What's your reaction when retailers say "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas"?

Similar questions: reaction retailers Happy Holidays Merry Christmas.

I feel retailers wish to encompass the holiday season's greeting towards all of their customers. It’s obvious, isn’t it. Their intent is to wish all people a "Happy Holiday’s" greeting.

This way they are including and showing to respect to all who celebrate the holidays regardless of their religion. I am Catholic and it’s obvious that no one is not including Christmas. There are symbols of Christmas and different religions as well.

I certainly don’t get offended if someone says, "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas. " I wish everyone a Happy Holiday season as I respect others who have a religion that is differert than mine. I feel it’s all about love and respect for one another.

Best Wishes! .

You'll love this answer! What I want to do is jump over the counter and grab them by the throat, but I know they're just following orders, plus that would probably get me a few years for assault and I'm too old to spend any time in jail now! So...I make it a point to very distinctly say to them "And a Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah to you."

I should probably include Kwanza in there as well, but its a made up holiday and I don't think anyone celebrates it anyway. So, I just stop at Christmas and Hanukkah. The whole "Happy Holidays" thing is just another example of political correctness run amok - we're so afraid of offending someone by mentioning a specific holiday (Christmas and/or Hanukkah) that we have to change it to "Happy Holidays."

What a crock! Christmas has been celebrated for a long, long time and people have been exchanging gifts and wishing each other a "Merry Christmas" and suddenly you have the thought police coming along telling you that you can't do it any more? Gimme a break!

And people have been celebrating Hanukkah for even longer, but hey, you can't mention that either! It's like suddenly, people with an IQ in the minus numbers have taken over and told us we can't wish people a Merry Christmas any more. God help us!

And since Christmas really falls on the ancient Roman holiday of Saturnalia - maybe we should wish people a Happy Saturnalia as well - until someone comes along and decides that's incorrect as well. The only reason they probably haven't included it is because no one has mentioned it to the idiots. To all of them I can only say "Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and a Happy Saturnalia."

And if you can't wish me the same - keep your mouth shut! Sources: My opinions OldppieHatesNewAV's Recommendations The New Thought Police: Inside the Left's Assault on Free Speech and Free Minds Amazon List Price: $14.95 Used from: $0.83 Average Customer Rating: 4.0 out of 5 (based on 161 reviews) Politically Correct Holiday Stories: For an Enlightened Yuletide Season Amazon List Price: $9.95 Used from: $0.01 Average Customer Rating: 3.5 out of 5 (based on 5 reviews) Politically correct holiday stories - that has to be hilarious! .

Depends on what time of year and if his name is O' Hara or Ohara or Solomon or Suleiman or Chandrasekar. There is more than one religion celebrating holidays at this time of year, and for some, more than one holiday. I would actually rather hear "Happy Holidays".

That way I know I'm not being left out.

I get mad, really mad... Because, it is Christmas. The retailers make all of these boat loads of money off of Christmas shoppers. People from other religions that I have known that do not believe in Christ even give Christmas gifts and send out Christmas cards.

I even know an atheist family that takes Christmas pictures and gives out cards and presents for Christmas. I know that Jewish people may have it a little hard during those times because they have their own holidays, but I have had a lot of Jewish people that I have known who have put up Christmas trees too. For the Jewish people that don't actively celebrate it, I am sure that they get sick of hearing it, but most people in the US do celebrate it in one way or another.Be it true believers, non believers, or the unsure.

I think that we let the ACLU take everything away from us. The right to say Christmas or God. For the people that don't believe and scream loud and proud that they are atheists we don't persecute their beliefs.

It's like the Bible says, in the end times Christians will be persecuted for their beliefs. I am not the most religious person in the world, but I say my prayers and blessings and go to church a couple of times a month, but I don't push my beliefs. Just like people should not push their anti-belief systems.

I feel that any religion can say or do whatever the heck that they want in this country and we as Christians are supposed to respect it and never have an issue, but if the shoe is on the other foot, all heck breaks lose. This is a great question, and please forgive my tangent. Here is an article with people that agree with me.

At the end, the pastor who wrote this questions whether a govt body should display any kind of symbol for any religion. So, if we should not do so, maybe we should not let all of these companies that have problems with this celebration make money off of us and buy from companies who do... Holiday" or "Christmas" Trees: Sorting Out the Issues written by:Mark D. Roberts markdroberts.

Com Part 2 of series: Christmas Tree Controversies Posted for Tuesday, December 6, 2005 "Holiday tree" or "Christmas tree" – which shall it be? In my last post I began my examination of several Christmas tree controversies. These days the most prominent of all has to do with the name given to seasonally-relevant evergreen trees and their artificial substitutes when they're displayed in public or sold to the public.

For years everybody referred to these trees from the Pine family (Pinaceae, including spruces, firs, hemlocks, and pines) as "Christmas trees. " But recently, government institutions and major corporations have banished this phrase and substituted "Holiday trees" in its place. For example, in 2003 the Law School of Indiana University erected a Christmas tree covered with non-religious ornaments.

When a professor at the law school objected on the grounds that the tree was "exclusionary," law school officials agreed, and replaced the Christmas tree with two non-descript fir trees and a poinsetta-filled sleigh. The unhappy professor wasn't satisfied, however. This sort of diminution of the Christmas tree has sparked a backlash, as many people have objected to the linguistic neutering of their beloved evergreen.

In response, some government officials have been scrambling to reframe their "Holiday trees" as "Christmas trees. " For example: • In California, former governor Gray Davis had changed the name of the former Capitol "Christmas Tree" to "Holiday Tree." But current Governor Arnold Schwarzennegger, in a bold move, restored the original "Christmas Tree" label.

• In Boston, the decorated White Spruce on the Boston Common was at first to be called a "Holiday tree," until public outcry helped to restore the name "Christmas tree. " • Since the late 1990's, the decorated spruce outside of the Capitol Building in Washington D.C.Had been called the "Capitol Holiday Tree," after years of being called the "Capitol Christmas Tree." But, this year, Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert asserted his authority, restoring the name "Christmas tree" to the Capitol decoration.

This sort of scenario has been played out in cities, states, educational institutions, and businesses throughout the country. The most recent non-governmental example concerns Lowe's Home Improvement Centers. Lowe's began it's tree promotion this year by offering "Fresh Cut Holiday Trees.

" (In a bit of sweet irony, however, the Spanish portion of the Lowe's promotional banner read "Arboles de Navidad recién cortados," or "Christmas Trees Recently Cut. " I guess it's okay to offend Spanish-speaking non-Christians. Anglos are more touchy.

) But soon Lowe's was being pummeled by unhappy Christians and others who demanded a return of Christmas. So Lowe's relented, deciding to sell "Christmas trees" after all. Perhaps my favorite part of this story is Lowe's attempt to explain it's retreat from the neutered "Holiday trees.

" Here's an excerpt from their official explanation: To ensure consistency of our message and to avoid confusion among our customers, we are now referring to the trees only as "Christmas Trees. " We have also removed the banner that read "holiday trees" from the front of our stores. ¶ Lowe's apologizes for any confusion the banner created.

I took the picture above in late November, when Lowe's was still selling "Holiday trees. " The picture below shows the exact same location on December 4th. The only remnant of the Holiday tree sign is the remaining white tie (inside the red circle).

Don't you just love that? Lowe's is simply trying to remove unnecessary "confusion." I can see their point.

Suppose a Jewish customer came to Lowe's, and seeing the sign "Holiday Trees," didn't realize that they were really Christmas trees, and so bought one. Ah, the scandal! And Christmas celebrants would have been lost, looking in vain for Christmas trees when the .

Satisfaction.... Whether my fine retailer knows it or not... It’s worth recognizing, at any time, that our worldwide celebration of the "birth of Jesus", is based on ancient celebrations which pre-dated Christianity in the European/Scandinavian "world".... Add many other diverse celebrations, worldwide, all (not coincidentally) occuring around the time of the Winter Solstice.....and you have the picture. Far from true is the arrogant Christian refrain...You know the one! Actually: "The Solstice is The Reason For The Season" Sources: The devil (just kidding) Duplicitous's Recommendations Yule: A Celebration of Light and Warmth Amazon List Price: $14.95 Used from: $6.95 Average Customer Rating: 3.5 out of 5 (based on 41 reviews) The Shortest Day: Celebrating the Winter Solstice Amazon List Price: $16.99 Used from: $9.20 Average Customer Rating: 4.5 out of 5 (based on 8 reviews) A Solstice Tree for Jenny (Young Readers) Amazon List Price: $12.00 Used from: $4.94 Average Customer Rating: 4.0 out of 5 (based on 6 reviews) The Christmas Revels Songbook: Carols, Processionals, Rounds, Ritual & Childrens Songs in Celebration of the Winter Solstice Amazon List Price: $21.95 Used from: $25.26 Average Customer Rating: 5.0 out of 5 (based on 2 reviews) Winter Celebrations (World Book's Celebrations and Rituals Around the World) Those damn pagans.... :) .

" "Happy Holidays, Everyone! " "During the Holidays do you use the phrase "Have a Merry Yuletide & a Happy Turning of the Calendar"?" "Do you actually KNOW anyone who gets upset with either "happy holidays" or "merry christmas"? " "Merry Christmas, Happy Yuletide, Happy Holidays, Good Solstice, Happy Festivus, Happy Saturnalia et al to all Askville" "I am looking for a children's book, first reader typer, about Christmas, holidays or winter.

" "has Walmart banned it's employees from saying Merry Christmas, Season's Greetings, and Happy Holidays? What gives? " "what exactly sparked the whole having to say happy holidays anyway?

" "Was the phrase "Happy Holidays" invented in an attempt to be culturally inclusive?" "Will you be happy when all the holidays are over so you can go back to watching what you eat and maybe take off a few?

Merry Christmas, Happy Yuletide, Happy Holidays, Good Solstice, Happy Festivus, Happy Saturnalia et al to all Askville.

I am looking for a children's book, first reader typer, about Christmas, holidays or winter.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.