"Happy Holidays. :)" "IT'S MERRY CHRISTMAS, JERK!!"

[Celestial Fireflies]

Looks like snow isn't the only thing that's cold during winter. wink

So, holiday season is upon us. Thanksgiving is fast-approaching, and Christmas, Hanukkah, and other holidays are not too far behind. Whether you celebrate something or nothing, your ears will be assaulted by the same music you've heard for years and most people will be telling you to have a good one. And that's where I see people getting stuck at: have a good what?

Personally, I like saying "Happy Holidays", because it includes all the holidays (including New Year's) without having to single them all out and mention them specifically. It's also handy for when you don't know which holiday someone celebrates; you can wish them well without having to guess at which one. Of course, even though I prefer to say that, I don't mind when someone says a specific holiday. They're essentially telling me to have a good day or season, why would I get mad?

Not everyone thinks this way, though. Whether they get offended because you said the wrong holiday, or they think you're being "too PC" by using the word holiday itself, some people will get incredibly upset because of the specific words you chose to convey, "Have a good day!" during the holiday season. Personally I think the "controversy" is ridiculous. Don't get me wrong, I think it's fine if someone is upset when they feel they're not allowed to say "Merry Christmas", but I feel it's petty to turn around and call one phrase "too PC" and call someone a jerk for using it (as well as refuse to acknowledge any other holiday besides Christmas). Like I said, people usually mean well by it and just want to say something nice; can't people just recognize and accept that?

So, what your thoughts on the whole "Happy Holidays vs Merry Christmas" debate that I see popping up in various places around this time of year?  

[[-Erik-]]

Some people need to accept that we all have different beliefs.

 

[LimeIzMyFaveColor]

[-Erik-]

Some people need to accept that we all have different beliefs.

I CONCUR!  

[In Search of a Dream]

What does PC mean?  

[dl1371]

[-Erik-]

Some people need to accept that we all have different beliefs.

exactly  

[The Emoholic]

Kyoko364

What does PC mean?

Politically Correct.  

[brainnsoup]

I say "Merry Christmas".
Even growing up, Christmas had nothing to do with Jesus other than our moth-eaten Nativity set with quite a few pieces missing.
Christmas songs, decorations, old movies all make me feel nostalgic.
So I still celebrate.
But I don't have much of a preference either way.

I say "Happy Holidays" occasionally.
It's not a huge deal to me.
But things like suing places for having Christmas trees up but no Menorahs. Stuff like that. That bothers me.
It's not something done in malice or with attempts of forcing Christianity on people.
It usually seems to be done in the spirit of Christmas...
For once...

Likewise, if someone gets genuinely offended by someone saying "Merry Christmas", I might speak up.
But yeah, I don't refuse to acknowledge other holidays or anything like that.
But I do not celebrate them.
I have no problem saying "Happy Holidays".
But I do not see a problem with saying "Merry Christmas" as it is what I celebrate.
Just like if someone told me "Happy Hanukkah" I would not be offended.

 

[Celestial Fireflies]

brainnsoup

I say "Merry Christmas".
Even growing up, Christmas had nothing to do with Jesus other than our moth-eaten Nativity set with quite a few pieces missing.
Christmas songs, decorations, old movies all make me feel nostalgic.
So I still celebrate.
But I don't have much of a preference either way.

I say "Happy Holidays" occasionally.
It's not a huge deal to me.
But things like suing places for having Christmas trees up but no Menorahs. Stuff like that. That bothers me.
It's not something done in malice or with attempts of forcing Christianity on people.
It usually seems to be done in the spirit of Christmas...
For once...

Likewise, if someone gets genuinely offended by someone saying "Merry Christmas", I might speak up.
But yeah, I don't refuse to acknowledge other holidays or anything like that.
But I do not celebrate them.
I have no problem saying "Happy Holidays".
But I do not see a problem with saying "Merry Christmas" as it is what I celebrate.
Just like if someone told me "Happy Hanukkah" I would not be offended.

I feel the same way you do about Christmas, except we didn't even have a nativity scene. We had those cardboard decorations you tape or pin up of Santa, reindeer, smiling trees, and nutcrackers. We put up snowy villages and various winter-related figurines. We decorated our trees with tinsel, lights, and cute little ornaments that were eventually replaced with pretty baubles.

I still enjoy Christmas songs and performances, even religious ones, because they're beautiful and sincere, and I can appreciate that. Sure, many people get caught up in the presents (enough to get into fistfights and even kill a worker by stampeding into the store rolleyes ), but I enjoy the warm fuzzies I get when I see people wanting to make others happy, and when I make people happy myself. That's what I celebrate.  

[=X-Sparker + AquaKiller=]

That's what my mom would call "The people who have no s**t to poop out after dinner" (meaning that they have so much of nothing to do that even when they had dinner and are supposed to go s**t themselves, they don't and instead find some stupid thing to feed their boredom).

 

[alteregoivy]

Happy Solsti-Hanu-Christma-Kwanz-ica! rofl

Seriously, though, I liked the atheist sign from one year that had Santa shrugging and saying something like, "Why believe in a God? Just be good for goodness' sake!" 3nodding That made me really happy.

As far as what I celebrate... I may call it Christmas to placate my in-laws, but I'm really celebrating the winter solstice; when the days start to get longer again. I actually think it's important that Atheists have some reason to celebrate that isn't religiously related, and I think that's a good one. Also, any excuse to spend time with family and give each other gifts and eat good food... I'm all over that.

Some Christmas carols are really, really pretty though.  

[Mrithyu]

Personally, Christmas has never been about God or whatever, it's always been about the cold weather, the smell of evergreen trees, and, of course, the presents.
I don't mind if people say Merry/Happy Christmas, Happy Holidays, Happy Hanukkah, or Happy Kwanzaa (although no one ever says that to me since I'm white...). They mean nothing by it, so why should I be offended?
I usually just say Happy Holidays for it's convenience and it covers New Years.  

[dl1371]

i usually say happy holidays, but when people correct me i go along with it,
the way i see it: christians gave us an excuse to get presents and be with our family, we should at least be thankful to them for that(even if theyre rude to us)  

[I Am A Mountie]

I say: Happy New Yearsolctachristmahannukwanzamas  

[Le Pere Duchesne]

[-Erik-]

Some people need to accept that we all have different beliefs.

No, they didn't.
[edit:]
As to the thread:
Yeah, I just go with whatever people say to me, or rather, when they say "Happy [?]" I say "And you too." Though "Have a good one." is more common.  

[Daffodil the Destroyer]

To put it as plainly as possible... I simply don't give a rat's a** WHAT anyone calls it. I say, "Merry Christmas," since I grew up celebrating it as a Christian holiday and it is habit. Plus, I am in the atheist closet as far as some people in my family are concerned and I don't wish to raise any uncomfortable discussions about things that are none of their business. Besides, Christmas is just as much a secular holiday as it is a religious one; churches have Jesus and nativity scenes... but the rest of the world celebrates Christmas with Santa Claus, snowmen, and fancy trees that were stolen from the pagans anyway. razz