What's wrong with "Merry Christmas"?

[Carol]

Heidi:
> Why are obvious presents only for Christmas? People do exchange gifts 
> for Kwanza, and some of us are forced to celebrate our birthdays in
late 
> December and early January. Others of us are taking advantage of the 
> sales that usually mesh with Christmas, not with Chanukah, and 
> fulfilling the IOUs that our relatives actually got on the holiday.
> 
> I do agree with you that if someone is buying a Christmas tree, wishing 
> them a Merry Christmas is understandable, especially far before New 
> Year's Eve, but if it's generic "presents" then what's wrong with 
> wanting to not be presumptive?
>
Carol responds:
Shopping carts full of gifts for people of both sexes and all ages are
clearly not for one person's birthday, and (please correct me if I'm
wron) Hanukkah gifts aren't usually large and expensive as Christmas
gifts tend to be. Don't kid yourself; the stores are marketing to
Christmas shoppers. As for Kwanzaa, I think it would be pretty obvious
to most store clerks which customers *don't* celebrate that holiday.
(Does anyone know the percentage who do? Does anyone on this list
celebrate Kwanzaa? Just curious.)

At any rate, surely if I'm buying a Christmas tree, Christmas cards,
or Christmas decorations, it's okay to wish me Merry Christmas!

And, BTW, if I were a stickler for such things, I'd point out that
December 1 through December 24 is technically Advent, with the
Christmas season beginning on Christmas Day, but we're talking
merchants and Christmas shopping here, not church attendance. (BTW,
I've yet to hear Hanukkah music or Kwanzaa music or Yule music blaring
from the speakers during the "holiday" season. It's always either
Christmas music, secular or, occasionally, religious, or generic
winter music like "Sleigh Bells" or "winter wonderland." The merchants
are kidding themselves if they think they're marketing to anyone
except Christmas shoppers (though Safeway and a few other stores
always carry small displays of kosher food geared toward Jewish
customers).

Carol, wishing everyone a Happy New Year's Eve or Happy New Year,
depending on whether it's December 31 or January 1 where you happen to
live