December 8, 2007
Christmas musings
Written by Cindy Kirk in Jaunty PostRasmussen Reports released a poll shortly after Thanksgiving on Americans’ attitudes towards holiday greetings in stores. Poll respondents were asked to choose between the traditional “Merry Christmas” greeting and the more modern “Happy Holidays.” Sixty-seven percent of respondents preferred to be wished a “Merry Christmas,” versus 26% who preferred “Happy Holidays,” nearly a three to one margin.
This was interesting to me because I did a two hour stint ringing bells for the Salvation Army and we were encouraged to say Happy Holidays and strongly discouraged from saying Merry Christmas. I tried HH for awhile but when everyone responded with “Merry Christmas,” I switched to MC.
How about you? Traditional Merry Christmas? or Modern Happy Holidays?
I have two more quick holiday questions.
Fake or Real tree??
I went to a wall-hugging fake tree about five years ago. It was a bit expensive but I bought it at 75% off on the-day-after-Christmas sale one year. It’s a great looking tree. The reason I love it is a) I don’t have to worry about a fire b) I don’t have to go out and search for a tree every year c) I don’t have to remember to water it (my plants can attest that I’m not good about giving liquids) and d) it’s the perfect size every year.
I do miss the smell of a real tree, but that’s about it. Your thoughts??
One last comment on the all important subject of holiday stamps. I bought some religious ones and some fun Christmas ones. I just can’t bear to send out Christmas cards with flag stamps on them. What about you?? Do you notice the stamps on the cards you get or am I paying waaaaay too much attention to something that no one even notices?
And, can you believe Christmas is less than three weeks away???? Yikes, I’d better get shopping.
What about you? What greeting do you prefer. I have to say I prefer Merry Christmas.
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Taryn Raye Says:
I prefer Merry Christmas to Happy Holidays, I have a fake tree for all the same reasons you do and stamps? I thought I was the only one who had to have the holiday ones! LOL I got 2 books of each this year.
I didn’t this year, but I used to take a red pen and a green pen and would draw “holly” in the corner of each and every envelope, or beside my name(real name is Holly).
I can’t believe how close we are to Christmas now. We’ve gotten our shopping done, so far as I know, other than a few treats to put in the kids stockings. But before Christmas we still have our kids birthdays- my stepson was born the 11th and our daughter’s is the 13th- 9 and 5 respectively. We have to go tomorrow to Baskin Robbins to put in our order for their shared birthday ice cream cake.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Cindy Kirk Says:
Taryn,
Thank you, thank you, thank you for your comment on the stamps. I really was wondering if I was the only one.
Ymmm, ice cream cake…one of my favorite treats!
Jenna Petersen Says:
No, I have to get the Christmas stamps. But the only non-religious ones this year are the knitted ones, which I think are weird, but I had no other choice, so there you go.
Rainy Says:
Happy Holidays is something that just would not come out of my mouth. Maybe if I worked for Hallmark, but otherwise, It’s “Have a merry Christmas.”
I think we have always used the Christmas stamps, but truthfully, if I got a card with a flag on it, I probably wouldn’t notice that.
ladydawgfan Says:
It’s always Merry Christmas with me. Happy Holidays is just so impersonal to me, like you don’t care enough about Christmas to actually express it. JMHO.
We always get a real tree, usually from a tree farm that replants new trees next to the stumps of the ones cut down. The fatter, the better, I always say!!
And Christmas stamps are the way to go, so none of you are alone in purchasing them. Maybe it’s a little bit “Martha,” but using a Christmas stamp on a Christmas card just finishes of the entire package more than a secular stamp ever could.
Merry Christmas, everyone!!
Margo Maguire Says:
I buy Christmas stamps, too. What the heck … I have to buy stamps, so why not?
Real tree, massively huge. My husband will NEVER allow an artificial tree in here.
Merry Christmas.
To my non-Christian friends, it’s happy holidays.
brownone Says:
For me its Happy Holidays. I don’t get all upset when folks tell me Merry Christmas though. I just say say it back to them because that is obviously what they are celebrating. My family is such a melting pot (Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu) that Happy Holidays just seems SO much easier. As for the stamps, I don’t think I have ever really looked at what stamps I get. I guess I don’t pay much attention to detail.
We used to get real trees but vacuuming pine needles is such a b*@ch. Like Cindy, the only thing I think I miss is opening my front door and smelling the freshness of the tree.
Maire Says:
If its two days before X-mas, I’ll definitly say Merry Christmas, but for the whole Holiday season, I prefer Happy Holidays. Simply, it seems unfair to massively exlude other religious groups from our well wishing during the season. Since so many other religions celebrate at this time, I think it is nice to use Happy Holidays to express a unity of brother/sisterhood.
Personally, I love everything Christmas, it is without a doubt my favorite holiday and I love the spirit of generousity… along with the spiffy stamps ( and I love real trees to)
Shana Says:
Oh, my, Cindy! This is a touchy subject for me. All I’ll say is, for me, it’s “Merry CHRISTmas.”
I don’t have a tree–real or fake. I do like the smell of the real trees, though.
Cindy Kirk Says:
Maire, It’s one of my favorite holidays, too.
And I agree with you “real tree” fans…there is something about a real one…not enough to make me get one but picking one out, putting it up and smelling the fresh pine needles do make it a tempting choice.
catslady Says:
I probably say both but prefer the Happy Holidays to include everyone. Always a real tree and the bigger the better - we just spent half a day looking for the right one and will be having a tree trimming party tomorrow. And definitely no flag stamps lol.
ladydawgfan Says:
RE the idea of Merry Christmas not being inclusive, I think the opposite is true. I think that it invites conversation. An example is the following conversation I had with a co-worker just a couple of days ago:
Me: Merry Christmas!
Him: Happy Hannakah!
Me: I didn’t know you were Jewish.
Him: Yes, I am.
Me: Well, Happy Hannakah to you!
Him: And Merry Christmas to you as well!
The point being that I would never have known that he was Jewish if we had safely covered our bases with a generic “happy holidays.” Instead, a conversation was initiated, and a new understanding was reached. And I will be buying him a card and a small Hannakah gift for Monday when I see him next, something that would not have happened without our conversation, since I don’t work in the same office he does.
Cindy Kirk Says:
ladydawgfan, I had a similiar conversation with a slight acquaintance.
Catslady, I think we’re all in agreement– no flag stamps. Unless, of course, we run out of our Christmas stamps!
Kimberly Logan Says:
I always have a problem with this at Christmas time. I usually try to get cards that say Happy Holidays or Season’s Greetings rather than Merry Christmas. But when I greet someone in person, it’s always Merry Christmas.
Oh, and I try to get the Christmas stamps each year, but it doesn’t always work out that way. I think last year I had to use the good old flag stamps, LOL. This year, all they had left was Mary with baby Jesus, which was fine with me. That’s what Christmas is all about after all.