What's wrong with "Merry Christmas"?

[Steve]

--- "sistermagpie" <sistermagpie at ...> wrote:
>
> >   Steve said:
> > > It seems to me that in a world that is not run amok with
> > > political correctness, I, who does celebrate Christmas,
> > > would uniformly say to others 'Merry Christmas', and 
> > > they would respond in accordance with their own holiday
> > > tradition.
> 
> Magpie:
> That's odd. To me, at least. To me it's always been the other way 
> around.
>

bboyminn:

Yes, in the context you have established, but that assumes I
know what holiday you are celebrating, and I don't. So, I 
express the holiday I am celebrating, and expect you to 
respond in kind. That is, to respond with the holiday 
appropriate to you.

> Magpie:
>
> ... Like at the Jewish New Year I wish Jews Happy New Year, 
> not the other way around. If one makes a mistake about the 
> holiday somebody celebrates it's not a big deal, but the 
> goal would naturally be to just wish somebody the holiday 
> they're celebrating.
> 

bboyminn:

Yes, and during the Asian New Year, I wish my Asian friends
Happy New Year. But I don't wish them Happy New Year at 
Christmas, at Christmas I wish them Merry Christmas because
I DO KNOW what I am celebrating, but I don't know what they
are celebrating. 

I do understand the context you are using, if I can paraphrase
it, it is like going to your birthday party and expecting you
to wish me 'happy birthday'. I agree that makes no sense.

But I do think it makes sense at Christmas.

Now, of course, if I know that you celebrate an alternate
holiday around Christmas time, and I know what that holiday
is, I would certainly wish you a Happy [insert alternate
holiday here]. Or, I would wish you a more generic seasons
greeting. I already said I frequently use Happy Holidays
just to keep things from getting stale.

I am not against a variety and range of seasons greetings,
but I am put off by the politically correct idea that 
Christmas must be secularized. That 'Christ' must be stripped
from Christmas to avoid offending anyone. Typically, the 
people who the politically correct are afraid of offending
are not offended at all, so it is to no real purpose. It
is simply the politically correct placating their own
conscience. 

So, to avoid offending anyone and to make myself feel oh so
very correct - Merry Xmas to all and to all a good night.

Steve/bboyminn