Should we use Happy Holidays instead of Happy Christmas?
In the last several years a new debate has begun over Christmas and how to wish others well during the festive season.
In Britain it’s most common to say Happy Christmas or Merry Christmas, but more recently there has been a move to say ‘Happy Holidays’ instead.
This tradition has migrated from North America. Companies and retailers tend to say Happy Holidays rather than Merry Christmas because it’s thought to be more inclusive.
Not everyone celebrates Christmas, which is at its heart a Christian tradition, and by saying Happy Holidays the phrase can incorporate other religious holidays as well.
It’s a simple way to be polite and acknowledge the huge diversity of society.
Other people believe it’s a lot of carry on over nothing, and that generic sayings like Happy Holidays or Seasons Greetings strip the season of its magic.
In an increasingly secular society Christmas is no longer as closely associated with the Christian tradition.
Even if you don’t celebrate it as a religious holiday, Christmas is still a festive season most people around the country take part in in some way, whether through Christmas markets or gift exchanges.
What do you think? Is the move to ‘Happy Holidays’ a positive and inclusive step, or an unnecessary shift that creates a problem where there wasn’t one? Share your views below.
