Sharon Speaks With Catholic Leaders in Israel
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Prime Minister Sharon last night (Saturday), 24.12.05, telephoned Roman Catholic leaders in Israel Custos of the Holy Land VR Fr. Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch Michel Cardinal Sabah, Papal Nuncio Pietro Sambi, Greek Catholic Archbishop Emil Shofani, et. al. and conveyed his Christmas greetings.

The Prime Minister said that he hopes that we will reach peace, quiet and security in the New Year: “We all need this and to these ends, I intend to make every effort.”

The Catholic leaders thanked Prime Minister Sharon for his greetings, wished him success in his efforts to achieve peace, wished the Jewish People a Happy Chanukah and wished the Prime Minister good health.

Link: pmo.gov.il/PMOEng/Communication/Spokesman/2005/12/spokemescat241205.htm

Howzat?

Oh, and to all my Roman Catholic friends here at CAF:

(A belated) Merry C-h-r-i-s-t-m-a-s! 🙂

Be well!

ssv 👋
 
I agree with the opening post. It doesn’t bother me. I think the Happy Holidays is meant to include non-Christians who also celebrate holidays in December. Saying Happy Holidays is accurate and doesn’t leave anyone out.
 
Heh, what I say to someone who says “Happy Holidays”, or protests against “Merry Christmas”, I stare them in the eyes, and say: “Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year!” (Who knows, maybe I could throw in a “God bless!”? 😛 )

So far, I have only had one person say “Happy Holidays” intentionally - And they were English.
 
My wife and I have some friends out in the world that are Jewish, so we use Happy Hannukah a lot more than the average Christian might.

Tuesday we are headed out to do the after-Christmas Sale and Returns thing… mostly to return duplicate presents or swap “Full Screen” DVDs for “Wide Screen.” At some point, I am going to respond to a “Happy Holidays” from a sales clerk with “Happy Hannukah,” just to gauge their response.

Happy Holidays works for me. Due to commercialism starting the Christmas shopping buzz at Thanksgiving, that holiday has been wound into the winter holiday season. Believe it or not, US Jews do appreciate recognition for Hannukah, and we also have New Year’s wrapped in there too. Happy Holidays doesn’t NOT acknowledge Christmas, but it includes Christmas and New Year’s into one greeting.

It’s not discrimination, it’s LAZINESS!
 
I never cease to be amazed how the United States can appear to be so Christian in some ways and have so many powerful and influential Christian leaders, and yet it seems to lead the world in trying to discard our Christian heritage, by replacing our Christian holy days with meaningless and totally secular holidays.

When I lived in the United States many years ago I was shocked, even then, that Good Friday was an ordinary working day. In my own country it was, and still is, a public holiday out of respect for its significance.

Recently some American tourists visited our Cathedral and, after looking at the crib scene in the week before Christmas and noticing that there was no child yet in the manger, shocked one of the Cathedral guides by asking where the holiday baby was.

Perhaps the citizens of the United States have become too obsessed with the idea of a secular society and they are losing sight of their Christian beginnings.
 
Yes, I realize that Jews have Hanukkah parties. What I was saying is that Happy Holidays CAN, if not mostly, be used to take the Christmas out of December. Yes people on my side can be a bit too agitated but it is because we are constantly seeing Christmas removed from print and replaced with Holiday.

Hanukkah is not a federal holiday and Christmas should no be “down graded” in an attempt to not offend anyone. Look carefully around you there are fewer and fewer symbols of Christmas in public places whether governmental or busniness places. Also find the word CHRISTMAS in print outside of church. I don’t think this is a mere coincidence.
 
George Waters:
I always assumed when someone wished me “Happy Holidays” they were referring to Christmas and New Years. I guess either I was being naive or that has changed in our new PC world.

Peace,

George
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Why not start ‘Happy Holiday(s)’ at Thanksgiving or the 4th of July or Labor day???

I wish everyone a Merry Christmas no matter what. If they get offended - its their problem.
 
How charitable. I’m gonna do it my way, nuts to everyone else. That sounds like good solid Christan teaching right there.
 
It is not a matter of being charitable but being truthful. Christmas is a federal holiday celebrated by 95% of this country, The ONLY reason anyone has ever heard of these other holidays in December is because of their chronological proximity to Christmas. Christmas is a juggernaut compared to other holidays. Even Easter which is more important liturgically than Christmas is a distamt second when it comes to numbers of celebrants, day off from work, foods, customs, songs etc…

Where Happy Holidays falls well short is that it tries to equate all the December holidays in an effort to not exclude or offend. I think that is offensive. As a synonym HH can be tolerated but when it is used as a replacement for MC then I come out swinging.

Exactly how many Jews buy red and green “holiday” M and Ms for their Hanukkah parties? If not many then why would it be wrong to just call them Christmas M & Ms and make a blue and yellow Hannuakah version for large metro areas with large Jewish populations?

Also is it really a “holiday” event when the shopping center has a Santa sleigh ride and carolers? Again how many Jews are coming for that? If they are not there how can that offend them? It is not anyone’s fault that there is a Santa story and custom and Hanukkah Harry is a SNL sketch. Again why should the “holiday rich” have to suffer because other holidays don’t have the numbers or customs etc?
 
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!?

I personally made the habit of telling store clerks “Please say Merry Christmas” when they told me “Happy Holidays”. When they say “Sorry I can’t do that, Company Policy” I then would say “The Customer is always Right! Please tell me Merry Christmas” They reluctantly then say “Merry Christmas” and I in turn reciprocate the verbage.

That is my way of PROTESTING this “Happy Holiday” garbage and my way of wtinessing to the world.

Give it a try! 🙂
 
^ There are better ways of handling the situation than placing the employee in a very awkward position. I’m a bagger for the Kroger company, and this is something we had to deal with daily.

I was shocked by the rudeness and downright cruelity shown to my co-workers and myself over two LITTLE WORDS.

I’ve been yelled at by customers for saying Merry Christmas, and for saying Happy Holidays.

The season between Thanksgiving and Christmas is an awkward time for all of us in retail. We can’t read your mind and magically know your personal beliefs, so we feel more comfortable acknowledging any event a customer celebrates at that time.

Put yourself in our shoes. Would you like someone to rip into you, berate you, and make you feel like dirt for saying two words as a courtesy?
 
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