Podcast discussion: Happy Holidays

[topolino]

I used to get all bent out of shape when people said, "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas", but as I get older I let things bother me less and less. The way I look at it is that "Happy Holidays" is a nice greeting, and considering the nasty things people say to each other during the year, I'll take, "Happy Holidays" any day.

 

[zulemara]

I let others take the lead, specifically if working in an area where there is a lot of public contact. I am usually not the one to initiate the greeting. If they say happy holidays, I repeat it back. If they say Merry Xmas I repeat it back. If they say happy Hanukkah I say it back.

No matter what is said, this time of the year is supposed to be indicative of family and helping others. Personally I don't really care or have any strong conviction about if it should be Christmas or not or what people say.

Now what I DO have a strong conviction about despite my personal non religious stance, is the mob mentality consumerism that has literally caused death! Furthermore, after being told many times working for The Company Store that I "ruined Xmas for ____ because the present was late" I have become almost anti-gifts. People should be thankful to get ANYTHING at all even if it's late and not under the tree Xmas day and that especially goes for children. So when I see this mass consumerism going on, it kind of irks me. My mom had a brain aneurysm last October(a year ago) and they discovered a brain tumor which was removed in June. We're just thankful to have her around and that's what should be emphasized. Maybe people who are so offended about what the season gets called(the ones who started this whole anti Marry Christmas thing) should get up at 3 am on the day after Thanksgiving and start writing personally written notes to the loved ones they have left expressing their happiness at the time they get to spend with them instead of in line to buy a laptop for 100 dollars.

This is not a target to what Pete was saying on the show because I think Pete was saying he is annoyed that people get offended if you say Merry Christmas to them. I agree, I don't think people should be offended over WHAT is said, but rather should be offended over the actions people take this time of year.

I'm Sorry to hijack, but had to speak my mind on that.

 

[DisneyDaddy-O]

I let others take the lead, specifically if working in an area where there is a lot of public contact. I am usually not the one to initiate the greeting. If they say happy holidays, I repeat it back. If they say Merry Xmas I repeat it back. If they say happy Hanukkah I say it back.

No matter what is said, this time of the year is supposed to be indicative of family and helping others. Personally I don't really care or have any strong conviction about if it should be Christmas or not or what people say.

Now what I DO have a strong conviction about despite my personal non religious stance, is the mob mentality consumerism that has literally caused death! Furthermore, after being told many times working for The Company Store that I "ruined Xmas for ____ because the present was late" I have become almost anti-gifts. People should be thankful to get ANYTHING at all even if it's late and not under the tree Xmas day and that especially goes for children. So when I see this mass consumerism going on, it kind of irks me. My mom had a brain aneurysm last October(a year ago) and they discovered a brain tumor which was removed in June. We're just thankful to have her around and that's what should be emphasized. Maybe people who are so offended about what the season gets called(the ones who started this whole anti Marry Christmas thing) should get up at 3 am on the day after Thanksgiving and start writing personally written notes to the loved ones they have left expressing their happiness at the time they get to spend with them instead of in line to buy a laptop for 100 dollars.

This is not a target to what Pete was saying on the show because I think Pete was saying he is annoyed that people get offended if you say Merry Christmas to them. I agree, I don't think people should be offended over WHAT is said, but rather should be offended over the actions people take this time of year.

I'm Sorry to hijack, but had to speak my mind on that.

I also get offended when people say Xmas instead of Christmas....you just ruined my Holiday season.

This is a joke BTW.

 

[sayhello]

But the phrase isn't about the person saying it, is it? It's about the person they're speaking to. I haven't heard the podcast yet, but I've heard people say that because they celebrate Christmas, they're going to say Merry Christmas. If I'm wishing someone a happy birthday, I say it to them on their birthday, not mine. If I'm speaking to a Jewish person and I say Happy Chanukah or Happy Holidays, it's because that's what I wish for them, not me. I would say Happy Holidays if I didn't know which holiday they celebrate, but I would most certainly say Happy Chanukah if that's what I knew they were celebrating. I believe most of my friends know that I celebrate Christmas and say Merry Christmas, but I wouldn't be offended if they said Happy Holidays. I'd be happy that they were sending me good will.

Sayhello

 

[Justin Jett]

Personally, I do not believe Political Correctness. I feel that it is way out of hand in this country.

 

[MomofKatie]

I am an agnostic with atheist leanings. I celebrate Christmas not as a religious holiday but a nice, family-getting-together time with gifts thrown in. I am not offended or upset at all when people wish me Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, or anything else. It is just a greeting and darn nice of another person to wish me well at this time of year. Whatever is said to me, I say back and don't think anything of it. I tend to think most people aren't thinking of Jesus every time they toss out a "Merry Christmas" during the holiday season.

I am more irked by cashiers telling me (mostly at non-holiday times of year), "Have a blessed day" or some other derivative of, "Hey, I'm assuming we are all Protestant Christians". I don't scowl or tell them off, but I don't say thank you or repeat it back to them.

Maybe it's a regional thing- I am living in the heart of the Bible Belt, afterall, but it seems people around here get really bent out of shape about the whole "Happy Holidays" vs "Merry Christmas" thing.

 

[kaligal]

I think Pete was exaggerating. He was just on a roll and trying to make a point.

I agree with the general gist of the rant even if the statistics were not 100% (or 99.9% ) accurate.

I quit shopping in the stores because they stopped looking truly Christmassy and because the staff is unpleasant. It used to be fun, but no longer is. Might as well do it online where it is nice, comfy, warm and dry.

 

[Yahweh]

In my opinion people who are passionate about the Merry Christmas vs. Happy Holidays debate use it as a means to include some and exclude others. Both sides of the debate do this. Those who think that Christmas belongs only to them and people who believe like they do, in part, do so to promote an identity based upon exclusion. It is in no small part, a reaction to a real or perceived threat to the power of the included.

The irony is that Christmas is about strength and hope flowing from position of weakness. It promotes empowerment rather than overpowerment. From a Christian point of view, I don't feel the need to fight for a place of power or majority within the society, but rather stand with those who don't have a voice during the holiday season.

The people passionate about not allowing others to say merry Christmas is equally problematic to me. For beliefs matter. I believe we need to respect Christians rights t wish others a merry Christmas. At the same time respect Jews the right to say Happy Hanukkah. Agnostics and Atheist deserve respect as well, and have a right to a voice. I am thrilled when people of no-religous affiliation are fighting for many of the same things I am. The promotion of Science and Evolution, Gay rights, taking care of the poor etc.

There is something universal in Christmas that appeals to the better of our human selves. It too often gets lost in these pointless arguments which seek to divide people.

 

[EastYorkDisneyFan]

If you ever go see the Trans Siberian Orchestra during their winter tour you will here them wishing you a merry Christmas many times over and the never say Happy Holidays

 

[LionKingRules84]

I don't care what you celebrate but if you go out of your way to say something nice to me I'll most likely repeat the greeting back.

I mainly use Happy Holidays or Season's Greetings since I know a bunch of different people that celebrate different things and it's an easy way to include everyone as oppose to saying a long line of every greeting. I always saw it as simplification not really political correctness but then that's just me.

 

[dansyr2514]

Personally, I do not believe Political Correctness. I feel that it is way out of hand in this country.

I totally agree Skip!!!