I almost put out my blog yesterday because it would have been more timely, but I didn’t want to confuse anyone…I choose to be consistent, and Fridays are blog days. Anyway… for many years now, I have always wished people Happy Holidays rather than Merry Christmas. Why? The simple answer is that it is more inclusive. Although I’m not terribly religious and have long since stopped celebrating Christmas with my wife, other than having a nice meal and wishing her a Merry Christmas, that is not why I always say “Happy Holidays.” The reality at our age is that we either have everything we need or we simply go out and buy it when we want. However, a war has been brewing for years over whether to say Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays. It is not about dissing Christian beliefs; it’s about respect for all beliefs. Although to hear the right talk about the issue, us lefties are being sooooo disrespectful. So, of course, I wanted to research this war. Here’s what I learned:

A 2016 poll found that 66% of Democrats believed that businesses should greet customers with “Happy Holidays,” compared with 28% of Republicans.
Here’s the funny thing…both sayings have religious roots. Both come from Old English. Christmas from “Cristes Maesse” or Mass of Christ, which was first used in 1038. Holiday emerged in the 1500s, replacing the medieval word for “haliday” which comes from the Old English term “haligdaeg” meaning holy day.
The phrase “Happy Holidays” dates back to 1863, when it appeared in the Philadelphia Inquirer. And the saying really gained ground in the mid-20th century, as evidenced by multiple ads run between 1935 – 1942 by the tobacco company, RJ Reynolds of Winston-Salem. In one ad, the company proclaimed, “A gift of Camels says, ‘Happy Holidays and Happy Smoking!'” All the ads featured recognizable Christmas symbols, such as trees, reindeer, and Santa Claus.
Besides Happy Holidays, Season’s Greetings is another more inclusive term. A search of presidential Christmas cards shows that in the 50’s, Dwight D. Eisenhower’s cards read, “Season’s Greetings.” Additionally, Clinton, JFK, Lyndon Johnson, and Ronald Reagan all made a concerted effort not to alienate non-Christians in their holiday messages.
The war gained traction in 2005 in right-wing circles, stating there was a “War on Christmas” when President George W. Bush omitted the word “Christmas” on the White House holiday card. The right-wing machine noted that the last time a presidential card mentioned Christmas was in 1992 during George H.W. Bush’s presidency.
The debate was not reflected in greeting cards because Hallmark’s first Christmas cards featured “Merry Christmas,” “Christmas Greetings,” and “Season’s Greetings” on the front of each design. Other sayings included: “Joyful Greetings” and “Yuletide Greetings.” Hallmark added Hanukkah cards in the 50s and Kwanza cards in the 90s.

As I said before, I am not religious, but I certainly do not take offense when someone wishes me a Merry Christmas. I choose to take that at face value, someone simply wishing me well during the holiday season. Likewise, no one should be offended if I choose a more inclusive term, such as Happy Holidays! I know it’s a day late, but Ali Spooner and I did write a delightful story called Humbug if you’re still in the Holiday Spirit! Just click below for links to get any of my books, including Humbug. Happy Holidays, Seasons Greetings, and Merry Christmas.