Its not any different then saying happy birthday....to anyone on the street....
2006-12-17 14:29:56 · 20 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Holidays ➔ Other - Holidays
It's the Christmas Season, Mr. Scrooge
2006-12-17 14:32:28 · answer #1 · answered by Milan J 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
"Merry Christmas" is a spoken greeting traditionally used in North America and Britain on or around the Christmas holiday on December 25 of every year. In countries where Christmas is prominently celebrated, "Merry Christmas" is a ubiquitous phrase, employed by Christians and non-Christians both as a friendly greeting or farewell. It is often employed weeks before the actual holiday on billboards and advertisements. In Britain and Ireland, Happy Christmas has become the more common term.
Its meanings and variations are:
1. As "Merry Christmas", the traditionally used greeting for Americans, comprising of merry (jolly, happy) and Christmas (Old English: Cristes mæsse, for Christ's Mass).
2. As "Merry Xmas", usually used to avoid the length of "Merry Christmas", with the "X" (sometimes controversially) replacing "Christ". (see Xmas)
3. As "Happy Christmas", an equivalent that is commonly used in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
4. As "Feliz Navidad", which is the Spanish language equivalent of "Happy Christmas", but is frequently used in English context. The phrase "Felices Fiestas", the Spanish language counterpart of "Happy Holidays" has also been used in some Spanish speaking communities.
2006-12-17 22:40:31 · answer #2 · answered by Bharath 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's short for 'I hope you have a Merry Christmas'. It may not be Christmas Day yet, but we are in Advent, which is the preparatory season leading up to Christmas. Don't forget, too, that there are 12 days to Christmas, culminating in Epiphany, which commemorates the arrival of the Magi, so you'll hear a lot of 'Merry Christmas' for several days after Christmas Day, too.
2006-12-17 22:55:37 · answer #3 · answered by JelliclePat 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It comes from saying "I hope you have a merry Christmas" or "I wish you a Merry Christmas". Just like if you were to tell someone who's birthday was coming up, "I hope you have a great birthday" or " Have fun on your birthday". And it just got shortened to "Merry Christmas" which is much easier to say than " I hope you have a Merry Christmas", especially if you are in a hurry.
2006-12-17 22:40:54 · answer #4 · answered by #1 Buckeye Fan!!!! 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Their wish for you to have a Merry Christmas is for your Christmas season to be merry. If someone doesn't like you because you do not give gifts or give cheap gifts at Christmas, they might appropriately call you Scrooge. Not that you are Scrooge, but they wish similar ills on you that the real Scrooge endured.
Did anyone wish you a Happy New Year yet? How dare they?
2006-12-17 22:38:04 · answer #5 · answered by Piguy 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because it's the "season" for Christmas. Haven't you ever told a friend Happy Birthday a couple days early if you knew you might not see them on their actual Birth Day?
2006-12-17 22:37:41 · answer #6 · answered by redneckgardendiva 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Its short for 'Have a Merry Christmas'.
2006-12-17 22:32:50 · answer #7 · answered by n_m_young 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because it a season that they celebrate not just the 25th of December...More over, you will have covered more people than by waiting to wish them on Christmas Day....Time Management..
2006-12-17 22:33:17 · answer #8 · answered by legacybiographers 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because its only a week and a half away and you may not see or hear from that person until after Christmas
2006-12-17 22:31:49 · answer #9 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Some actually celebrate the season, not just the day. Advent is celebrated the weeks leading up to his birth and the season extends afterwards for a while.
2006-12-17 23:13:43 · answer #10 · answered by yessireee 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋