Christmas - i'm not a Christian but i wish people 'Merry Christmas'

[samsingh]

The tradition in North America is to celebrate Christmas. I don't like it when people say 'Happy Holidays'. I prefer 'Merry Christmas', and make it a point to use this.

[Nye Bevan]

1. Regardless of one's religion or lack thereof, Christmas Day is an official Federal Holiday in the US

and a State Holiday in every state. And most people will be getting the day off work.

That's certainly something to be merry about.

[HERVEPA]

3. Perhaps some people would prefer getting their own religious holiday off

rather than one decided for them.

[Nye Bevan]

14. The point is, Christmas is more of a secular holiday than a religious one.

I have plenty of Jewish friends who put up Christmas trees and celebrate Christmas in a secular manner. When you live somewhere where Christmas decorations and lights are everywhere, and Christmas music is being played constantly, anyone who would throw a hissyfit over "Merry Christmas" needs to lighten up and drink some eggnog.

[Daemonaquila]

23. Very true.

I am an atheist pagan, but I happily wish people a Merry Christmas. I put up a tree, we exchange presents, and we celebrate - all entirely secular and fun among our friends and community. I do draw the line on the xmas music, though. It's not the playing of it that annoys me, but the horrible, horrible music. There has to be something better out there than the same Perry Como you've heard so many times you want to stab the speaker, and the unbelievably bad renditions of every xmas song since time immemorial that has to be redone to death with no real inspiration by the latest pop tart.

[KatyMan]

27. Out of curiosity,

what is an atheist pagan?

[appleannie1]

2. I owned a business with customers of many religions. If I know someone is Christian, I say Merry

Christmas. If I don't know a person's religion, I wish them a Happy Holiday. I think it is rude to just assume that everyone celebrates the same religious holiday that I celebrate and act as though others are meaningless. Simple manners dictate that all should be acknowledged.

[HERVEPA]

4. Excellent!

[riderinthestorm]

5. I was embarrassed when I wished one of my long time clients Merry Christmas. Turns out she's Jewish

and pointedly looked at me and said so. She's been with me for almost 15 years....

I'd almost always made a big point to wish people Happy Holidays before instead of Merry Christmas because I didn't know, nor care about, their religion whether they are celebrating Hanukkah, the Solstice, Christmas, or nothing at all. I was tired and not focused when I said it to her.

Since then I've been very, very careful and always say Happy Holidays (if I say anything at all.).

[a la izquierda]

6. Exactly.

I grew up in a family in which my aunt converted to Judaism when she met and married her husband. We ended up celebrating Christmas and Hanukkah, Easter and Passover. I never assume, particularly if I'm in an area with a religiously diverse population, like where I was raised.

[unblock]

12. that's the way to do it. worst is when someone known full well i'm jewish.

yet still insists on saying "merry christmas".

that shows a real lack of consideration, if not outright contempt.

[Flashmann]

7. i'm not a Christian but i wish people 'Merry Christmas'

That's ok.....I think most folks who claim to be,aren't either.....

Happy Holidays!!

[unblock]

8. do you do this in situations where you know there is a chance they might be offended?

or are we talking about only people you know?

given that *you* prefer "merry christmas", i have no problem saying that to you:

merry christmas!

however, kindly, please do not say that back to me.

i prefer "happy holidays".

when i don't know my audience, i say "happy holidays" to make sure i'm not offending when offense is the last thing i want to give.

[boston bean]

9. If someone wished me happy hannukah

I wouldn't give a crap, really, I wouldn't. I would wish them one back.

[Nye Bevan]

16. And if I lived in Israel,

where the percentage of Christians is equivalent to the percentage of Jewish people in the US, I certainly would not throw a hissyfit whenever someone wished me some happy Jewish holiday.

[samsingh]

17. i also wish people Happy Hanukkah

[snooper2]

10. I don't put stock in mythology either, but I hang Christmas lights on the house LOL

Kind of like I hid Easter Eggs for my daughter while knowing the easter bunny isn't real...



Or is he.....

[samsingh]

18. we celebrate Easter, Diwali, Baisakhi, Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Valentine's day

[hack89]

35. My son wants an "Easter Christmas"

now that he is 14 he misses the excitment that Christmas day brought - his suggestion was to hid the gifts and have a Christmas present hunt!

[beam me up scottie]

11. You don't like it? Well then, fuck all those jews, muslims, pagans and other non-christian citizens!

'Cuz it's all about you, right?

[snooper2]

36. cookie?

[beam me up scottie]

37. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...

I like cookies.

Danke!

[NCTraveler]

13. I attempt to reply in kind.

If someone wishes me a Merry Christmas I wish them one as well. If they say happy holidays I wish them happy holidays back. I do find myself wishing people a Merry Christmas when I initiate it. Never had someone give me anything but well wishes of some sort in return. Really is very basic communication.

[immoderate]

15. An illustration of "The Tower of Babel" myth.

You tell people you wish them to be "happy" and "merry" and they use it as an excuse to get pissed. It's like we are speaking different languages.

--imm

[Lars39]

19. Ignorance is not a virtue.

Happy Holidays is generic for a reason...not everyone believes or celebrates the same in North America. And to insist on Merry Christmas in the face of other faiths or no faiths is obnoxious.

[samsingh]

22. i don't think well wishing in any faith is obnoxious

Christmas is a tradition in many countries. Why should that change?

again - i'm not a Christian.

[Lars39]

28. You are wishing people to have a happy holiday however *they* celebrate it, not how *you* celebrate

It's called thinking of others instead of yourself.

[samsingh]

42. i think my point is being missed.

Christmas has been celebrated in many countries in December. Why should that change because other faiths are becoming more prominent?

It would not make sense to say Happy Holidays during Diwali. Why are we setting a double standard by not saying Merry Christmas during December?

[Lars39]

43. Inclusion of all faiths fosters "goodwill of all men"

[Quantess]

20. I'm not a christian, and I don't give a shit either way.

However, I prefer that people wait until at least mid-December to start saying Merry Christmas.
There is such a thing as starting too early, and right now is too early. Please keep in mind that there are a few people who get annoyed by hearing Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays even before the 25th arrives.

[NYC Liberal]

21. Do you also wish people who celebrate Hannukah a "Merry Christmas"?

What about Muslims or other people who don't celebrate Christmas?

If so, what you're really doing is making a point to be purposely rude.

[Daemonaquila]

24. Who said the OP did that?

Why would you assume that? I suspect that the OP, like many of us, uses "Merry Xmas" or "Happy Hannukah," etc. if and when someone else wishes them the same, or when they know the person's religion. Otherwise nothing, or "Happy Holidays" works. This is exactly the point - people need to lighten up and stop assuming that others are out to insult!

[NYC Liberal]

32. The OP did.

Otherwise nothing, or "Happy Holidays" works

The OP disagrees with you. They specifically said they DON'T say "Happy Holidays" and that they "make it a point" to say "Merry Christmas"

[Marrah_G]

25. I use Happy Holidays unless I know the person is Christian

Just like if I knew the person was Jewish or Wiccan I would use the appropriate holiday greeting with them.

[Politicalboi]

26. I'm saying

Happy Winter Solstice this year. I've had it with these assholes who think it's a "christian" holiday.

[TDale313]

29. I'm Wiccan, and

absolutely love this time of year. I do still celebrate Christmas with my family, and don't have a problem with Merry Christmas greetings. Part of me smiles at the idea that the whole country gets all Pagany with their Christmas traditions whether they know it or not.

That said, I find Happy Holidays to be an attempt to be inclusive, and to me that's a good. I see no harm in a greeting that doesn't assume the other person celebrates Christmas by default, and find the concept of the war on Christmas kind of offensive, as it seems to have a subtext of "How dare you treat non-Christians with respect?"

Just my 2 cents.

Have a wonderful Yule.

[Warren DeMontague]

30. Why dont you "like it" when people say "Happy Holidays"?

I mean, come on.

[d_r]

31. Seasons Greetings

[LibertyLover]

33. I work for an international non-governmental organization

where the vast majority of employees are citizens of other countries and not Christian. Heck, I'm not Christian. Around here unless you know specifically that someone is Christian, you had better stick with the inclusive Happy Holidays or else you wind up offending someone you have to work with.

[southernyankeebelle]

34. That is your right. I don't know who is telling you any different. I like to say Happy Holidays

when I'm out shopping and I don't know what religion people have. I feel nothing wrong with that. If someone says Merry Christmas then I would say the same. By the way when people feel so strongly about it I remind them that Jesus wasn't born in Dec.

[demokatgurrl]

38. Well I guess I am the biggest Grinch of all

Because I rarely even mention the holidays. At least not on December 11. When it's actually Christmas eve or day and I am talking to someone whom I know celebrates it, I'll probably extend good wishes but that's about as far as it goes. I'm not trying to be a jerk or anything but it's partly that I don't know who celebrates what, and also Christmas just isn't the BFD to me that it is to much of the western world. So... Happy Holidays to all!

[Bake]

39. Merry Christmas, samsingh!

Bake

[spanone]

40. i couldn't care less what people call it.

[Union Scribe]

41. I think either is fine to say

it's just the drama about it I can't fathom. I mean, some people on either side act like they're going to pop a blood vessel if they're greeted wrong.

[RedCappedBandit]

44. I use happy holidays

and think it's extremely presumptuous when people make it a point to say merry christmas instead.