What's wrong with "Merry Christmas"?

[sistermagpie]

Shaun:
> Personally, I hope most people would feel able to do that - to 
offer respect 
> for the beliefs of others by offering seasons greetings of whatever 
sort are 
> applicable.
> 
> But it works both ways, in my view. If respect is genuine, we 
should also be 
> prepared to accept seasons greetings - whether we observe that 
season or 
> not - in the spirit in which they are offered.

Magpie:
Absolutely--the spirit in which they are offered are key. If somebody 
is thoughtfully and genuinely wishing you a holiday because they 
think it's a nice thing to do, it should be taken that way. If you 
want to also mention for the future that you don't actually celebrate 
Christmas that can be fine too and done without being rude. Or else 
you might just accept the greeting and not feel the need to do that. 
Similarly "Happy Holidays" offered as a genuine greeting that's 
supposed to be inclusive in case the person doesn't celebrate 
Christian should be taken in the proper spirit too.

Conversely, if part of the spirit of "merry Christmas" is that nobody 
should ever have to think about anything but the "real" holiday, or 
the "real" American/Australian/religious/English holiday or whatever, 
of if the spirit is "I'm oppressed and I'm fighting back by 
aggressively wishing merry Christmas no matter what you 
celebrate"...then that should be taken in the proper spirit too. 
Which is that the person is kind of a jerk.

-m