Happy Holidays or Merry Christmas

I recently heard something that made sense. Starting at Thanksgiving we begin to see and hear "Happy Holidays". There are several holidays in February and yet no one wishes anyone a "happy holiday" in February. Perfect strangers (like your cashier at Wal*Mart) will say "Happy Holidays" to you when you check out in November, but rarely do you hear "Happy Valentines Day" from these same people when you are checking out buying a box of chocolates for a loved one in February. Why do you suppose this is?

Mon. Nov 26, 1:28pm

Maybe it's because Valentine's Day is a minor holiday than Thanksgiving or Christmas?

Monday, November 26, 2007, 4:37 PM

Plus to me Valentines is more of a private holiday... a holiday shared with someone you love. You dont love the Walmart cashiers do you???

Monday, November 26, 2007, 4:48 PM

Valentines Day is one of the largest grossing holidays for retailers....hardly "minor" in their eyes.

Monday, November 26, 2007, 6:39 PM

Well, I certainly don't give my Wal*Mart cashier a Christmas, Kwanza, or Hanukah present either.

Monday, November 26, 2007, 6:40 PM

You know what? I've NEVER been wished a Happy Presidents day! what's up with that?

Monday, November 26, 2007, 6:41 PM

Who cares? I mean is it really that important?

Monday, November 26, 2007, 6:55 PM

oooooo, good thread...

Monday, November 26, 2007, 7:03 PM

I personally think it's important that retailers, etc. treat each "holiday" with the same respect and enthusiasm. If their so worried about offending some, they ought to treat all with the same PC-ness.

Monday, November 26, 2007, 7:05 PM

Anymore, I'd be happy if retailers actually looked me in the eye, spoke coherently in a friendly tone, and thanked me for their business!

Monday, November 26, 2007, 9:42 PM

I say "have a happy holiday" whether it is Halloween Christmas, Thanksgivng what ever. I am Jewish and don't mind when someone wishes me Merry Christmas. I understand the intent. I live in a small southern community and it amazes me the amount of media attention this gets each year. With everything else going on in the world, can't we realize the significance of this time of year for everyone and concentrate on other things??

Tuesday, November 27, 2007, 7:50 AM

9:42, AMEN! It seems that lately I'm in the way when I am shopping. They just stand there, wait for me to move and then continue stocking or whatever. No smile, no can I help you, nothing. Oh, sometimes I do get the sigh bc I am in their way. I must admit, mostly this is at Wal-Mart. And, I know I shouldn't go there anymore, but hey, they've got great prices! And, at least the cashiers are friendly! They are always wishing a good day or something!

Tuesday, November 27, 2007, 9:52 AM

We cannot control other people so why worry about it? I swear people always find something to complain about. Just be happy and worry about your own circle of influence. Dont worry about thigs you have no control over.

Tuesday, November 27, 2007, 11:11 AM

11:11 a.m. quite to the contrary, some people (like the ACLU) make it their business to control other people and they do it all the time!! Manger scenes taken down because they are "offensive", or the 10 commandments not being able to be displayed in government buildings; the pledge of allegience being forbidden in the schools and the list goes on and on. All it takes is one atheist to complain and he/she effects a whole generation. Remember Madalyn Murry O'Hare??? Wake up!!

Tuesday, November 27, 2007, 11:42 AM

Well if it means that much to people... then they need to fight for it. But I caution... fight for something worth fighting for.. not something as stupid as mandating people to say happy holidays or whatever. Your happiness should not depend on what other people say to you anyway

Tuesday, November 27, 2007, 11:55 AM

I'm jewish and I say Merry Christmas to christians and Happy Chanukah to my tribe members.

Tuesday, November 27, 2007, 12:53 PM

I'm an atheist and I yell allah hu akbar just to freak people out.

Tuesday, November 27, 2007, 3:13 PM

I think fighting for "Merry Christmas" is very important. It's the birthday of Christ. If people treated my birthday as just another day, I would be very bothered. My birthday was a special day to me and my loved ones and having someone tell me I couldn't be wished a "Happy Birthday" would be a real problem for me. Why not just call it what it is? This generic baloney is for the birds. When it's Christmas (if I'm a Christian) I want to be wished a "Merry Christmas", when it's Hannakah (if I'm Jewish) I want to be wished a "Happy Hannakah", when it's Kwanza (if I'm an African American), I want to be wished a "Happy Kwanza" and so on. The "one message fits all" deal is really indicative of how unimportant these holidays really are to retailers. The only reason they do this blank "Happy Holidays" is because they don't want to offend anyone, er, ah, I mean, so you spend your money in their store.

Tuesday, November 27, 2007, 3:18 PM

actually, I think it's more so you don't wish the Jewish shopper a merry christmas. People are entitled to say what they want, however, in a diverse enviornment like retail, I prefer it when they wish everyone a happy holiday.

But I think businesses in providing general wishes, as opposed to individual should be able to say whatever they want.

Tuesday, November 27, 2007, 3:55 PM

3:18- the problem is, not everyone is easilly identifiable as a celebrator of Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Solstice or any of the other holidays that are lumped around the end of the year.

So, stores say "Happy Holidays" in order to be polite to everyone.

Stores want to be polite to everyone because they want everyone's money. Not too many stores make it big by offending customers.

Happy Holidays!

Tuesday, November 27, 2007, 3:57 PM

That anyone gets fired up over Happy Holidays over Merry Christmas is fascinating to me. Inclusiveness is somehow offensive? And while it would be wonderful to give 'appropriate' holiday greetings how are we to identify who celebrates what? It's amazing the venom and bitterness that comes out over this issue! My goodness, what would Jesus say about all that?

Tuesday, November 27, 2007, 6:31 PM

Now we're getting down to brass tacks... the actual "problem" is that there are no Kwanza or Hannakah gift sections in our local stores. Everyone KNOWS they are Christmas gifts but stores refuse to call it Christmas for fear of offending those who don't celebrate Christmas. That offends me. I'm not Jewish and I'm not African American, but I'm guessing that those holidays don't pad the pockets of retailers anywhere near what Christmas does. It bothers me that retailers , in an attempt to be " Politically Correct" will risk offending the vast majority of Christmas celebrators by not calling it Christmas just to appease the minority who don't celebrate it. It's just not right to make money off of a holiday you won't acknowledge. Check it out for yourself. Check out your local Wal*Mart, Target, and Lowe's and many, many others who have Christmas decorations, candy, etc. for sale. I'll bet you they call them "holiday" items, not Christmas. Everyone knows that those green trees that you hang ornaments on that are only out this time of year are for CHRISTMAS. Let's call it what it is, I say.

Tuesday, November 27, 2007, 8:40 PM

I don't think anyone calls a Christmas tree a "holiday tree." But why would you assume that presents that are available this time of year are for Christmas, and not for Hanukkah, birthdays, school vacations, etc.? (I honestly don't know if Kwanzaa is a reason to give gifts or not, which is why I didn't list it.) Hanukkah is a "gift" holiday just like Christmas. And, at least the stores around me, in their "holiday" sections, have at least a little bit of blue/silver decorations for Hanukkah, as well as chocolate gelt, dreidels, menorahs, etc., for Hanukkah, right alongside the green/red Christmas decorations.

I think you sound very insensitive (as well as unaware and uneducated), implying that "your" holiday is the only "real" one, and let's pretend that the others don't happen.

Wednesday, November 28, 2007, 12:35 PM

12:35 are you living under a rock??? Everyone calls them "holiday" trees, look around! In fact, I dare you to name 3 stores that actually sell them and call them "Christmas" trees.

Thursday, November 29, 2007, 3:32 PM

Oh my goodness, of course their Christmas presents! sheeesh, get a clue!

Thursday, November 29, 2007, 3:43 PM

um, I don't believe a Christmas tree is part of hannukah. Last time I checked, a Christmas tree has presents puts below it and those gifts are opened on either Christmas eve, or Christmas day. I don't know of anyone who has a tree just for the heck of it, or anyone who puts presents under a Christmas tree and opens them in January (except for the obvious Orthodox Christian Christmas, but that's still Christmas).

I'm sorry, but if you go to a person's house with a gift, on or about their birthday, and eat birthday cake with them, you celebrated their birthday even if you didn't care about that person. You have a Christmas tree and give gifts on or about Christmas day, you're celebrating Christmas, like it or not.

Thursday, November 29, 2007, 4:17 PM

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