I do NOT get why some people are so angry about hearing "Happy Holidays" as opposed to "Merry Christmas" ~ I was scanning other groups earlier this morning and I'm stunned at the anger and deep resentment being expressed ~ ~ seems to me there are several different holidays celebrated around this time and that saying "Happy Holidays" is simply a more inclusive greeting ~ what am I missing?

Sooz

It's been happening for years. The only thing you're missing is the selfish mentality of those who think the world revolves around them and they have the one and only true religion so that no others should be competing with it when they are racing to the malls to spend the almighty dollar on useless gadgets on sale. Or something like that. If I had an easy way to spot the ones who get so easily offended in a crowd, I'd be very tempted to get a seasonal job at WalMart just so I could wish everyone a Happy Hannukah, or Happy Kwanzaa instead of Happy Holidays or Merry Christmas.

Didn't Bill O'Reilly stir up this nonsense issue? We are a Christian nation and Kwanzaa and Hannukah aren't our holidays. As if there is something wrong with being a multi-cultural nation...

I don't see the problem and I never did.

I agree with all of the above. I do feel it's the mentality of those who are doing the complaining and it's the same in this small area of the Ozarks I live in, it's a mentality thing but also an ignorance thing.... most of the people who live around here have never been exposed to anyone other than the people who live here. The closest mall from here is 62 miles away (one way) and a large majoirty of the people have to pack an all day lunch just to go there and back or some have not ever left this town to go anywhere else. This is where they were born and raised and they have never ventured outside the city limits.

Most people do not worry if you say Happy Holidays or Happy Christmas if that is your choice. It when it is when the choice is forced upon you by local bodies or and some work places and schools that Merry Christmas cannot be said and use Happy Holidays instead because it is likely to cause offence to some others
That is what upsets and causes the problem in most people especialy Christians.

Ilenar - Why does it upset people?

If Walmart directs its employees to say Happy Holidays because many of its shoppers are celebrating Hannukah and Kwanzaa as well as Christmas, why/how is that an insult to Christians?

In most people? I doubt it. I think most people know how to be polite and inclusive of others. It's just a small minority who go out looking for things to offend them just so they have another excuse to loudly complain to be the center of attention.

If you deal in customer service for your job (and most jobs do have some customer service component), absolutely, the goal of the job is to not offend people, which includes not imposing your particular religion upon other people. So it's completely reasonable to be asked, in the performance of your job function, to greet people with "Happy Holidays" IF you need to offer any such greeting at all ("Thank you and have a nice day" is still a completely acceptable thing to say no matter the time of year if you just can't bring yourself to say "Happy Holidays" for some reason). That's what you are asked to do on the job. Nobody is telling people what they can and cannot say when they quit the job for the day.

But, those who balk against it go right back to my original point, they are being selfish and cannot see beyond their own narrow-minded view of the world to be inclusive of others and don't care if it causes offense to someone else.

It's all complete whining nonsense.
The word "holidays" means "holy days" anyway so what's to take offence at?

What's really funny about all of this is the way Christmas has turned into a holiday of greed and hypocrisy and has nothing to do wth Christ any more. I'm an atheist but I do believe a good Jewish man named Jesus stood for peace and tolerance and taught principles we should all value. Honoring his birth is not a bad thing, but we don't do that anymore. Funny, people think they honor him by alienating people of his religion.

I hate to have assumptions made about me. Don't assume I celebrate Christmas. If you must say something say Happy Holidays. I don't do the holidays because people should care year round.

me neither. i guess it is OK to say the lords name in vain once a year?

i guess it is OK to say the lords name in vain once a year?

Is that when people say, "Jesus Christ! Another pair of socks!"?

jd

something like that.

Firstly you have decide what is wrong with saying Merry Cristmas is it not a celebration of Christmas. If not then Christmas should be done away all together and just not have a holiday at all or make a multi religion day and call happy holidays and have done with it

From my point of view if anyone at work told me that I could not say Merry Christmas I would be most annoyed and probably knowing me who does not like taking silly orders that have no real merit I would go out of my way to say Merry Christmas.

Illenar, how would you feel if people told you Happy Hannukah?

Probably say and the same to you

Cool.

When you say Merry Christmas are you wishing them a Merry Christmas, which makes no sense if they do not celebrate Christmas, or are you just shoving your belief in Christmas at them? If you are wishing them well and don't know their beliefs isn't Happy holidays more respectful? Doesn't that better represent the freedom of religion and the respect for our differences?

There is no harm in saying Happy Holidays if that is what you want to say but there is no harm in saying Merry Christmas its an individual choice and anyone should have the freedom to use.
From what I can see its not muslims,Jews,Buddists,or Druids that are objecting to the use of Merry Christmas its just some busy bodies who have nothing better to do but stir up discord.

We have a muslim family running one of the businesses in our small town and they were outside their shop watching the Christmas parade that we had last saturday and were having as much fun as any of us. Their children were sitting on the kerb waving at the people in the floats and just being kids. Nearly all the floats had some sort of Christmas greeting on it.

Yes, the Muslim family was showing respect for different beliefs. I am asking why you don't want to show equal respect for different beliefs.

So, you just say the words to say them because you want to? There is no feeling behind them at all, except in your face non Christians. Do you not see it as hypocritical to celebrate the birth of Jesus by alienating people (including people of his own religion)? You celebrate the birth of a good Jewish man who taught love and tolerance by showing no sensitivity to the belefs of others?

Did I say I was a believer.

We can keep going around in circles but I do not intend getting dizzy over Merry Christmas enough said from me.

lol. If you are not a believer and insist on going around saying Merry Christmas to everyone, it's even funnier and more pointless.

LOL

[b]Dear God, please deliver me from some of your followers...[/b]

I guess you have to think about where you are and who is there with you. Are you in a place where you get to make the rules about what holiday is celebrated? Are there others there with you whose traditional holidays are also occurring at about the same time? Do they get to make their own rules too? Do you care if they think you're a little cheeky when you assume that everyone is Christian by default, unless otherwise specified?

I can imagine a conversation between a retail shop owner and her employee:

Owner: "Please be sure not to offend customers today."
Employee: "How might I offend someone?"
Owner: "Well, you could make a remark about religion that puts them off."
Employee: "What might I possibly say about their religion, and how would that even come up in conversation?"
Owner: "Well, it shouldn't. Just don't refer to holidays in a way that assumes the person you're talking to is of one faith or another. Use a generic holiday greeting. Happy Holidays would be friendly and nice."
Employee: "I don't want to do that."
Owner: "Why on earth not"?
Employee: "It's Christmas time and I'm Christian."
Owner: "And if the customer is not?"
Employee: "He should be."
Owner: "You're fired."