In American society today, there are often stories and articles written about people taking offense to the greeting "merry Christmas" around this time of year. There are countless stories and posts about how "happy holidays" is what should be said, and while it's more culturally appropriate, people shouldn't get their panties in a wad just because of a greeting that is meant to be genuine and kind.
Contrary to popular belief, "merry Christmas" wasn't originally considered specific to one religion. Generally, the term "merry Christmas" has been widely used since about 1700, when the song We Wish You A Merry Christmas came along. This song was not originally considered a religious song, however as time progressed, people began to coin the phrase, as well as the song, religious, for whatever reason.
Now that the history of the term has been set in place, the modern-day term can be set as well. When someone wishes you a "merry Christmas" I can almost promise you that they don't mean anything negative, nor derogatory, nor slanderous of the phrase. Most people that use the phrase use it out of habit anyway, however good tidings and cheer is almost always the intention of the phrase. For example, If I told you "good morning" however you were not really a morning person, would you reply "good morning to you too!" or would you reply "I'm not a morning person." grumpily? Just because you aren't a christian, or in this case a morning person, doesn't mean that you can't wish me a happy and merry Christmas, or morning, back. Just because it's not what you believe or what you appreciate doesn't mean that all cultural appropriations and courtesies vanish.
Now, this is not to say that you should always say "Merry Christmas" and never "Happy Holidays", however it is to say that you shouldn't take offense to someone wishing you a merry Christmas. Another reason you shouldn't be offended to hear the phrase is the fact that everyone around you more than likely has a different opinion, and we, as mature adults, should be intelligent and developed enough to have a rational argument and still include cultural appropriations and common manners. Maybe I believe so strongly in mannerisms due to my southern roots, however I believe that manners and courtesies are what hold society together and keeps the icing on the cake. So while you might not agree with the religion that "merry Christmas" is refferring to, I believe that it's still proper to show common courtesy and polite manners to respect the person and reply with a happy or merry Christmas to them as well.
While I know that many would argue that if the subject is so controversial, we should just avoid conflict and refrain from saying anything at all, or simply say "happy holidays". While this is an option for anyone, as we live in a free country, it is also still an option for me to say "merry Christmas". While you can disagree and huff and puff about how culturally insensitive I am,I still have the right to say it. Just as you have the right to get offended, however what kind of person do you want to portray? The kind that accepts a kind gesture and returns a small appreciative nod or remark, or the kind of person that knocks my kindness to the ground because I didn't phrase it the way you would have liked.
Therefore, please stop getting so butthurt over people wishing you good tidings and a merry Christmas, because whether Christmas is a holiday for you, or simply any other day of the week, you still deserve to have a cheerful and happy day. Just as I do.
