Yanks - Why do they say Happy Holiday?

TheBlueRaja · 24-12-2005, 12:33

Its Merry Christmas after all - isnt it?

Or is this some sort of PC bullsquit?

**Paul M** · 24-12-2005, 13:06

No idea.

TheBlueRaja · 24-12-2005, 13:52

And to think i wondered why you had nearly 10,000 posts...

24-12-2005, 13:56

Oh No! Not this again. Some discussion on the "Christmas Is Banned" thread if you really want to pursue!

Me, I'll just wish you a very merry Christmas, one and all.

Kliro · 24-12-2005, 13:58

They don't see Christmas as a big holiday?? So they count it with thanksgivins and new year?

24-12-2005, 14:08

Yeah they see thanksgiving and new year as the big ones, they also Independence day big too.

goblin · 24-12-2005, 14:08

I was watching CNN sometime just before Christmas last year and there was a report that some whitehouse official or member of their senate had issued cards which didn't meet with approval owing to them having "Merry Christmas" printed on them. The report said there was some dissatisfaction as it had become accepted that "Happy Holidays" was the accepted term these days owing to the culteral diversity of the USA. They also pointed out that the person concerned wasn't the only person to "get it wrong" as some stores, in particular a big toystore (Can't remember its name, but its the largest in the world apparantly) had also got it wrong as their signage had "Merry Christmas" instead of the preffered alternative.

If you search the CNN.com site you will find it, I'm sure. I just had a look and found this:

Tiptoeing around 'Merry Christmas,' er, 'Happy Holidays' Sunday, December 18, 2005; Posted: 10:59 a.m. EST (15:59 GMT)
http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/12/18/chr...eut/index.html so we can assume that things haven't improved much from last year.

HTH

Marge · 24-12-2005, 14:10

Have a read of this one as well

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051218/...art_holidays_6

I think what they are saying is Happy Holidays covers everything, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year but some folk don't like it

fireman328 · 24-12-2005, 14:17

Yanks - Why do they say Happy Holiday?

Because they can't spell Christmas

scoob · 24-12-2005, 14:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kliro

They don't see Christmas as a big holiday?? So they count it with thanksgivins and new year?

It's probably lower than thanksgiving.

Christmas is such a big thing here because it is so dark and rubbish at this time of year, without it we'd probably crack up.

American's actually get more time off at thanksgiving, because it is over a weekend they get about 4 days off so they can go places or visit family. American's get much less holiday time than we do, so you can see why it counts for them.

I don't understand why everyone is so offended. Is Easter not a much bigger even in the calendar for Christians??

**Russ** · 24-12-2005, 14:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by scoob

I don't understand why everyone is so offended. Is Easter not a much bigger even in the calendar for Christians??

It's a MUCH bigger date...but the days of Christmas being celebrated soley by Christians has long gone.

gazzae · 24-12-2005, 15:30

Not just yanks. They say it in canada as well.

patrickp · 24-12-2005, 15:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by Russ D

Quote:

Originally Posted by scoob

I don't understand why everyone is so offended. Is Easter not a much bigger even in the calendar for Christians??

It's a MUCH bigger date...but the days of Christmas being celebrated soley by Christians has long gone.

They were never here in the first place. Christmas was not originally a Christian holiday - nor, for that matter, was Easter.

punky · 24-12-2005, 15:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marge

I think what they are saying is Happy Holidays covers everything, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year but some folk don't like it

That's right, because they call it a holiday season. They say Happy Holidays because it starts with Thanksgiving (last thursday in November. Then you have advent, and then Hannukah (early december), then you have Christmas, and somewhere in there too, Kwanzaa.

It's just for simplicity really, instead of saying loads of different phrases, happy thanksgiving, happy hannukah, merry christmas, all at different times, they can just use one catch-all phrase. They also only need to get one sign printed up. So its nothing to do with PCness at all. Sorry.

**Russ** · 24-12-2005, 15:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by patrickp

They were never here in the first place. Christmas was not originally a Christian holiday - nor, for that matter, was Easter.

Yes they are. Christmas is when we celebrate Christ's birth, Easter is when we celebrate his resurrection.

What you are probably referring to is the way they are celebrated. But the events are Christian.