What's wrong with "Merry Christmas"? (long)

[potioncat]

> Tonks:
> 
> How odd, if it were a 'school' concert, that any religious songs 
would 
> be done at all. 

Potioncat:
In our area of Virginia, the school winter concerts include holiday 
songs that are secular in nature. My kids know the dreidle song as 
well as jingle bells. They also sing songs that come very close to 
the basis of the religious purposes. I can't recall exactly---
something about love at Christmas and miracle of lights.

The main display case in the school holds religious themed holiday 
items from many faiths---whether their main holiday is in Dec or not. 

Back to the main topic, I use Merry Christmas most times, and Happy 
Holidays if in doubt. I went to a HoneyBaked Ham store for our 
Christmas ham. Now, how likely is it I would be buying ham for any 
other holiday in Dec? The clerk said "happy holidays" at the same 
time I said "Merry Christmas" and she beamed, "Yes, Merry Christmas!"

I grew up in the Bible Belt--a very fundamental area of the Southern 
US. I knew of two kinds of people back then--Baptists and sinners. 
And the sinners celebrated Christmas too.

Potioncat---who has no intent to offend, but is amazed at how much 
her world has grown. We have friends from many ethnic backgrounds and 
religions.