What Is Wrong with Saying "Happy Holidays"?

I like 'Happy Holidays'! I am Jewish and can't tell you the number of times one of my children has 'politely' informed the individual wishing us a 'Merry Christmas' that we are Jewish and don't celebrate Christmas! 'Happy Holidays' has saved me from many an embarassing moment. :-)

Happy Holidays everyone!

I don't say happy holidays. I'm not celebrating holidays. I'm celebrating the birth of Christ. For me, its Merry Christmas. If someone is offended then that is on them. I don't have a fit if someone says Happy Holidays to me I just say "Merry Christmas" back to them.

It doesnt matter to me....but some people get offended for whatever reasons when you say Merry Christmas. My thing is ....just go with it. Just because someone says Merry Christmas to you and you may not believe in Christmas for whatever reason, dont make a big deal. Take the sentiment for what it was...someone trying to be nice and cordial and if you dont like the word Christmas then just respond Happy Holidays and move on.

I've heard a lot of folks get upset with the "Happy Holidays" greeting because they say they want to "keep Christ in Christmas."

Well that's all fine and dandy. But let's not exclude every other holiday which occurs during the Winter, shall we?

I saw an amusing bumper sticker the other day. It said: "Never mind putting Christ back into Christmas -- First put him back into your religion!"

I say AMEN! Priorities, folks!
;o)

There is nothing wrong with it. People who have nothing else to worry about make too much of it.

But, the same can be said for "Merry Christmas".

Of course people don't say "Happy Holidays" around halloween. There is only one holiday. When there are multiple holidays lumped together (Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Years Eve, New Years Day, etc) it is perfectly acceptable to say Happy Holidays instead of naming each holiday. But again, it is also perfectly acceptable to say "Merry Christmas" or "Happy New Year".

If someone, stranger or someone I know, turned to me and said "Merry Christmas" OR "Happy Holidays" and I was to in turn get upset, that would make me a crazy person, regardless of whether I am Jewish, Hebrew, Christian, Muslim, etc. The person is only trying to be nice and wish me well.

Now, if they told me to f off.......

In a nutshell? It's fear. There is a growing faction of the country that is scared to death of having to consider other viewpoints because it might cause them to have to test their faith or challenge their beliefs.
It's not just the merry christmas thing, it's also highly evident in politics at the moment. I think it's sad and ironic since this country was founded by christians who wanted to be free to practice as THEY believed.

I use "Happy Holidays" because there are several holidays going on during this season. I wouldn't walk around telling everyone "Happy Solstice", because not everyone celebrates it. I'm wishing Everyone a Happy-Whatever-You-Celebrate in good spirit.

Whatever people choose to do with this is really up to them. I cannot help it if someone is looking to be offended. No one comes up to me (except friends) to wish me a Happy Solstice, and I don't get upset if someone says Merry Christmas to me. Or Happy Anything. I don't care. I like their smile and their cheer and that's what I choose to focus on.

I think those people who feel a need to get upset should go have a cup of spiked 'nog and chill out!

There is nothing wrong with it, in my opinion. Just like there is nothing wrong with saying Merry Christmas or Blessed Solstice or anything else.

My thoughts? I think some Christians forget that they are not the only ones celebrating a holiday at this time of year. They get so wrapped up in thinking that 'happy holidays' is an affront to their religion that they forget to accept it for what it is...in their case a wish for a merry Christmas...in the case of a Jew, a wish for a happy Chanukah...in the case of a Hindu, a happy Pancha Ganapati...and so on and so forth.

Nothing.

I celebrate Christmas, but do not assume everyone else does.

Happy Holidays!

This question is usually flipped around to ask "What's wrong with saying Merry Christmas?"

My perspective is this - I wouldn't say Happy Birthday if it's not your birthday or Happy Hanukkah if you aren't Jewish. And it is unkind to pressume someone is Christian, so if I don't know I don't say Merry Christmas. Lots of people won't be offended. Yes, I don't think I woudl be offended if someone said Happy Hanukkah to me. But that is not the country we live in. No one has ever said it to me. So I err on the side of not being Christian-centric or possibly indirectly asking "what's your religion?" and potentially offensive or just annoying. Everyone says we're too politically correct. I'm just trying to be kind.

I don't have a problem with saying Happy Holidays either. However, I am a Christian and I celebrate Christmas, so I say Merry Christmas. Not meant to offend anyone-I am wishing them good tidings and cheer when I say it because it is what I believe!! If someone said Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, etc.to me, I would acknowledge it as well. I don't understand why people get so bent out of shape about these things. I think the ones that get all up in arms must not be confident or comfortable with their religious or non-religious beliefs to get so upset over a greeting. Relax, people. Believe what you want to believe and own it or figure out why such a thing upsets you so much.
Happy Thanksgiving and all other approaching holidays to you, btw. LOL!
A.

I am not offended by someone saying Happy Holidays! I am offended however, when being told saying Merry Christmas isn't proper PC. Say Happy Holidays and make merriment show love and encourage peace but also, say Merry Christmas!

Because it's another example of people trying to take God out of our country. Sorry if that's so general, but look at the fights of trying to have God taken out of the pledge of allegiance. Really? Don't pray for someone, it might offend them!

If I am celebrating Christmas, I say Merry Christmas.

No one says Happy Holidays at Thanksgiving or Valentines's Day, so why say it for CHRISTMAS?

I'm honeslty tired of trying to make everyone else happy and not feel like I stepped on toes...I say Christmas and so do my kids and husband. After all, even though Christmas has been commercialized by the stores, it hasn't in the church.

I use Happy Holidays around our school because we have kids who are Christian, Hindu, Sikh, Muslim, Jewish and kids of no specific faith. I am a Christian and Christmas Day per se is my religion's holiday, and I have had folks of other faiths wish me "Merry Christmas" and I have wished Jewish friends "Happy Hanukkah" and so on. If I know the person practices a certain faith I use their greeting and am pleased if they wish me a Merry Christmas, but Happy Holidays is just fine and embraces us all. I am not really worried about offending anyone or being PC -- our families at our school are too nice and cool to be offended, I think -- I just want to make other people feel good and know they're recognized.

Personally I choose to wish people a Merry Christmas because I want them to rejoice in the celebration of the reminder of Christ's birth, and ultimately his death, by which they either already are or can be saved. I don't have any problem with wishing people a Happy Holidays...whatever...but for me, this season serves as an important reminder of the ONE true God.

Merry Christmas!!! :)

I don't see anything wrong with "Happy Holidays!".
It certainly beats "Have a craptacular winter break!".

Happy Holidays is inclusive and cheerful. Nothing wrong with it. Merry Christmas is exclusive in that it leaves out many people and intentionally or not makes the assumption that everyone is Christian. Sorry, many of us are not and have no interest in being assumed to be.

After reading the rest of the responses, I realize that some people do intentionally use 'Merry Christmas' to exclude those of us who do not chose to believe in your G-d. Sad, isn't it. I always assumed it was simply an oversight by people simply happy to celebrate a holiday.

In my opinion, there is nothing wrong with Happy Holidays when you are using it as you do (Thanksgiving to New Year's and EVERYTHING in between). The problem I have is when you HAVE to say Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas to avoid offending anyone/everyone just in case they don't believe in Christ. If you don't believe in Christ, you should not be celebrating Christmas as it is a celebration of his birth. If you are Jewish and say Happy Hanukah (I know there is more than one way to spell this so I hope I pick a correct way), I am not offended. I would like think that most Jewish people are not offended if I say Merry Christmas but I just don't know. I would also like to think that anyone of any religion would not be offended by it since it is meant to wish someone well at a joyous time of year.

This time of year, I will say Happy Holidays if I am speaking to someone I won't see again before New Year's because I am referring to each holiday not just one. After Thanksgiving, I say Merry Christmas because I do believe in God and celebrate Christmas. After that, I say Happy New Year's.

It seems to me like people who get aggravated with the term "Happy Holidays" (H.H.), are religious about a specific holiday... and maybe that means they are Christian, maybe they are Jewish, who knows. So they feel that their religious preference is the ONLY true religion, and that making a "PC" statement like H.H. is blasphemous to their god.

Regardless, I like to say H.H. specifically because it shows respect to others for what their religious preference may be. Whether I think I am right or not, I can be civil and respectful to most others, and still rejoice in a "Merry C" or "Happy Chanukah" with individuals whom I know are associating themselves with those religions.

Happy Holidays works fine for me. I don't celebrate Christmas, I celebrate Yule.
If I know you're Christian, I'll wish you a merry Christmas, because I know that 's what you celebrate.
If you're Jewish, I'll wish you a happy Chanukah because I know that 's waht you celebrate.
If I don't kow what faith you practice, or if you practice any, then Happy Holidays still works.

I say happy, merry, etc. .. whatever religion I know that person to be and if I don't know then I say Happy Holidays.

I don't mind if people say happy holidays to me, but I do take umbrage when the big retailers refuse to print any mention of Christmas.. I mean seriously some humongous % of their profits are from people shopping for Christmas gifts (smaller %'s are for other religion's gifts) yet they refuse to even acknowledge it?

Their is nothing wrong with it at all. Holidays are meant to be happy. Wishing someone a happy holiday is a nice thing to do. If I know someone celebrates christmas, I say Merry Christmas! If I don't know, then, it's Happy Holidays!

When it is intended to over-PC Christmas, that's annoying. Why not say "Merry Christmas" if that's what the current holiday is? I also say "Happy New Year". I *also* wish our friends and neighbors "Happy Hanukkah." In fact, they wish me the same, or Christmas, because we recognize that we celebrate different holidays. But we typically do not celebrate both.

What bugs me is not short-handing all the various winter holidays into one greeting. What bugs me is getting on people's cases for not being able to specify a holiday. A couple of years back Target wast trying way too hard to be generic and PC and it was just...not festive. Some stores forbid their employees from saying "Merry Christmas". It's not even entirely about Christianity (though to me that's what Christmas is about). Many people celebrate a secular Christmas so why not say it? I think that people who get riled up by a sincere good will wish for whatever holiday are also taking things way too personally.

Christmas is already trying to overtake Halloween (at least as far as retail is concerned). So Happy THANKSGIVING! Let's start there. :P

I think happy holidays is an overall way to say everything, from Christmas to Happy Hannakah to the one from Africa (I can't spell it). It is said to keep from leaving anyone out. People who say to bring back Merry Christmas don't seem to like the other holidays. I think taht's pretty selfish.

I agree there is nothing wrong with it overall. But when people are told they can NOT say Merry Christmas, in public places, etc, thats where the problem occurs.

When my daughter was in middle school, she called down the hallway "Merry Christmas" to a friend who was leaving for vacation and not finishing up the rest of their school week. She actually got in trouble for saying it! She was verbally reprimanded and my husband and I were so angry that we arranged to meet with the school regarding it.

I'm pretty sure we are all free to say whatever we choose.

On a good day, I think "Happy Holidays" is still a safe, friendly answer. On a moody day, "Happy Holidays" sounds like it's lost its genuine expression of good cheer and well wishing. Anyone catching me on that sort of a day can tell me happy bahhumbuggery.

P.S. It's dawning on me how I have no life when I'm designing our family's cards on the computer to send out next month and I'm stuck between typing "Happy New Year", "Happy 2012", "Hope 2012 brings you and your family joy, health and prosperity. Enjoy the new year!", "Joy", or "XOXO". Typographically, aesthetically, I like "joy", but I know someone's gonna come home from work, shake his head at me in exasperation and sigh, "Put 'Happy Christmas' and be done with it!"

And he's Jewish.

This seems to be offensive to people that are very Christian. Taking the "God" out of Christmas.

I think the people that are posting that fail to realize that it's NOT only about Christmas. I've mostly seen that post from some devout Catholics on my end.

If it is Thanksgiving, I say Happy Thanksgiving. If it is Christmas, I say Merry Christmas. If it is Hanukah, I say Happy Hanukah. If it is New Year's, I say Happy New Year's. I think that every Holiday deserves their moment to shine. Just because they all fall close together doesn't mean that they shouldn't receive their due.

It seems people take it as an affront to Christmas if you say this!! Kind of silly to me. I agree with you,"Happy Holidays" seems like a nice way of recognizing the many and varied holidays that happen at this time of year.

Saying "Happy Holidays" offends those who feel that the season is all about the birth of Christ and want that to the acknowledged. I think that some Christians - and please don't all chime in here, I am not saying every one of you - do not realize or understand that Christ is not a part of other religions, including Judiasm. If someone wishes me a Merry Christmas, I try to take it as they are sharing good wishes with me, and I reply with "The same to you!" I don't think they are setting out to insult me, but despite the U.S. being the biggest melting pot of cultures, there still is that idea that we are a "Christian nation."
"Happy Holidays" is not meant as a greeting between people who know that the other person celebrates Christmas, it's meant as a way to greet those whose religion you do not know, such as your child's teacher, your customers, etc.

Dunno. I love "Merry Christmas" but I DO say happy holidays, especially in cards (which already, incidentally, say Merry Christmas), especially since I start filling them out the weekend after Thanksgiving, and that's still on my mind. I love the whole holiday SEASON, not just the one day. I think that if someone gets offended at me for saying Merry Christmas, they are a jerk (how am I supposed to know offhand what religion they are?) and I certainly would not be mad at anyone for wishing me Happy Kwanzaa or Hanukkah or Boxing Day or whatever. One time someone acted offended at my mom and corrected her on his religion. Mom just said "Well, have a happy Christmas day, whether you celebrate it or not" and walked away very calmly. I was impressed. Just nod and say thanks, ya know? Sheesh! I say both Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. And of course I'm always right. :P (TOTALLY joking).

I'm good with "Happy Holidays". I never celebrated Christmas and don't believe in the whole birth-of-Christ-on-December-25 thing, so I actually find it offensive when people insist on pulling into that, after I've told them basically "thanks, but no thanks". I don't want to take the pleasure away from anybody, but please don't shove it down my throat. And don't proceed to preach to me about it if you are not willing to hear what I have to say in return. (Ooh, you opened the door for lots of rants on this one.) I don't celebrate any of the holidays, but I respect that there are so many holidays being celebrated at this time of year. I not only want people to enjoy them, but I want them to be safe, too. Kids are out of school; companies are having big parties. People are drinking and being careless. This is a party season, for whatever individual reasons. I hope that they're "happy" for all of us.

Also, many "Christmas" shoppers are simply taking advantage of the deals or enjoying the mall crowds.

I don't say it. I have been known to say, "Enjoy your holiday."

In my opinion its because at Thanksgiving I say "Happy Thanksgiving" and at Valentines day I say "Happy Valentines Day". I think its because they are offended that the whole point is to bring attention to the fact that it is Christ's birthday and that it should be remembered as such. It's not that the other is actually offensive it's because that the focus should be on what the day actually is...it's actually Christmas and in no way should that be minimized. :)

I say happy holidays till the other holidays pass, then I say Merry Christmas - for example - Chanukah, Kwanza, if they come before Christmas, to me that means there are multiple holidays, so therefore, Happy Holidays till they pass. I feel like it's a non-issue that got turned into a big issue - the "war on Christmas" BS - the only "war" is the rampant commercialization of Christmas.

And if you work for a company, it is their job to respect all their customers. No one is going to die if their company asks them to say Happy Holidays.

You can still say Merry Christmas on your own time if you don't want to say happy holidays.

Now for a private citizen to get into trouble for saying it, that's just stupid and the reaction in that direction needs to be corrected as well.

What if you don't know if someone celebrates Christmas or not? Then Happy Holidays is PC. On MY personal FB, I'll say Merry Christmas, because that's my thing... if you don't like it, don't freaking read it. And yes, 'happy holidays', to me, can be used in regards to the other holidays as well.

When I do Christmas cards, I give my neighbors ones that say Happy Holidays versus Merry Christmas because I don't know if they're Jewish or Athiest or whatever... just easier to NOT step on toes that way ;)

Some people just think saying happy holidays is being pc rather than saying merry Christmas which not all people celebrate. My grandpa is one that thinks if you don't like him saying merry Christmas then to h-e-Double hockeysticks to you :)

It came about several years ago when some retailers told their employees that they could not say "Merry Christmas" to customers- that they had to say "Happy Holidays" if anything. ...and I think that just emphasized how secular Christmas has become- how the true meaning is never even mentioned in some households yet they celebrate it. Also, there are PLENTY of non-Christians that celebrate it, cause its a fun holiday. SO, it isn't really about "offending" anyone, because it is a choice made OUTSIDE of religious boundaries.

I don't mind "Happy Holidays", "Happy Hanukkah", "Merry Christmas", "Happy New Year" etc...

...BUT I DO think, that the day it is said has EVERYTHING to do with it. Say it is during Hanukkah and you say "Merry Christmas"... Say it is Christmas Eve and you say "Happy Holidays"- that is just blatantly obvious and annoying! LOL.

I have no problem with Happy Holidays because the root of the word holiday is "holy day". Of course atheists could still be offended by that I suppose but I don't think many of them are.

I don't mind if a sales clerk says, "Happy Holidays" to me as I am checking out. But, if it IS Christmas time, I will smile back and say, "Thank you, and Merry Christmas!" I don't see any reason to be rude to an employee.

Yes, there are a LOT of people who come in to buy Hanukkah gifts, so just because someone is out shopping around Christmas time doesn't mean that that is what THEY are there for.

I'm not offended by Happy Holidays from businesses or anyone who is speaking to the general public and may not know what religion their audience is.

But I AM offended if I'm told that *I* personally shouldn't say "Merry Christmas" to someone I know is celebrating Christmas. Would saying "Happy Chinese New Year" offend another Chinese person if said in public?

I truly fear for a nation that is afraid of religion. Did we not form our own country to get AWAY from being told what we can do as far as religion goes?

My favorite is when all the holidays are listed. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanaukah, Happy Kawanzaa and Happy New Year!

I used to say Happy Holidays but have switched to Merry Christmas. There is a lack of standing up for Christianity that I no longer want to be a part of... so I stand proud and say Merry Christmas. If someone is not a Christian, then by all means they should respond with whatever greeting makes them proud of their religion. It should not be a competition over making sure everyone is included because that is not always possible. Instead we should celebrate our differences respectfully with appreciation and respect.

Well from what I have observed you never ask a child what they want for the holiday ;) I say both, but I am not big on the whole 'season's greetings', that is way too blah! I agree that saying either is fine, if a Jewish person wants to say happy Hanukkah, more power to them! I say merry christmas and happy holidays and I don't think that either makes me a better or worse Christian ;) But I am not a very bandwagon person, the fact people make such a big fuss over it makes me more prone to go the happy holidays route actually, but I guess that is the trouble maker in me at times ;)