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The Majority of Americans Prefer To Be Greeted With 'Merry Christmas' Over 'Happy Holidays', a Poll Finds

"Merry Christmas" is the preferred greeting of a strong majority of Americans. A survey carried in conjunction by news outlet Axios and SurveyMonkey found that 65 percent of the participants wish to be greeted with "Merry Christmas," while 28% prefer "Happy Holidays."

6 of 410 comments (clear)

  1. Yes, but that's not the issue. by JoshuaZ · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Happy holidays is inclusive for everyone, and includes people who don't celebrate Christmas. Merry Christmas is fundamentally exclusionary. I'm Jewish, and I don't care much, but after living in Alabama for a while, I can see why people care. Let me tell a story that's relevant that occurred with a work colleague (who already knew I was Jewish based on earlier conversations) when I was in Alabama (this occurred about December 20th or so last year):

    Colleague: So are you going anywhere for Christmas break? Me: Well, for break, I'll be spending time with my family who is going to be in Puerto Rico, and my wife is going back to visit her family back North. Colleague: So you won't be together for Christmas? That's sad! Me: Well, the relevant winter holiday for Jews is Channukah, which isn't a big family holiday for us. The big family holidays are Passover and the Jewish New Year. Colleague: Oh ok, have a Merry Christmas, Me: You too, NAME.

    It was like he could not get in his head that someone didn't celebrate Christmas. Given that, it isn't at all surprising that some people find the repeated "Merry Christmas" really uncomfortable.

  2. Loathing by mentil · · Score: 3, Interesting

    The only reason 'happy holidays' exists is because of people who are triggered by hearing 'merry christmas'. Unless the poll records how many people HATE 'merry christmas', then it won't reveal why 'happy holidays' exists.

    --
    Corruption is convincing someone that the selfless ideal is the same as their selfish ideal.
  3. Re:Worst slashdot article ever? by HanzoSpam · · Score: 4, Interesting

    No.

    "Tolerance and apathy are the last virtues of a dying society."
    --Aristotle

    --

    Progressivism: Parasites helping parasites to help themselves - to other people's stuff.
  4. I prefer "Merry Newtonmas"! "Happy Halloween" also by ToTheStars · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Sir Isaac Newton was definitely verifiably born on Dec 25, 1642. To be fair, that was under the Julian Calendar, which corresponds to Jan 4 on our calendar, but it's as good a reason for the season as any. (Well, after axial tilt, of course, and orbital eccentricity on certain planets.) Sometimes I get really mixed up and say "Happy Halloween" because, y'know, DEC 25 == OCT 31.

    Aside: even ca. 200 AD, people were mostly guessing when Jesus Christ was actually born. The Church picked the date December 25 to align with the Roman celebration of the winter solstice, even though the date was "probably" wrong (and in fact some Eastern churches celebrate Christmas on Dec 25 in non-Gregorian calendars, and they definitely can't all be right), because the point of Christmas is celebrating Jesus's birth (and life, teachings, and death/resurrection^H^H^H^H bad weekend), not getting the exact dates right.

  5. Re:The US is a Christian nation by meglon · · Score: 3, Interesting
    The Declaration of Independence is not the reason this country exists, it was a declaration, mid-war, that the colonies would no longer submit to rule by the crown; that the relationship between colonies and crown were dissolved. It said nothing other than that about the future.

    ....as for religion....

    You should check out the Constitution where the only references to religion is:

    Article VI, subsection 3

    ....but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.

    ...or the Bill of Rights....

    Amendment 1

    Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof....

    Both of those are explicit prohibitions on government from promoting any given religion over any other.

    Or check out the Treaty of Tripoli....

    Article 11

    As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion.....

    The Treaty of Tripoli was signed 10 years after the Constitution, and was passed unanimously by congress. Over half of the members of congress at that time had also signed the Constitutional.

    --
    Fascism: An authoritarian and nationalistic right-wing system of government and social organization. See also: NAZI's
  6. Re:Preference vs. STRONG preference by mschwanke97402 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Also, do you go around saying "Happy Columbus day"

    Why yes, I do. Also Veterans Day and others too.