I don't recall wishing you a Happy anything...

[Chromatix]

Christmas is, these days, mostly celebrated as an opportunity to take a holiday and receive presents - and, of course, received presents have to be given by someone, so there's a social obligation to do so in return.

The religious aspects of it tend to take a back seat in most cases. In places with Christian connections, there's usually a reminder of the Nativity story. I'm sure the Jews pay attention to Hannukah, and whatever meaning it is that they attach to that.

Santa Claus - including his name - is descended from the concept of Saint Nicholas. This title indicates a religious origin, albeit probably separate from the Nativity. The gifts involved have got more numerous and sophisticated over the centuries.

But I'm agnostic, and I'm sure that most true atheists are capable of going with the holiday spirit while casually ignoring the religious aspects. Santa himself is generally reserved for the children, with adults explicitly giving presents to each other instead of going via the proxy figure.

The one thing I take issue with is the commercial over-exploitation of the symbols associated with Christmas. This doesn't seem to be as severe in Europe as in America, and there are fairly obvious reasons for that. But I see nothing at all wrong with treating "Christmas" as the name of the winter solstice holiday, since that's what most people treat it as in practice.

As I said before, some people - a vocal minority, as per usual - will just take any excuse to get offended. It's probably best to ignore them and cater to the quiet majority.

[Broomjockey]

We're rapidly sliding in to Fratching territory in this one folks, could we please stop with generalizations and comparisons of religions/cultures/continents/whathaveyou, and stick purely to SCs? Thanks.

[karath]

First, he complains about a lack of respect towards God, then curses you? Does not sound very Christian like to me.

Second, I do belong to an organized Christian religion and we don't celebrate Christmas either.

Hear hear...I'm also in a organized Christian religion that doesn't celebrate Christmas. Gets some awesome reactions. My dad and I have spent several holidays working out ways to say "I don't celebrate the holiday" in the most offensive and unoffensive ways possible...it's among the best times we've shared to date

Honestly, its always amazed me that people would actually COMPLAIN about happy holidays, merry christmas, happy hanukkah, happy kwanzaa, happy winter solstice/yule that stores require their employees to say. They must really WANT to be insulted for that to happen

[poofy_puff]

Autumnal Equinox is when the day and night are the same length.

Are you sure, because wouldn't it depend on the latitude?

(sorry about being OT)

[otakuneko]

I don't really remember much about the holiday season (to me, holiday season == from thanksgiving to new year's) from my tech support job. Mainly, that I absolutely did not want to work Christmas Day, or The Day After. Ditto New Year's Eve and Day. I called in drunk one New Year's Day, but managed never to work a Christmas Day or day after.

I'm pretty sure I said merry christmas to a few callers, but probably only after them saying it first, given my asocial nature. I don't remember anyone getting sucky about it, but I also never remembered enough about what went on on those phones to make a post. I guess I'm just good at repressing bad memories. That it's been slightly over a year now since I worked there doesn't help much. I do remember some bits and pieces, maybe I'll try to collect them into a post.

[Bramblerose]

Happily I have never had an objection to Happy Holidays. Which is good- because someone who did that wold get pounced upon- because my parents have a number of Jewish friends, and maybe even atheist friends, so any time we ran out of Xmas cards it was the joy of finding something that said Season's Greetings (I remember how annoyed Mom was the year she couldn't find any).

Then I grew up and got Pagan friends and atheist friends, and even some Jewish friends (when I lived in a place you could find Jews, they aren't thick on the ground here).

Yeah, I'll tell you Happy Holidays. Mostly because while you may be on Xmas, I am quaint enough to still observe Advent. So there.

OOh, here's a good one- "I'm sorry, but I can't wish you a merry Xmas yet, it's not til the 25th." which is a very accurate answer. Xmas is Dec 25 thru Jan 6.

[SuperB]

Screw the easily offended and I mean on both sides.
If I say Merry Christmas they can take it in the spirit it's given and they can respond the way they want.
If someone says Happy Holidays to me I'll say the same back.

I'm sick to death of both sides of this argument. Had people not made such an issue of hearing the word "Christmas" and had people not acted so stupidly over hearing the word "Holidays" I'd feel less like the effing Grinch wanting to strangle people at work this time of the year.

[Broomjockey]

Are you sure, because wouldn't it depend on the latitude?

(sorry about being OT)

The very definition of equinox makes me sure. "Equi" meaning equal, "nox" being Latin for "night". So literally "equal night." That's why there isn't a fixed day for the Equinox, but it changes.

[Amethyst Hunter]

http://www.fratching.com/showthread.php?t=809 - For all your amusement's convenience.

[Salesmonkey]

May I respectfully submit that an appropriate answer to being griped at for not saying "merry christmas" is that it isn't christmas yet? Today is Dec. 1 and christmas is Dec. 25.

So have a Merry Christmas, a Happy Hannukah, a Kwazy Kwanzaa, and a Solemn, Dignified Rahmadan.

Io Saturnalia!

[ShugoAC]

Screw the easily offended and I mean on both sides.
If I say Merry Christmas they can take it in the spirit it's given and they can respond the way they want.
If someone says Happy Holidays to me I'll say the same back.

I'm sick to death of both sides of this argument. Had people not made such an issue of hearing the word "Christmas" and had people not acted so stupidly over hearing the word "Holidays" I'd feel less like the effing Grinch wanting to strangle people at work this time of the year.

Back a couple of years ago when I was working at an infamous coffee shop who overcharges for coffee and makes their employees wear ugly green aprons.... We had this one awful couple who would come in every other day during the holiday season. I think it was their personal mission from god to convert all of the employees who made them coffee during the holiday season. The rest of the year they were fine but during that month and half time period we spent a bazillion hours learning about how we needed to be saved and whatnot.

The only reason i bring that up is because the wife would lose her mind everytime i said "Happy Holidays!" and give me the same lecture listed in this post. I told her numerous times that Holiday = Holy Days so what was her problem. She eventually stopped coming in when i told her that i served the great Dark Lord. I got written up for it but it was so worth it.

[Can I Help Your A$$?]

No one has EVER complained to me that they were offended that I used the word "Christmas."

I'm convinced that's some kind of urban legend.

I won't be convinced until atheists with pitchforks show up at my door. I think that might take awhile.

[Jack Doe]

I've only had one person object to Merry Christmas, and it wasn't that bad. It was Christmas Eve last year, and I wished the lady a Merry Christmas. She said "Honey, I'm Jewish, but I appreciate the thought." I replied "Well, that being the case, I hope you have an especially festive Tuesday." and we both had a laugh.

[pile of monkeys]

I usually stick with "Good luck with the rest of your shopping" or if the customer did happen to mention a specific holiday in our conversation, I'll wish them a good one of whatever the holiday is. If I'm not sure, I stick to the generic. People getting all up in arms about being wished the "wrong" thing is amusing to me. I don't celebrate Christmas, but if someone wishes me a merry one, I thank them, say "you too," and realize that they're wishing me well in the way that's comfortable for them. How are you going to flip out when someone's wishing you well? I've never responded that I don't celebrate it unless someone specifically asks. If they just say "Merry Christmas," it's pointless for me to launch into a spiel about what I do and don't believe. Life's too short, and they aren't trying to be sucky, and neither am I.

I find the best way, for me, to avoid any of the controversy or customers getting sucky in November or December is to keep it generic, and keep it funny if I can. I have no problem joking around about, "Have a great... umm, whichever holiday you celebrate." Thankfully, most of our customers are either regulars or, for gift cards, husbands of regulars, so they'll usually give me a chuckle and return the greeting in kind. A few clients who know I don't celebrate Christmas have been known to wish me a "Happy guaranteed day off," or a "Merry not-at-all special Thursday," which I think is nice and non-sucky.

[SuperB]

I've only had one person object to Merry Christmas, and it wasn't that bad. It was Christmas Eve last year, and I wished the lady a Merry Christmas. She said "Honey, I'm Jewish, but I appreciate the thought." I replied "Well, that being the case, I hope you have an especially festive Tuesday." and we both had a laugh.

See now that's how it should be. Neither side taking offense and what is supposed to be a friendly greeting.