"Merry Christmas"... who takes offense?

MERRY CHRISTMAS TEE!!! Actually, I get offended when people say Happy Holidays!!! I ALWAYS respond & a Very Merry Christmas to you too!!! As far as my clients at work, I know each of them personally. I say Merry Christmas to the Christians & Happy Holidays to the nonChristians. I work with a lady who is jewish by marriage (Catholic by birth). She gets upset when she receives a Christmas card, yet she sends Hanukkah cards to all the people she knows no matter whether Jewish or Christian. And, YES, she expects a Christmas gift every years. She doesn't come into work on Christmas. She takes ALL the Christian holidays & then she takes ALL the Jewish ones too!!!

Sad, isn't it? There's just some people in this world that live to be negative, and will find the slightest word to be offensive. I wrote a discussion last year about how in Australia they were banning Santa Claus from saying "Ho Ho Ho" because it was degrading to women there. Come on now. These are the same type of people I'm talking about. Same one's ban wonderful fantastic books, tv shows, music, anything they can complain about and react to without no justification as far as I'm concerned. They seem to thrive on making your life as miserable as their's is. Like I said, sad isn't it? By the way, Merry Christmas, lol!

It bothers me. As you know, I am Christian, but it bothers me and I'll explain why. I vividly recall when I was a child walking into a local store; Roses. In case you don't know of the chain, it's similar to a walmart, but the prices are lower, lol. Anyway, I was about 6 or 7 and my cousin was staying with us for a bit. He is from my father's side and was/is jewish. As we walked out of the store, the person wished us a merry christmas. My cousin was holding my mom's hand and he looked at her and asked "What about me?" This has stuck with me for 32 years. Christmas does not apply to all. Am I offended? NO. Of course not. But I do think people need to think and understand that not everyone celebrates christmas. And some small ones can be hurt by not being included.

Merry Christmas Tee! So what will Santa be bringing you and Brian tonight? Hmmmmmm

oh ,it quite difficult for me as I am working in a hospital .we got in-pt who have to stay in hospital when Christmas or even New Year !how could I said to them "Merry Christmas "or "Happy New Year "!do you think they will be happy for living in a hospital through the holiday ? and I have to working at Christmas Eve ,I am not happy too .but I would say I felt OK when somebody saying "Merry Christmas "to me .let me felt be cared .

WEll lets say you are a christian. well lets say a muslim says Christians stink! (nothing against musim people) would you be offended?

I take no offense. But I do when people say Happy Holidays. As that means to me they are being kurt. But not really caring what holiday is being celebrated. Almost like they are a robot and must make a response. I don't say anything as I feel they are not trying to hurt my feelings. I respect their saying is different than mine.

No offense taken here. A happy holidays would be more appropriate but the point is still there.

I don't say Merry Christmas. I don't assume that everyone is Christian.I always say Happy Holidays. This year with Christmas being a day of Hanukkah, this saying was Really appropriate.When some one says Merry Christmas to me, I say it back. They just don't know that I am Jewish. Am I offended? No, it is just the person being loving during the holidays.

Someone needs to explain this to me as well. Generally, I consider myself Christian. I wouldn't be offended if someone came to me and wished me a Happy Hanukkah! I don't know one person that would be offended if you wished them a happy holiday that they didn't celebrate. If you are offended, you shouldn't be! If someone wishes you the wrong holiday, wish them yours! Its really not that big a deal, nor is it that complicated. This really is nitpicking.

[i]Hello II2aTee, I don't get offended when someone greets me with their holidays. I am a Christian and I would like to greet you a "Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year" too. I thinks it's best to respect each other religious greetings and belief. I tried to understand what's the meaning of the greeting so I don't get someone offended when I say it. Regards.[/i]

Being a Christian I, of course, am not offended by Merry Christmas. Happy holiday doesn't bother me either. What does bother me is when employees are not allowed the say Merry Christmas but rather happy holidays. I want to say to them, "what holiday?" just to see if they will say Christmas.

I do not celebrate christmas but I do not deny others the right to celebrate it however they wish. When someone in a business wishes me a merry christmas I cannot in good conscience return the favor but neither is it appropriate to get into a discussion of why I don't celebrate. In cases like this I just say thank you and go on about my business. People are not trying to start an argument or even a discussion by wishing you a merry christmas so saying thank you is an appropriate response that acknowledges that you realize they are wishing you well without compromising your beliefs.

I had bought into the "Happy Holidays" thing for a ling time, but recently I just decided to start saying Merry Christmas again, and it feels a lot better. If people are offended, that is more their problem than mine.

peace be with us, peace, peace, peace, merry christmas to you all..

I honestly don't know of any non-Christians that get offended by the term "Merry Christmas", but I know plenty of Christians who get offended by "Happy Holidays". It almost feels like a double standard, really. People complain about how others get offended by Merry Christmas, then they turn around and get offended by Happy Holidays. I'm an atheist, and I celebrate Christmas. I don't get offended by holiday greetings, no matter how their worded. I'll take a 'Merry Christmas', 'Happy Hannukah', or 'Happy Holidays' with gratitude. A sincere greeting is better than no greeting at all.

II2aTee, I would not be offended at all and I am sure for non Christians as well. It is simply a time for good tidings, goodwill and festive spirit, where it is suppose to let everyone young and old all over the world to have a good time. It is not making anyone conform to anything and besides it is also a recognized international public holiday. So, compliments of the season here, my friend.

Heya Tee I work in customer service (as a check out chick LOL). Personally I don't like to assume that anyone is going to celebrate Christmas. If I serve a person who is obviously Muslim (a woman wearing a burda for example), then I am not about to wish them a Merry Christmas. I guess that is where the potential for offense comes in... when someone 'assumes' that you hold the same convictions as them. Some people hold extremely strong opinions of their religious convictions and take offense quite easily to anything that would seem to oppose those fundamental convictions. I learned this lesson as a child. I would have been about 11 years old. My family had some visitors just before Christmas, a young family with a son who would have been about five. Anyway, I asked him what he was hoping Santa would bring him for Christmas. He looked at me and replied very matter of factly that 'Santa doesn't come to my house!' You see, his parents were Jehovah's Witnesses or Mormon and they didn't believe in Christmas the way it is celebrated in Western society. That encounter taught me that not everyone had the same convictions that I did and that there were many other points of view available in society. So yes, now I try not to assume anything like that. As for me, well, very little offends me. I understand that people make assumptions. It's a natural and sometimes regrettable fact of human nature. I try to keep that in mind when people make assumption and/or generalizations.

Merry Christmas Tee and Brian! I celebrate Christmas cause my kids and grandkids want to and see nothing wrong with it..I have Pagan, Jewish and non anything that say it to me and i say it back cause we all tend to do the Holiday thing no matter what..plus its a day off for me!..lol.. Huggs and miss you

I just consider the motive behind the greeting and know there is no harm meant. I have no religion but honor all for the good they do, not the harm. Happy New Year to you