Happy New Year, but Merry Christmas.”. While I think there's way too much focus on this in general, I have to award technicality points to the usage of "Happy Holidays" simply because it doesn't presume and it doesn't exclude. In the melting pot that is America, we're all entitled to express our respective beliefs. The campaign against “Merry Christmas” and other uses of the word “Christmas” is a war on Christianity or, more precisely, a war on the religious nature of America. It should be noted that Jews, Muslims and others who do not celebrate Christmas often say they are not offended by a hearty “Merry Christmas.”. I get a little sad because despite all of the online and print campaigns I have seen encouraging inclusivity by saying “Happy Holidays,” people still fail to recognize any winter holiday other than Christmas; they fail to account for me, and so many people like me, who joyfully celebrate something else. So, in Quebec, Canada, you can't say "Merry Christmas" anymore. 353k members in the forwardsfromgrandma community. For those of us who don’t celebrate Christmas, the red cup was a wonderful moment of a major company taking a clear public step to be inclusive of other faiths. Staff Writer Thursday Dec 15, 2016 at 12:01 AM Dec 15, 2016 at 4:42 PM. But we can't send that same six-year-old to school with a pack of Christmas cards to wish his classmates a Merry Christmas. The greeting “Happy Holidays” has been in use as a Christmas greeting for more than 100 years. The most organized attack on Christmas came from the Puritans, who banned celebrations of the holiday in the 17th century because it did not accord with their interpretation of the Bible. They believe we should not say “Merry Christmas” because it might offend those of different faiths, like Muslims or Jews or Hindus. Why can’t we even say Merry Christmas anymore?’” Bachmann added that Trump had “1950s sensibilities” and “1950s common sense,” and warned that Hillary Clinton would bring “certain destruction” and “catastrophic decline” and a “godless United States that … It was a concerted effort on the part of a major multinational corporation to recognize that we live in an extremely diverse and multicultural world and to be inclusive of all the holidays celebrated between November and January, it made its cups plain red. How did the word “Merry” get added to this specific holiday? President Trump reignited the "war on Christmas” on Friday, telling a crowd of supporters that "we're saying merry Christmas again" now that he's president. “Retailers are taking this seriously, and thinking about these issues in a way they never did before,” he said. You Can’t Say ‘Merry Christmas’ Anymore! This copy is for your personal non-commercial use only. Author has 942 answers and 429.4K answer views. It is good to include other beliefs and holidays during a time of year when you can not escape the upcoming Christian holiday. Anything other than Merry Christmas. Mr. Gibson said in an interview that he was “amazed” by the uproar his book caused. He’s saved a thousand jobs in the state of Indiana, which means a thousand — not only those direct 1,000 jobs, 1,100, but all the extra jobs that go along with that — which means a great Christmas, which you can say again. So why don’t we say “Happy Christmas”? We said we wouldn't say ... cowardly messages such as 'Season's Greetings' have already pushed out 'Merry Christmas'. I think it's very nice. I am without words. You can't just say Merry Christmas anymore. I can’t explain anything to anyone. Mr. Gibson said the book had taken on a life of its own over the years — and that it had never dwelled on the political implications of “Happy Holidays.”. And this self-appointed adage applies just as much to the ever persistent rumour that claims we are no longer allowed to say “Merry Christmas”. “When I started 18 months ago, I told my first crowd in Wisconsin that we are going to come back here some day and we are going to say ‘Merry Christmas’ again,” he said. Why can’t we even say Merry Christmas anymore?’” Like usual, Bachmann isn’t interested in religious liberty, she is interested in Christian supremacy. Just curious why you can't say Merry Christmas anymore? I think it was more Bill, to tell you the truth,” he said. Misleading sensationalistic title is misleading. I have assumed best intent my entire life. Copied to clipboard; Where Does Merry Christmas Come From? But if I was to receive a Merry Christmas from soneone, I am no way going to kick off the, but depending on how I am, I am not going to be jumping for joy etc, as I say thanks. That’s 500 cups going from that Starbucks out onto the street and to park benches, office desks, and public waste bins. And lest we think he’s not really being serious, in this this audio interview, after claiming that Christians are having their power taken away, Mr. Trump says, “One of the things I always say, and I say it light-heartedly, but I mean it — it’s actually not supposed to be so light-hearted […] is we are going to start saying ‘Merry Christmas’ again. If you know someone celebrates Christmas you can go with “Merry Christmas,” but ‘tis the season for interacting with strangers (selling to them, buying from them, bumping into them on your way out of Target). Star Newspapers Limited and/or its licensors. While I'm not willing to create a debate on who have the rights to come and live here, there's another question in play, as it is happening now. The Origin of Merry Christmas. We are called upon to say “Happy holiday” or … When many say that ‘Merry Christmas’ is offensive are really just … When 500 Starbucks cups going walking down the street covered in Christmas trees and reindeer they are sending a definite message about the reigning position of Christianity in our purportedly secular society. That's why some people would prefer to say Happy Holidays or Merry X-mas instead of Merry CHRISTmas. With the difficult year I have had and still having, as much as I want others to have a happy or merry Christmas, I can’t say it. ... Donald Trump announces 'we can say Merry Christmas again' The President vows to fight the so-called 'war on Christmas' Daily Coronavirus Briefing. Last year, Mr. Trump criticized Starbucks at a rally in Illinois. There are, however, people who demand that we not say Happy Holidays, and that's the real Political Correctness. Now, according to the cyber whispers and online cries, we should really say “Happy Holidays” otherwise we may – of course – “offend the Muslims”. Earlier this month, the A.C.L.U. Now, according to the cyber whispers and online cries, we should really say “Happy Holidays” otherwise we may – of course – “offend the Muslims”. We always just said ‘merry Christmas.’ . One of President-elect Donald J. Trump’s campaign promises was to say “Merry Christmas” a lot. He attributed the firestorm to two things: The book’s take-no-prisoner’s title (“The War on Christmas: How the Liberal Plot to Ban the Sacred Christian Holiday Is Worse Than You Thought”) and the Fox News host Bill O’Reilly. The short answer: a sometimes histrionic yuletide debate over whether the United States is a country that respects Christianity. Every time I go into an establishment and someone wishes me “Merry Christmas” I get a little sad. If I assume best intent, it means I need to silently accept that my holidays aren’t important; that my faith shouldn’t be openly acknowledged or celebrated. What is that, you may ask? THE BIG DEBATE: For more opposing view columns from Toronto Star contributors, click here. Why do we say Merry Christmas and not Happy Christmas? It’s okay to say! An Ohio couple says they've sold almost 15,000 "Just say Merry Christmas" bracelets. “When I started 18 months ago, I told my first crowd in Wisconsin that we are going to come back here some day and we are going to say ‘Merry Christmas’ again,” he said. So it sounds like you can say "Merry Christmas" to other people privately, you can have a Christmas tree on your own property, and you can exchange Christmas presents with friends and family.Just not public organisations in the public towards the public. Copyright owned or licensed by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. So, Merry Christmas everyone. But it has grown in popularity in recent decades as people have tried to be inclusive and sensitive to those of other faiths and the nonreligious. “Christmas celebrations in this country are alive and well,” Mr. Mach said. The cups were red. Merry Christmas. program on freedom of religion and belief, said his organization has also defended people’s right to engage in Christmas-related activity, including a Pennsylvania inmate who wanted to organize a communal prayer. “Merry Christmas.” Because Donald Trump is now the President, you can say it again! “That’s a hell of a slippery slope, but that’s the argument being made.”. Merry Christmas: If your boss forces you to use a religious greeting to customers, you have the right to say no, unless your job really does require you to do so.Obviously, if your job is department store Santa, you have to say it. Assuming ignorance is easier, and better, than assuming best intent. Likewise, say 'Happy Hanukkah' to a person you know is Jewish, etc. In 2012 he told viewers that liberals were “tying the Christmas situation into secular progressive politics” because they wanted “a new America, and traditional Christmas isn’t a part of it.”. As we walked to the car, my daughter looked mortified and said, "why did you say that? Yet I support the use of Merry Christmas as a greeting. I don't see anything wrong with that. Popular Posts. They riled against Starbucks for joining in the “war on Christmas.”. Today, some use it as a weapon in the war of words. So where did the idea that it is threatened come from? No Christmas trees, reindeer, or other traditional hallmarks of their holiday season cups. When I say "Merry Christmas," it's my hope that you feel the positive impact of the spirit of the holiday. The Christmas tree is amazingly flexible, able to shift with the times and the beliefs of those who embrace it. mailbag@news-press.com. Christmas Day was a day most commonly celebrated by the people which is why President Ulysses S. Grant made it a national holiday in 1870 however when it was worded by the President it was called the twenty-fifth day of December (not Christmas).. Why can’t we say ‘Merry Christmas” anymore without offending people? Christmas is a federal holiday celebrated widely by the country’s Christian majority. I have never got upset when someone said Happy Hanukkah. A study by Fairleigh Dickinson University found that watching Fox News increased the likelihood that someone would believe in the War on Christmas by 5 to 10 percent. While there are indications ‘Merry Christmas’ was used as far back as the 1500s, the phrase was not popular until 1843, when two things happened. The Obamas might have put “holidays” on their card, but they also always sent out a “Merry Christmas” wish to people, so everything is wrong … . They can’t handle the phrase ‘Merry Christmas’. Employees at the Department of Energy and Climate Change have … To order copies of The controversy appears to have shifted opinion about the proper greeting. Don't say 'Merry Christmas', it might offend someone, says Whitehall guidance. “It’s one of those things, you want to say Merry Christmas but you don’t want to offend anybody, and that’s why people say happy holidays,” an American friend explained later. Yes, America, we can say Merry Christmas, and we can say it loud and proud. The media is another major player when it comes to the growing controversy around the words Merry Christmas. Entries on the 2016 naughty list include Barnes & Noble, Best Buy and Victoria’s Secret. This year, let’s bring back the red cup. Yet rarely does one generation keep and use Christmas trees as did the generation before. Nobody who doesn't celebrate a religious holiday should have to use religious greetings. Nobody who doesn't celebrate a religious holiday should have to use religious greetings. But what if you want to say, “Hi! Once upon a time, Merry Christmas, was just a happy sentiment. “They want to eradicate anything that reminds Americans of Christianity.”. I'm sure I'll regret the onslaught of religious debates that will posted, but this is just me being curious. The way I see it, someone is just wishing good times based on whatever their background is. If you know someone is a Christian who is celebrating Christmas you should say to them 'Merry Christmas.' “Merry Christmas.” Because Donald Trump is now the President, you can say it again! It was Starbucks’ version of saying “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas.”. For over a decade, these debates have taken place mainly on conservative talk radio and cable programs. The red cup was a step toward atoning for the overt lack of inclusion of other religions in corporate holiday celebrations. rights reserved. Mr. Cassino said the boycott calls have had some success in pressuring businesses. The cups were red. 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