Miserable sods wish you a "Happy Holiday"

Since "Christmas" is a national holiday and it is called "Christmas" on the books why is everyone so freaking scared to offend. It's not like you have a bunch of Budists and Muslims lined up at Walmart and Target. Last time i checked the people where buying freaking Christmas presents lol.

When it's Ramadan just say happy Ramadan for a month G if its the day of hannukah do the same. when it's Christmas say Merry Christmas. Or leave happy holidays up from Nov to Dec :P

The "Holiday" logos on Google are so awful too.. I mean, a freakin' cat and mouse?! What the FREAK has that got to do with Christmas?

Google are especially PC-sensitive being on that "left" side of the country too I suppose ;)

Merry Christmas everyone (now, back to my presents...)

Hanukkah also falls on December 25th this year. So I suppose that Google could wish folks a Merry Christmas and a Happy Hanukkah.

Isn't Kwanza around this time, too? So make that a Merry Christmas and a Happy Hanukkah and a Good Kwanza or whatnot.

Start to see the problem?

Personally, it's my understanding that it's just the far-right ideologues desperate for ratings and such that are highlighting this "war on Christmas." As is often the case, the real truth is sure a heck of a lot less sinister and more logical. Since there are at least several major holidays around this time, it's just much easier to simply wish folks Happy Holidays... and those that don't have a chip on their shoulder are likely to appreciate the sentiment.

P.S. -- Same thing with the doodles. I suppose that Google could have done a doodle of that fella up on a cross. Maybe next to a nice menorah. Then again, maybe (just maybe) it's smarter to offer a fun or silly celebratory logo.

I'm with Adam on this one, after having given it a fair amount of thought. At first I was in the opposite camp, but then it dawned on me that this wasn't about being afraid to say "Christmas" at all.

On the contrary, it was all about showing other beliefs and religions a little respect. It's simply the case that a lot of different festive events happen more or less at the same time, from Saturnalia to Hanukkah. Christmas is just one of them.

The age of Crusades has been over in the civilized countries for several centuries. The civilized approach is tolerance and mutual respect - to live and let live.

So, for those of my sites that display any greetings I have chosen a religion-neutral term.

Oh baloney! "far-right ideologues" - "the age of Crusades has been over..."

Lighten up.. It's Christmas and as far as I remember, a federal holiday in the USA :)

Happy Holidays is for those of us who don't have time to say - Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Good Kwanzaa and Happy New Year. It's more of a convenience thing than an insult.

Besides, if you just say Merry Christmas to everyone, you're going to leave people out, but if you say "happy holidays" - you're including everyone. That's what the US is all about, IMO.

Heh - good points. To confuse things further "Christmas" is actually on the 7th January here in Russia (Orthodox), so yes, it's probably easiest to use "Happy Holidays" even among the Christian denominations.

Well, looking back at my previous note in the thread, I'm realizing I was a bit harsh and unduly sarcastic, and for that I apologize.

The subject just touched a raw nerve, and not because my family is Jewish, either ;). I've actually spent five of the last seven Christmases celebrating the holiday season (yes, that's what I call it, not even meaning to be politically correct) with dear friends in Germany. They have a beautiful tree with real candles, wonderful music... and long, long lingering meals with wine.

To me, that's what this season should be about, no matter what you believe (or whether you even believe in God at all). Family, warmth, friends, food, drink, contemplating, forgiveness, optimism, and so on.

So even to my friends who I *KNOW* are Christian, I wish them a beautiful holiday season and a wonderful new year to come. And I think they know that in my heart, I'm not slighting Christmas or their Christian beliefs or anything like that, and certainly not trying to be politically correct.

Because, IMHO, at least the American form of Christmas has mutated into something not quite what it was meant to be. Hanukkah, too, for that matter. There's the gifting and insane mall traffic and stresses related to that, and then there's contrastingly the more thoughtful side of things. Wishing people the best of the season is my way, at least, of addressing the latter, the more fundamental part of what it means to be spiritual and personal.

Whew. Sorry if I've just veered WAY off topic here. But as you can tell, I've thought a lot about this, and it all has a lot of meaning to me, so there you go :)

Instead of people being flaming asses about being overly sensitive about the holidays maybe the proper etiquette should be that you wish someone whatever you celebrate and they RESPOND in kind with whatever they celebrate instead of acting like offended little babies.

For instance if I say "Merry Christmas" someone could reply "Happy Hanukkah" if that's what they celebrate.

However, I can see why these cheery greetings could irritate people fasting for Ramadan as being cheery around a hungry person isn't nice.

Maybe we should just all dance around the secular Festivus pole and forget about it.

I'll say one thing, you guys sure know how to drain all the warmth out of a fun and cheerful holiday.

am just going to close this thread as it seems to have moved a bit far from it's original intent

hope everyone is having a great "insert whatever you celebrate here" :)