Are you or do you know anyone who gets offended when someone says "Merry Christmas"?
Do you prefer "Happy Holidays" to "Merry Christmas"?
Do you get offended when someone writes "Xmas"?

I ask because when I was out running errands and paying bills the other day I started my normal Christmas wishes to people.

I'm one who says Merry Christmas/Happy New Year.
I got a range of responses from no response at all to disgust.
Of about 30 people, only one replied with a "Merry Christmas" and a smile.
Like a refreshing smile. Like it was nice that someone actually said it out loud to them.
About 15 people did reply with a "happy holidays" and a smile.
One woman actually scowled at me like I'd broken some sort of social etiquette law. I laughed out loud right at her.
About 10 others just frowned.

How do you well wish at Christmastime?
Do you write out Christmas on your greeting cards?

I say Merry Christmas, albeit in Dutch. If someone is offended by that then sod them, haha.
In general Christmas cards wish a Merry Christmas too.

I have seen the Happy Holidays cards, but that was in Indonesia. That makes sense as the Indonesian tradition is Muslim, not Christian / Catholic. In a way it's even polite to send a card at all when it's not even your thing, right?

Over here we also don't speak of "the holiday season" which I think for you includes Thanksgiving? We don't do that, Thanksgiving is US only due to history of those first early European settlers.
So for us it's Christmas season. Or actually, Christmas time. It's not a season.
If someone has a problem with it, well, then don't accept the time off either, grin.

This is just an observation.
I make no judgement.

To me, all holidays are just another day. I've worked many in my lifetime and spend many alone. Even my birthday is nothing special, just another day.

But for much the same reason I wear a mask in public during the covid, I greet people with traditional holiday greetings. It doesn't matter which holiday it is. My greetings tend to focus on the day at hand and during Christmas time, its a well wish that spans weeks.
I also well-wish to veterans on Veteran's Day and thank them for their service to our country.

Its a learned social etiquette which has been 'programmed' into me over a lifetime. Almost automatic.
While I have removed religion from my life some of the traditions have lingered on. Since I am not against other's religions and I have a sense of Christianity and how Christmas is for them, I well-wish according to my programmed tradition.

When I was younger, people actually well-wished Merry Christmas/Happy New Year. The Happy Holidays well-wishing was a social trend which to me was new and rude. It feels cold to me.

Yes, it feels distant to me too to say that.

We don't wish anyone a Merry Christmas yet. Way too early. We do that ON Christmas day and also on Boxing Day -or as we call it in Dutch "2nd Christmas Day"- if you see or visit people. After 2nd Christmas Day it's done.
Come to think of it, we do say something that's like 'happy holidays' shortly before Christmas, like in the supermarket or shops, to ppl behind the cash register. They say that too to customers. That covers both Christmas and NYE as many ppl have time off then.
So like 1 or 2 days before Christmas. And not meant to be instead and/or avoiding saying "Merry Christmas". More like "have a nice vacation time".


Wishing Happy New Year is at midnight from 31st to 1st of Jan and people tend to say that for at least a week afterwards.

The way I've always seen it, the Christmas season starts as soon as you start actively buying presents, decorating and preparing for the holiday.

I think it goes back to my youth when there was snow on the ground and the shops were all decorated and people hustled about shopping for those gifts and making preparations. When the trees start appearing in the windows, lights adorn yards and porches, streets are decorated by the city and people generally have Christmas on their minds.

Then came the Black Friday sales the day after Thanksgiving. The wrapping of presents and putting up the tree. Egg nog, hot coco and lots of cookies.
Christmas was never about the day or the eve, It was about the mindset of Peace on Earth/Good Will Toward Men. It was about tinsel and bells and ornaments and lights. It was about family, sermons and celebrations, volunteering, singing and rejoicing. Cooking and feasting. School plays and special parades.

Its a happy time, cause for celebration and smiling. Time to forget about the little things and fill your heart with love for all.

Now, its PC to not display joy openly. People have become stingy with their love for the common man. Their 'Me, Me, Me' attitude isolates them into their own little pockets of personal relationships. The general public has become...Scrooged!

I just say, Happy Yule. I usually get this:

I kinda like that.

That's probably why it's different here: we traditionally gave pressies with St Nicolas, Dec 5th. So this was always the highlight of the month. A great night with the family as it's not just handing out the pressies, but putting them in what's called a 'surprise', that you make yourself and is usually funny and related to the recipient. Typically went along with a lot of secrecy and locked doors in the home as no one wanted the surprise they were working on to be seen.
Very exciting and fun times! And the surprise with pressie always came with a rhyme, like a fun rhyming story/poem that revealed things about the pressie a bit but then not really. And lots of puns concerning the recipients.
Such evening lasted until midnight at least and were so much fun!!

So everything was always about that weeks before Dec 5th, but St Nicolaas is not the thing that you wish like "Happy St Nicolas".

Christmas was the thing after that. The tree, the lights, the nice vibe and feeling that comes with it, but no pressies.

Yes, Yule I like as well! And I wish some a Blessed Yule (Pagans or witches) and often post this on my FB too on Yule itself.

I like to mix it up. Merry Christmas, Joyous Noel, Feliz Navidad, Happy Holidays, just what ever pops in my head. I don't worry who I offend if I'm being kind. God knows where my heart is.

I try to offend everyone, equally.

You should make some money and offer a class on Advanced Offending!

This is what I do also..

There are so many different religions in The United States. In my town I can think of at least 8 different churches. I always like when someone says Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays.

I have already started saying Merry Christmas and I have not had one bad reaction and I probably will not ever get a bad reaction. Some think New Zealand is 20 years behind the rest of the world though. Perhaps offense at wishing others a Merry Christmas will eventually come?

Young lady at the doughnut shop today told me Merry Christmas while giving me an extra cinnamon roll. Guess it was due to the FD jacket I had on. I'm happy, sugar rush but happy.

I do. But, no money involved.

I don't keep the mainstream holidays, but if someone does something meant to be kind I just say thank you and smile.

I have NEVER met anyone who is offended by me saying *Merry Christmas*.. but I don't say it until the day before or ON the Christmas day..

I may say:"Have a good Christmas" in the last week before Christmas after a conversation with a person...

Being Austrian (by birth) our family celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve... WE have the celebration, i.e. Dinner, exchanging of gifts, on Christmas eve. This works out well as then they can spend Christmas day with their in-laws.

Happy Ganesha Chaturthi, no wait, that was awhile ago
Happy Navratri , no, wait, that 1s gone too
Okay, Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year to you

What was the question? Oh, the bah humbug brigade, put down that mince pie, is that alcohol, jeepers

Depends on the situation.
I get offended by "merry christmas" when it's followed by "hey, can I have a dollar, quarter, ride, gas (in the form of money), interest you in MLM business with no risk?!"

When it's used as an opening as a means to get something from me, I get offended.

Mostly, I never hear anyone say "merry christmas" or "happy holidays" or "seasons greetings" or whatever from anyone other than family or retail workers.
Retail workers it's mostly amusing. Sometimes I'll get something like "merry happy hanukwanzamas dude!"

If someone says "merry christmas" to me I respond "merry christmas" to them.
Anything else it's usually "hey, you too!"


"Prefer?" No. I don't care. It's the intent.
Are they spreading their joy or seasons feelings? Great. It doesn't matter.
Or is it like "happy holidays, welcome to burger king, want to try a fake whopper today?" I don't really respond to it as it's just part of a scripted response.
Or is it like "happy flying spaghetti monster we really live in a matrix holidays!" then I know they're just being an azz and they don't mean it and it doesn't matter.


No. Again it depends on the intent.
Is it my arthritic grandma writing it in a card?
Like "Thinking of you, here's 5 bucks for the holidays! Luv you! Merry xmas G-ma"
Or is it on a mass produced christmas card like dentists or doctors, like: "Merry Xmas, thank you for being a patient. Don't forget your annual checkup and flu shot!"


No differently than I do any other time.


Depends on how long I've procrastinated until sending out Christmas cards, the number I have to send out, how much I have to write in the card, and my relationship to them.