people who don't want to hear it (for religious reasons) or to assume that everyone should enjoy hearing it?
Doesn't that mean that you are putting an emphasis on the consumerist and fun aspects, and forgetting what Christmas is?
2007-12-03 05:41:07 · 28 answers · asked by Silver 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Let me put this another way, since many don't seem to get it. Isn't it unchristian, impolite, and uncharitable to make comments to a person that he or she may not want to hear?
2007-12-03 05:51:34 · update #1
I think to say "Merry Christmas" is just missing the opportunity to extend glad tidings to more people. However, any greetings should be taken for their intention, if not for their literal meaning. I don't follow Christianity, but I do celebrate Santa-mas (if you will), so Merry Christmas works great for me. I would take "Happy Kwanzaa" to mean best wishes for whatever holiday I celebrate, but I use Happy Holidays because there are a lot of holidays going on at this time of year and I wish all their adherents the best. It just covers more people and some people even celebrate multiple holidays, so I think it works better.
2007-12-03 05:51:30 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Not really. It's like wishing somebody a good day. If a Jew wishes me a Happy Hanukkah I will say thank you and smile. Anyone of any religion who wishes me a happy special day of theirs, I will take as a friendly greeting. Why should we be so uptight about Merry Christmas, when the holiday is so ingrained in our culture? For many people, Christmas is no longer a Christian holiday anyway. So anyone who would get upset at the greeting, I would say "Get over it!".
In my younger days, I felt as a Christian it would be wrong to participate in Halloween activities because of its pagan connotations. Now I realize it's just about people having fun together. You would have called me a hyper fundamentalist at the time for feeling that way - but even then I wouldn't have been upset if someone had wished me a Happy Halloween.
EDIT:
May I take the opportunity to wish you a Merry Christmas to all of you: Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, atheists, and even those Christians who think it shouldn't be celebrated. Have a very merry Christmas, and God bless you!
2007-12-03 05:47:59 · answer #2 · answered by Mr Ed 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Uh, wow at some of these answers. I really do hope you ignore the stupidity. If you do celebrate Christmas, then you should be allowed to say Merry Christmas to anyone you damn well please. If you are Jewish and you celebrate Hanukkah then you should be able to say Happy Hanukkah to anyone you damn well please.
I am Roman Catholic, and I say Merry Christmas to everyone -- and no one has ever gotten offended, even my Jewish friends. They just reply with Happy Hanukkah! And shame on people saying it's a fairy tale or it's sacrilegious to celebrate Christmas in general because of something THEY don't believe in. To criticize people based on their religion is tasteless.
AND BTW: being a "good" Christian isn't to "promote" you religion. That's probably the dumbest thing I have ever heard, including the rest of the stream of comments here.
It's stuff like all of this rolled into one that ruins the holidays for everyone else.
2007-12-03 05:53:44 · answer #3 · answered by Anja 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
No. Sacrilegious means to be irreverent or profane. It is not irreverent or profane to wish someone a Merry Christmas? We are to share Christ with everyone we meet, and saying Merry Christmas is a form of sharing Christ. Merry CHRISTmas puts the emphasis on the true meaning of CHRISTmas, Christ. Saying "happy holidays" or "seasons greetings" puts the emphasis on the commercialism and takes it away from Christ. Merry Christmas!
2007-12-03 05:57:17 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
If it's Christmas, you can wish anyone a merry Christmas. It's not religious to have a nice day. I'm not going to worry about people walking around with a chip on their shoulder. If I know someone is Jewish or Muslim, I probably would say have a happy holiday. If someone doesn't like it, they can say, I'm sorry I don't celebrate Christmas. I'll say I'm sorry, and that will be that.
2007-12-03 06:00:30 · answer #5 · answered by chemcook 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My take on this is this:
If you celebrate Christmas go ahead and wish a Merry Christmas to anyone from any faith and background, because either:
1) They celebrate it too and will appreciate the greetings
or
2)They don't celebrate it but will know from your greetings that you do and they will appreciate that you're extending your celebration and joyful wishes to them.
Either way it's a good thing and in defense of people whom I know don't celebrate Christmas, absolutely NONE of them would mind if someone says Merry Christmas to them. Not a single one. And if someone (usually someone who's had a bad experience with overzealot Christians) minds that you're wishing them a Merry Christmas, then they can take your good intentions and well wishes and reject it. It's their loss since it's the intention of the greetings that counts.
2007-12-03 06:02:21 · answer #6 · answered by TJTB 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
no, because even if they do not celebrate the holiday, it is a national holiday and you are wishing them to have a good time for that day. i do not know why someone would not like hearing it, if you are wishing them happiness and a good time in this general season. Also, i think the term "happy holidays" is crazy. i miss wishing people merry christmas. Happy Holidays sounds so fake. so i still wish people a merry christmas.
2007-12-03 05:45:16 · answer #7 · answered by laure 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't think Merry Christmas is a religious statement or act, so I don't think it could be sacreligious. I'm a Jew, people say Merry Christmas to me all the time and I say it back. Whether I celebrate it or not, I will be alive (hopefully) on Dec. 25th, and I hope it's a merry day, no matter what I'm doing. People who get offended by someone trying to wish them well are misguided.
2007-12-03 05:49:48 · answer #8 · answered by CNJRTOM 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋
I don't think so. I always say Merry Christmas to everyone, even if they are not christians, just like they say Happy Halloween to me. I think it would be impossible to know to wants to hear it and who doesn't. I also try to explain to others that christmas is not about Santa, presents, etc. I tell them about the true meaning of christmas, which is the birth of Jesus Christ. I see many people who don't even believe in God celebrating christmas, because it seems to have lost its meaning to so many people, that they don't even know what they are celebrating anymore.
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYONE!
2007-12-03 05:49:35 · answer #9 · answered by tl 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
So I hear that's politically incorrect to declare Merry Christmas; i think it is happy trip trips now. I for one think of between the justifications Atheists rejoice this holiday is by means of the fact human beings have come to apply it as a thank you to instruct human beings around them that they are well worth their time,favored and enjoyed very plenty via present giving and coming collectively in the process the holiday.
2016-12-30 11:11:59 · answer #10 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋