Your opinion: "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays"?

[Mr. X]

Think of it this way.

Do we say happy birthday to a person, at the first of the month, even though their birthday is at the end of the month?

We don't, because it isn't their birthday yet.

Merry Christmas is the same way, it's pointless and idiotic to say it on any other day besides christmas.

 

[PiemanFiddy]

Think of it this way.

Do we say happy birthday to a person, at the first of the month, even though their birthday is at the end of the month?

We don't, because it isn't their birthday yet.

Merry Christmas is the same way, it's pointless and idiotic to say it on any other day besides christmas.

Precisely. It's just like those people that put up Christmas Decorations and advertisements in NOVEMBER.

It's like... FIRST off, that isn't even in the right month, and SECOND off, that's around 28+ days early. >_>

 

[TRIFORCE89]

^

Christmas Eve is just another word for "Do you want your presents early?"

Well, lucky you. I've never opened a present on Christmas Eve. XD

With my family, Christmas Day is treated as the commercial version and Christmas Eve is the religious counterpart. Well... at least more traditional, not necessarily religious. We do the Feast of the Seven Fishes. Big celebratory feast, a bigger deal than the actual Day.

So, wishing them a Merry Christmas then seems highly appropriate to me.

Precisely. It's just like those people that put up Christmas Decorations and advertisements in NOVEMBER.

It's like... FIRST off, that isn't even in the right month, and SECOND off, that's around 28+ days early. >_>

There were Christmas ads playing before Halloween this year. Absolutely crazy. Those should not start until the week of American Thanksgiving (which is still early, and I'd rather it be later, but it makes sense to me because it is a big shopping week)

I like putting up my house lights on the last weekend of November though (but not turning them on). That way they're all ready to go in December and I don't have to fuss about outside when it is colder or when there's snow.

Only other external Christmas decorations we have is just a wreath on the front door. And that goes up when Advent starts.

Advent, Christmas Eve., Christmas Day, Christmastide, the Epiphany. "Christmas" has never been a one-day thing to me. It's a whole Christmas season. So, saying "Merry Christmas" seems correct to me outside of just December 25th. Or not saying, but "seeing". Like on a sign or something. I'm not likely to actually say "Merry Christmas" until the week of.

(While there's religious significance to those dates, my family mostly just uses them as days to mark for doing things. Like taking down the tree at Epiphany. Turning on the lights when Advent starts. Having Christmas treats would fall under here too. But awaiting some second coming of Christ... eh, no, not so much no XD That's not on our radar, more just the celebratory fun things)

 

[PiemanFiddy]

Well, lucky you. I've never opened a present on Christmas Eve. XD

With my family, Christmas Day is treated as the commercial version and Christmas Eve is the religious counterpart. Well... at least more traditional, not necessarily religious. We do the Feast of the Seven Fishes. Big celebratory feast, a bigger deal than the actual Day.

So, wishing them a Merry Christmas then seems highly appropriate to me.


There were Christmas ads playing before Halloween this year. Absolutely crazy. Those should not start until the week of American Thanksgiving (which is still early, and I'd rather it be later, but it makes sense to me because it is a big shopping week)

I like putting up my house lights on the last weekend of November though (but not turning them on). That way they're all ready to go in December and I don't have to fuss about outside when it is colder or when there's snow.

Only other external Christmas decorations we have is just a wreath on the front door. And that goes up when Advent starts.

Advent, Christmas Eve., Christmas Day, Christmastide, the Epiphany. "Christmas" has never been a one-day thing to me. It's a whole Christmas season. So, saying "Merry Christmas" seems correct to me outside of just December 25th. Or not saying, but "seeing". Like on a sign or something. I'm not likely to actually say "Merry Christmas" until the week of.

(While there's religious significance to those dates, my family mostly just uses them as days to mark for doing things. Like taking down the tree at Epiphany. Turning on the lights when Advent starts. Having Christmas treats would fall under here too. But awaiting some second coming of Christ... eh, no, not so much no XD That's not on our radar, more just the celebratory fun things)

Yeah I used to have that same feast type thing during Christmas Eve back when I was a teenager XD.


The last weekend of November is an OK time, even if it isn't in the month of December. You at least have to be prepared for it. The way I see it, those ads broadcast early because everyone is too eager to hop right into the season XD.

 

[The_Consumer]

Just to note, Christmas was originally a pagan holiday. Don't believe me, Google it.

I say Merry Christmas or Happy Christmas. Happy Holidays isn't something we say in Ireland.

I guess everyone is for Christmas as long as there is a holiday. A 2 week holiday at that.

 

[TRIFORCE89]

Just to note, Christmas was originally a pagan holiday. Don't believe me, Google it.

I say Merry Christmas or Happy Christmas. Happy Holidays isn't something we say in Ireland.

I guess everyone is for Christmas as long as there is a holiday. A 2 week holiday at that.

I'd be all for a two week holiday. Who gets a two week holiday for Christmas? lol You're legally entitled to just the one day here.

I don't think that's entirely correct. Christmas wasn't pagan. But rather it "ate" or absorbed an existing pagan celebration. They celebrated different things, but at different times (although, at the start in a similar manner). By piggy backing on the existing holiday season it was seen as easier to bring people into the faith. Elements of the pagan tradition still remain in some form - like the Christmas tree.

 

[Razgriz]

Don't really care about it. People have their own way to see things and think. It's impossible to know how people feel about when all you exchange in a conversation is "Hey" and "how are you?" don't you think?

When it comes to me, I'm fine with anything as long as I get a gift no matter what it is hahaha I don't think a day is going to change how people feel.

 

[Nihilego]

Think of it this way.

Do we say happy birthday to a person, at the first of the month, even though their birthday is at the end of the month?

We don't, because it isn't their birthday yet.

Merry Christmas is the same way, it's pointless and idiotic to say it on any other day besides christmas.

I imagine we say it because we might not have a chance to say it to them later. Also, we can't know when it's someone's birthday, while we do know when it's christmas. Although that said I agree with you in that it's pretty pointless; in fact, over here, I rarely see people saying "Merry Christmas" or equivalent (outside of advertisements and the like) but rather "Have a nice Christmas" or something like that. So it seems you're not alone in these sentiments! Personally I always felt weird saying "Merry Christmas" before the day itself. I think you're reading a bit too much into it, though, when you get to the point where you consider it 'idiotic'. d:

Anyway, the distinction between Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays doesn't much bother me; I won't judge someone for saying one or the other or most of the time, even think twice about it. What does bother me, though, is when people say Happy Holidays for no reason other than to avoid the acknowledgement that Christmas is, at the heart of it, a religious holiday. If they can embrace the whole tradition of giving and receiving gifts and all that then they should really be able to at least stomach the fact that Christmas stems back to religion. I'm not saying that non-religious people shouldn't celebrate Christmas or should have to acknowledge the religious part of Christmas outside of the word "Christmas" (although that's a whole other topic for discussion) and I'm not saying that everyone who says Happy Holidays does so because of some strong aversion towards religion, but I dislike it when people use that saying to evade the religious aspect of Christmas.

 

[The_Consumer]

I'd be all for a two week holiday. Who gets a two week holiday for Christmas? lol You're legally entitled to just the one day here.
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Sorry I meant students xD

 

[Livewire]

Pretty much my thoughts on the matter. It's a non-issue made into one by people with nothing better to do.