2008 Woodie Awards
Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays?
Juliana Balise
Issue date: 12/20/06 Section: Submissions
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"Season's Greetings." "Happy Holidays." "Merry Christmas."
All of the above are still common holiday greetings, but while the first two have seen an increase in use during recent years, the third is rapidly becoming scarcer. As our culture grows ever more diverse, more and more people are taking their cues from an increasingly politically correct government and media, and wishing their friends and families "Happy Holidays" rather than a "Merry Christmas."
"I think it's a good thing," said Bryan Nolasco, a William Paterson University sophomore majoring in nursing. "You realize that not everybody is just this one religion. I always say 'Happy Holidays' now; I don't just say 'Merry Christmas' and assume that everybody's Christian."
Many students agree; Shannon Klein, a junior marketing major, said she appreciated the more inclusive attitude of recent years all the more because she is Jewish.
"'Season's Greeting' is a lot better than 'Merry Christmas' because I think it's sometimes a little offensive when it's just 'Merry Christmas,'" Klein said.
However, while it seems to be generally agreed that the modern politically correct attitude toward the holidays promotes better understanding of different religions and traditions, the trend has raised a few eyebrows in situations when some people believe it goes too far. Last year, for example, the Capitol Holiday Tree in Washington, D.C. was officially renamed the Capitol Christmas Tree once more after a number of protests and complaints.
In addition, retailers like Target and Wal-Mart gave in to pressure from boycotts by consumers who protested that they had all but removed the word "Christmas" from their advertising and store displays.
Clearly, while most people support the idea of a more inclusive holiday, some resistance crops up when the trend gets too out of hand.
"Sometimes people just go a little too far," said Dennis Markovich, a sophomore accounting major. "I say 'Happy Holidays', but if I know what the personal religion of my friend is, I'll say 'Christmas' or 'Hanukkah.'"
All of the above are still common holiday greetings, but while the first two have seen an increase in use during recent years, the third is rapidly becoming scarcer. As our culture grows ever more diverse, more and more people are taking their cues from an increasingly politically correct government and media, and wishing their friends and families "Happy Holidays" rather than a "Merry Christmas."
"I think it's a good thing," said Bryan Nolasco, a William Paterson University sophomore majoring in nursing. "You realize that not everybody is just this one religion. I always say 'Happy Holidays' now; I don't just say 'Merry Christmas' and assume that everybody's Christian."
Many students agree; Shannon Klein, a junior marketing major, said she appreciated the more inclusive attitude of recent years all the more because she is Jewish.
"'Season's Greeting' is a lot better than 'Merry Christmas' because I think it's sometimes a little offensive when it's just 'Merry Christmas,'" Klein said.
However, while it seems to be generally agreed that the modern politically correct attitude toward the holidays promotes better understanding of different religions and traditions, the trend has raised a few eyebrows in situations when some people believe it goes too far. Last year, for example, the Capitol Holiday Tree in Washington, D.C. was officially renamed the Capitol Christmas Tree once more after a number of protests and complaints.
In addition, retailers like Target and Wal-Mart gave in to pressure from boycotts by consumers who protested that they had all but removed the word "Christmas" from their advertising and store displays.
Clearly, while most people support the idea of a more inclusive holiday, some resistance crops up when the trend gets too out of hand.
"Sometimes people just go a little too far," said Dennis Markovich, a sophomore accounting major. "I say 'Happy Holidays', but if I know what the personal religion of my friend is, I'll say 'Christmas' or 'Hanukkah.'"
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