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Is it OK to say “Merry Christmas”?
In the name of inclusiveness, many onsite professionals have taken to the more universal December greeting,��Happy Holidays!��After all, this is the season for several other holidays;�and perhaps the person you are greeting does not celebrate Christmas.�
On the other hand, some people are actually offended if you don�t greet them with a �Merry Christmas!��This is often due to their belief that we need to leave the Christian sentiment – the birth of Jesus -�in the holiday greeting.��Don�t take�Christ�out of Christmas� you might hear them say.
What is the Fair Housing Perspective? Could it be a fair housing violation to use the phrase �Merry Christmas� and to seemingly show favor to one religious belief over another?�Obviously, if you enhanced your Christmas Greeting with a��Merry Christmas, the time to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ��you would be favoring a religion which fair housing laws prohibit.��
Using religious symbols or phrases could indicate an unlawful religious preference, but HUD has said that the use of secularized terms or symbols such as Santa Claus, or phrases like �Merry Christmas� don�t violate federal fair housing laws.�So Santa and �Merry Christmas� are cool… but a manger scene, the Star in the sky, or other Biblical references should be avoided.
So How �Bout it!�Do we say �Happy Holidays� or �Merry Christmas�?
The politically correct answer is �Happy Holiday�.�It is inclusive and can apply to most anyone except some �ole grump!�Yet, a study a few years ago showed that the choice between the traditional �Merry Christmas� and the politically correct salutation is rooted in differences in ideology, age, geography, and gender.�
A Public Religion Research Institute survey asked:��Do you think stores should greet customers with �Happy Holidays� or �Seasons Greetings� instead of �Merry Christmas� out of respect for people of different faiths, or not?��It got some interesting results. 67% of Republicans said �No!� and 66% of Democrats said �Yes!�.�Whoa!�Is the gap all about politics?�
Consider the Spirit of the Season
There is doubt that the Christmas holiday has been secularized and lost much of its original meaning.�Yet, most Americans still see this as a season of giving, connecting, celebrating, and family.�Let�s keep the truest form of the Spirit of Christmas by focusing on its core truths rather than the proper greeting.�Be a joy to others.�Seek to understand the people in your life that give you the biggest challenges.�Make certain you are �right� with all your family.�Make love your first response in all situations.�
If you live the spirit of Christmas, you will know what greeting to use.�As a conservative Christian, I would prefer to declare �Merry Christmas� to all.�But considering my understanding of the deeper meaning of this holiday, I will choose inclusion. So I say…��Happy Holiday to you!
And I�ll love you for whatever greeting you choose!��
Seasons Greetings!
