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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas	Jake	Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Question: I have seen some Catholic Apologetic websites state that it is not proper to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. If we don't know if they are Christian or not we should not chance it that they will be offended if they are non-Christian by wishing them a Merry Christmas so we should just say Happy Holidays. Their argument is that if someone wishes me a Blessed Eid or a Happy Hanukkah I would be upset because they would presume I am of their faith. Many years ago in my first job I ever had, there were only about five ladies working there. I thought it a good idea to give all five a small Christmas gift. One lady was Jewish, and I knew she, was but I didn't want her to left out so I included her. I was told later that this lady was so overcome by emotion that I had thought of her during Christmas that she cried and insisted on going in with another lady and both of them bought me a New Years gift. She was the only person of Jewish faith in the office and she was very appreciative that she was included in all the Christmas festivities. Should I stop saying "Merry Christmas" as the apologist recommends and instead wish people "Happy Holidays"? I, as a Christian, am celebrating the birth of Christ and He came for ALL the mankind, not just certain people. So I don't go for this "Happy Holidays" politically correct thing and will continue to wish everyone a "Merry Christmas." Your thoughts.
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OMSM(r), LTh, DD Dear Jake: One should absolute NOT say Happy Holidays. Say Merry Christmas. No one with a maturity level above a two year old will be offended by Merry Christmas. No one was offended by this a few years ago. Not Jews, atheists, Hindus, Buddhists, non-believers, no one. This trend has been the recent brainchild of the atheistic secularists who are trying not only to push God out of the Public Square, but also to push God out of our lives. Do not give in to the devil's temptation to say Happy Holidays. Any apologetic site that says that we should not say Merry Christmas to some people has ceased to act like Christians and has succumbed to the devil's business. Shame on them. This last Thursday I talked about this on our Chronicles of Catholic Commentary radio show. You can listen to the show in the archives. The show title is "Christmas with a Capital C". Merry Christmas. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below: Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum. Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas

Jake

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Question:

I have seen some Catholic Apologetic websites state that it is not proper to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. If we don't know if they are Christian or not we should not chance it that they will be offended if they are non-Christian by wishing them a Merry Christmas so we should just say Happy Holidays. Their argument is that if someone wishes me a Blessed Eid or a Happy Hanukkah I would be upset because they would presume I am of their faith.

Many years ago in my first job I ever had, there were only about five ladies working there. I thought it a good idea to give all five a small Christmas gift. One lady was Jewish, and I knew she, was but I didn't want her to left out so I included her. I was told later that this lady was so overcome by emotion that I had thought of her during Christmas that she cried and insisted on going in with another lady and both of them bought me a New Years gift. She was the only person of Jewish faith in the office and she was very appreciative that she was included in all the Christmas festivities.

Should I stop saying "Merry Christmas" as the apologist recommends and instead wish people "Happy Holidays"? I, as a Christian, am celebrating the birth of Christ and He came for ALL the mankind, not just certain people. So I don't go for this "Happy Holidays" politically correct thing and will continue to wish everyone a "Merry Christmas."

Your thoughts.

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OMSM(r), LTh, DD

Dear Jake:

One should absolute NOT say Happy Holidays. Say Merry Christmas. No one with a maturity level above a two year old will be offended by Merry Christmas. No one was offended by this a few years ago. Not Jews, atheists, Hindus, Buddhists, non-believers, no one. This trend has been the recent brainchild of the atheistic secularists who are trying not only to push God out of the Public Square, but also to push God out of our lives.

Do not give in to the devil's temptation to say Happy Holidays.

Any apologetic site that says that we should not say Merry Christmas to some people has ceased to act like Christians and has succumbed to the devil's business. Shame on them.

This last Thursday I talked about this on our Chronicles of Catholic Commentary radio show. You can listen to the show in the archives. The show title is "Christmas with a Capital C".

Merry Christmas.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below:
Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum.
Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum
Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum
Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum
Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum