Is "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays" offensive?

Either way it's happy right? If said someone Happy Hanukah, even though I don't celebrate, I'd say thanks you too. Someones giving you warm wishes it's not suppost to be offensive either way...

 

The only thing I find offensive is when people complain about "Happy Holidays". Like their holiday is all that matters.

 

doesn't bother me at all

 

I don't see why it would be offensive. If someone came to me and said "Happy Hanukkah", I'd be glad to see people embracing their beliefs.

 

Merry Christmas
Happy Holidays
Happy Festivus
Happy Kwanzaa
Happy Hanukkah

All the same to me - being offended simply because you don't celebrate something that someone is wishing you a good one of seems a bit petty to me.

 

*reads title*

are you fvcking kidding me

 

Why would it be offensive? I'm wishing you something good and there's no reason to get upset about it, y'know? I don't celebrate Hannukah, but I certainly wouldn't get offended if people told me "Happy Hannukah!".

 

None of it is offensive (speaking as an atheist myself). Besides, Christmas isn't even a Christian holiday really, so why should I give a shit what they decide to call it and what kind of connotations they choose to give it? Everyone can give it their own meaning, and being upset about it is just childish.

Personally I say happy holidays but I won't take offense to 'christmas'.

 

I don't personally take offense at anything.

Although it would feel odd being wished Happy Hanukkah, given that I don't celebrate it. I have to imagine people who don't celebrate Christmas feel the same way when wished a Merry Christmas. Plus I can understand that some might not like it--people who are Jewish, for example, and doing all they can to protect their religious heritage.

Thus, I usually go with some sort of generic "happy holidays" unless I know what specific holidays a person might celebrate.

I can't say for sure, but I'd bet that the people who take offense at "Happy Holidays" are either political conservatives who dream of a return to a 1950s style "white Christians on top" America. Or else conservative Christians, many (most?) of whom would also like to see me drop dead because I'm gay.

 

[YOUTUBE]73vcbde8Cb8[/YOUTUBE]
Memories~ :lol:

Though I've never seen the full version until now! xD

 

I'm Jewish and I don't get offended if someone I don't know wishes me Merry Christmas. I also think Happy Holidays encompasses the entirety of the festive days around this time of year, not just Hanukkah or Christmas.

 

"Merry Holidays" tends to get me confused looks, but I love it!

 

i'm not religious in the slightest but honestly, i don't care. you call tell me to have a happy winter solstice or happy hanukkah and i'd be down with it because it's a nice thing to do.

i usually just say "happy holidays" though. people who complain about "keeping christ in christmas" really, really gets on my nerves imo.

 

the caveat to this post is that I'm religious and hate New Atheism (or movement Atheism)

Atheists who complain about people saying "Merry Christmas" to them as Christofascist oppression of their religion need to grow up.

Now, should state institutions be saying "Merry Christmas" or something laong those lines? I'd argue no, because it does promote a specific religious belief. However, private institutions and private citizens are in no obligation to do so.

That said, the other side of this issue, the fundie Christians who think that "Happy Holidays (a secular and inclusive greeting) is demonstrating a war on Christmas or the deChristianization of America are also full of shit.

---------- Post added 22nd Dec 2014 at 03:55 PM ----------

I don't think the outrage of some New Atheist types is manufactured, there are legitimately some members of that community that have persecution complexes a la the fundamentalist right.

 

I remember seeing a post on Facebook one year that said something like.

"Happy Holidays.
Welcome to Canada, Merry fucking Christmas."
It is stuff like that, that really bothers me. I don't care what kind of seasons greeting people give me, as long as they don't say stuff like that.

Being inclusive is a good thing.

 

I will say Happy Holidays until a person would tell me to address them otherwise, as I would have no idea what they would celebrate. To me, I honestly do not care what people wish me, I will accept it as a well intended comment and move on.

 

I'm not offended by either, and I use whichever I feel like using. I celebrate Christmas but even if I didn't I don't think I'd be bothered by someone saying merry Christmas to me.

My dad gets angry when people say either to him, because he dislikes holidays. Especially Christmas.

 

No! It's perfectly fine unless they're saying it in a sarcastic manner and about to blow my brains out with a shotgun. Both are acceptable wishes. This reminds me of the time I wished a guy 'happy valentine's day' and he ranted about how stupid it was. I just thought it would be more fitting than saying 'good day' because it was 14th feb. Oh, well, I can't read minds!