Merry Christ- er, happy holidays. Thoughts?

[Luceit]

Now that Christmas is approaching and I'm really bored, I thought I'd ask some of you about your opinion regarding what is known as the Christmas controversy.
Obligatory Wikipedia article.

So, here are a few questions.

1. If you're a Christian, would you be offended if you had to wish people happy holidays instead of 'Merry Christmas'?

To me, it depends on the situation. I would be positively mad if I couldn't even wish people 'Merry Christmas' just because some people take so much offense to it being said; whatever else, it's just a harmless wish to people that they enjoy the holiday, not some attempt to brainwash them into Christianity,

2. If you're not Christian and you don't celebrate Christmas, would you be offended if someone wished you 'Merry Christmas'?

I wouldn't be offended. In the first place, I did read an article about the origins of Christmas and it is more likely that Christmas has its origins in Saturnalia, a popular pagan festival back when Christianity was assimilating various pagan holidays in an effort to spread the religion and make it easier to relate too; the same also applies to Easter.
Even if it wasn't, I find it difficult to believe that I'd take offense to people wishing me 'Merry Christmas'.

3. Is there any of this controversy at your area (e.g. people saying 'Happy holidays' to avoid trouble)?

This sort of thing rarely happens where I live because there are a lot of religions here and they get on rather well.
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[Overdose]

1. If you're a Christian, would you be offended if you had to wish people happy holidays instead of 'Merry Christmas'?

Why would I be offended? In this modern age this time gets labelled many names, I just see it as being different people living different lives, sure its a shame when people forget why we have christmas but im not judgemental.


2. If I was not christian in most cases it would be a similar response, lots of people say "merry christmas" without remembering the meaning, just how it is today.


3. Its very open here where I live, im glad too since its our right as a nation to celebrate how we choose, its a sad day when we are not allowed to fly our nations colours, the union jack on our property. But its the way of things as ive mentioned before.
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[Zaleria]

I'm a Christian Catholic. I am alright with giving and receiving either a "Happy Holidays" or a "Merry Christmas" message from people. I see no difference in the two anyway, it bears the same message in my point of view: a friendly message coming from a friendly person.

And when I think about it, I have not encountered a person here in my area who gives the difference between a Happy Holidays message and a Merry Christmas message much importance.
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[Ikano]

1. If you're a Christian, would you be offended if you had to wish people happy holidays instead of 'Merry Christmas'? I'm not Christian so *skips*

2. If you're not Christian and you don't celebrate Christmas, would you be offended if someone wished you 'Merry Christmas'?
I don't celebrate xmas in the "traditional" sense....but well for the sake of this question....

HMM....WEllll.....actually in the back of my mind I do feel a little weird saying "Merry Christmas" to others....I guess I'm one of those people who try to say Merry Xmas or Happy Holidays more than "Merry Christmas"

As far as if someone wished me "Merry Christmas" ....no I wouldn't be offended per se....but I guess in the back of my mind I'd wish they said the more general term....
Again....I'm not TOO seriously bothered by it....

3. Is there any of this controversy at your area (e.g. people saying 'Happy holidays' to avoid trouble)?
As far as I know...it isn't a big issue in my area to the point it's on the news or anything major has happened because of it...
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[Mr. Geddoe]

2. If you're not Christian and you don't celebrate Christmas, would you be offended if someone wished you 'Merry Christmas'?

Isn't "Merry Christmas" merely a wish so that by the time of Christmas, I would be... merry? I couldn't see anything wrong with that.

3. Is there any of this controversy at your area (e.g. people saying 'Happy holidays' to avoid trouble)?
There's something similar... Islamic fundies declared a jurisprudential edict prohibiting wishing Christians a merry Christmas. They said it nullifies one's faith. Many said it anyways, though, arguing that it's a form of interreligious consideration.

As for me, well, I don't really follow religious edicts and rules, so...
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[Geddoe]

1. If you're a Christian, would you be offended if you had to wish people happy holidays instead of 'Merry Christmas'?

No. I generally say 'Happy Merry' to cover all of my bases, or in the case of #suikox in mIRC, I lovingly call it Christmahanukwanzukah.

2. If you're not Christian and you don't celebrate Christmas, would you be offended if someone wished you 'Merry Christmas'?

I'm really not that Christian, so it's not offending to me.

3. Is there any of this controversy at your area (e.g. people saying 'Happy holidays' to avoid trouble)?

Heavens, yes. Not on a large scale, but there's always people that get upset if you put 'Merry Christmas' on a display because you're ignoring all the other holidays, and there's people that throw fits because you say 'Happy Holidays' and you're trying to cover all the bases but OMG, DON'T YOU KNOW THAT IT'S CHRISTMAS?!?!?

Honestly, I don't like either group of people, because I think both groups blow the entire thing out of proportion and conveniently forget that it's the time of year where we're supposed to be with our families celebrating whatever the hell holiday we celebrate, instead of fighting to see which holiday is the 'dominant' holiday.
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[Gil-galad]

On the whole I find that our society has become overly politically correct. And generally I think it's just people's overly inflated sense of "justice" that leads them to react in such ways, not necessarily that they're even offended or alarmed by it.

As for me, no I would not be offended by 1 or 2. For #3 I haven't heard anything about it, but I honestly wouldn't be surprised. There are always people looking to get offended over such things, with the stuck up pricks there to back them up. So you got wished the wrong happy holiday? Okay, get over it. It's the thought that counts anyways, right? :|
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[Dragonstar13]

[Falcon Critical]

1. If you're a Christian, would you be offended if you had to wish people happy holidays instead of 'Merry Christmas'?

I'm not Christian but I don't know anyone who is that would be offended by this.

2. If you're not Christian and you don't celebrate Christmas, would you be offended if someone wished you 'Merry Christmas'?

No I'm not offended, I don't feel so insecure in my faith that even acknowledging the festivities born of other religions will feel like a 'threat'. Christmas is about getting family together and having fun, my family are actually forgoing gift giving this christmas as we don't see the need any more. It's just about being together.

3. Is there any of this controversy at your area (e.g. people saying 'Happy holidays' to avoid trouble)?

Not about that persay and not in my country, however apparently Santas in Australia are not allowed to say "Ho ho ho" any more because it may be derogatory against women... I'm still just stupified into silence about how some law like this can pass. Apparently over in Aussie they've got to say "Ha ha ha" instead, which personally seems to me like the 'Santas' are laughing at the kids instead of just being merry.
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[Crimson_Angel]

1. No. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, it's all the same to me. They mean well by saying it and that way, you can avoid any awkward misunderstandings by including all the holidays.

2. No I wouldn't. Whoever would have said meant well, there is no reason to be offended.

3. Not really....Most people I see say Merry Christmas, but you do catch an occasional Happy Holidays. It doesn't really matter that much where I live.
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[Thor McOdin]

1. If you're a Christian, would you be offended if you had to wish people happy holidays instead of 'Merry Christmas'?

No. I was raised Catholic, but I usually say "happy holidays" anyway. This is because even though there are twelve days of Christmas, I don't really take note of them. I also consider New Year's to be distinguishable from Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa even though I am on my break primarily for the Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa holiday. Come to think of it, I say "Have a good break" more than the other two phrases just because I have been in school for eight thousand years now.


2. If you're not Christian and you don't celebrate Christmas, would you be offended if someone wished you 'Merry Christmas'?

Naw.

3. Is there any of this controversy at your area (e.g. people saying 'Happy holidays' to avoid trouble)?

I remember watching Countdown with Keith Olbermann a few weeks ago and he was mocking Bill O'Reilly for the Fox anchor's "War on Christmas" shtick. O'Reilly apparently praised Fort Collins, Colorado for acknowledging Christmas instead of the other holidays after a motion failed to secularize the holiday season. It was pretty hilarious (i.e. absurd) and Fort Collins is about forty miles away from me.
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[Sophita]

2. No. I'd think it was nice that someone took the time to tell me to enjoy the holidays, just the same as if they wished me a happy Hannukah or whatnot.

3. No, you get both but most people would probably go for Happy Holidays. Hardly a recent phenomenon as it's what I've heard used all my life. In general I think people who get that bent out of shape about a holiday greeting of good cheer need to adjust their priorities for the season a bit; regardless of what your religion decrees, the holidays are a season for celebrating, so really, isn't a time to rejoice in everyone wishing you a happy time, regardless of whether they use holidays, christmas, hanukkah, eid, even kwanzaa, or any other holiday?
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[Darko]

1. If you're a Christian, would you be offended if you had to wish people happy holidays instead of 'Merry Christmas'?

I'm not Christian but I still celebrate Christmas. I wouldn't be offended at all if someone wished me happy holidays because I don't see what the big deal is. There are more important things in the world than that, really. The people who take up arms over this need to go find something more productive to do with their lives.

2. If you're not Christian and you don't celebrate Christmas, would you be offended if someone wished you 'Merry Christmas'?

Again, no and if someone got offended after I wished them a Merry Christmas I'd either tell them to "Fuck off, then." or walk away. I do try to take people's beliefs and feelings into consideration when I say things but I really don't see this a legitimate reason to be offended.

3. Is there any of this controversy at your area (e.g. people saying 'Happy holidays' to avoid trouble)?

I've never encountered anyone who has done this, or even heard of it happening in my area, but I guess there must be some people out there that like to bitch about something like this.

Whatever. I'm with Mme Geddoe. This is a season for joy and eggnog, quit yer whining and drink up! :mrgreen:
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[Username]

1. If you're a Christian, would you be offended if you had to wish people happy holidays instead of 'Merry Christmas'?

Yes, It should be against the law to force someone to say one thing over another when it doesn't have any impact... I think where I live it is illegal... something about freedom of speech... And this comes from a person that believes in law over a god! Not really Christian...


2. If you're not Christian and you don't celebrate Christmas, would you be offended if someone wished you 'Merry Christmas'?

I do celebrate Christmas but again I'd be mad if I saw someone "offended" by such a stupid thing. I hate these people over all others... It's up to an individual to choose what they do or do not say!

3. Is there any of this controversy at your area (e.g. people saying 'Happy holidays' to avoid trouble)? [/i]

Sometimes... not a lot...
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[TruePerception]

I am not Christian, but I still celebrate Christmas in the more gift-giving and family-gathering sense. I am not necessarily offended by people's attempts at removing Christmas from the holidays, as well as other parts of the holiday, but it does greatly annoy me that people do become so offended that they have to ruin it for others. I work for The Home Depot, so yes, I do deal with such controversies, as we are not allowed to put up signs that say "Christmas", we have to use Holiday, even for our Christmas Party. I think it's rather stupid, since Christmas is really more about family and friends on one hand, and money on the other, than any particular religious conotations, though people still celebrate the religious aspects. What gets me more, though, is things like people trying to stop Santa from saying HoHoHo, because it might offend some minor portion of the population, even though it is a majorly ingraved tradition. I feel that people should just accept that everyone has the choice to be different, and that they should not infringe on that right in any way. Why take offense that someone has a Christmas sign if you're Jewish? Why complain about representation of Kwanza if you're Christian? In the end, live and let live is truely a wise concept.
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