why christmas wishes given by saying "merry christmas" not by "happy christmas??

Merry means happy. It is a wish for you to have happy times in your life. As a christian, it is the greeting I have heard all my life, from my family, friends, church, in songs, in stories. It is simply embedded in me by upbringing. So I wish you happiness at this time of the year. And I wish you merry Christmas, (as by instinct I automatically say). Either way, it means the same. When someone wishes me a Merry Christmas or even happy holiday, I smile, so yes, the words are special to me.

Hi yadav8797, When people wish you happy christmas or merry christmas, it just measns the same thing, be maerry and happy on christmas day and always. Tamara

I agree merry sounds more festive, and I think it is also a word that describes not only a mood but a certain atmosphere. Just like the word jolly, that isn't that often used in daily speach aswell. Being merry or jolly is linked more to a festive scheme than happy. And it might also be a figure of speach for older days that is still used as an tradition.

happy and merry are words that mean very much the same, the reason merry is used is because it is more festive, merry also means having a fun time, happy can mean that too but when we think of celebrations we think of merry time, because people are singing and dancing and joking and it is more a party word than just happy.