Sarah O’Daniel | Reporter
From Print [Dec. 1, 2015] | Legacy
Only a few hours after Halloween ended, my various newsfeeds began to explode with articles and rantings about the “proper etiquette” on how to act while wishing others good cheer over the holidays. The problem that presented itself was the fact that every one of these posts said something different. While some Christians shared posts that advocated the saying of “Merry Christmas,” others shared posts that advocated
“Happy Holidays.” Some people claimed that you should only send well wishes based on the particular holiday people observe, and I even saw some people who claimed that they would refrain from wishing anyone any type of holiday cheer all together.
As these stories continued to flow in front of my eyes with abundance, I found myself contemplating this issue rather heavily. Maybe it is just me, but I cannot wrap my head around how someone could be offended by someone else wishing them well over this hectic part of the year.
Truth be told, this is a problem that, unfortunately, will probably never reach a conclusion. While others view a good and simple “Happy Holidays” as a nice all-inclusive way of wishing cheer to everyone, there seems to always be people who view it as a personal affront, because their particular preference is not being recognized. However, it is also a problem vice versa, as some people take being wished somebody else’s holiday as offensive, and view it as others forcing their religious beliefs onto them.
Personally, I tend to say “Merry Christmas,” out of habit. However, if someone were to wish me a “Happy Holidays,” that’s OK too. In fact, if anybody is taking the time out of their lives to wish me well over the holidays, whether it be “Happy Hanukah,” “Merry Christmas,” or “Happy Holidays,” I will gladly accept, and wish it right back to them.
