Why do stores like Best Buy refuse to say Merry Christmas? How is that disrespectful?
954785
Well......My belief is....By refusing or choosing to say.."Happy Holidays"instead of "Merry Christmas".you are removing CHRIST from Christmas who is actually the reason for this day.....\nAnd to those people who are offended by it...you can choose to ignore the comment and just walk on by....it won't ruin your day or change your life in any way....stop using this as a way to get attention.\n\nOk..I'm ready for those thumbs down....but.....it won't change my opinion....\n\nand to ALL....MERRY CHRISTMAS !!!!!!!
789161
How rude......you don't return gifts. If you really don't like the gift & what it stands for, put it away and only bring it out when the gift giver visits. \n\nOr you could re-gift it to someone else.....Christmas is coming.
1123565
Not if I valued my sanity.  I don't know how employees can stand it when they work in store where people keep setting off the singing Santas and mounted bass.  Aargh!  No way would I want that stuff in my house!
6172
Because not everyone is Christian.  "Happy Holidays" is just a way to wish everyone well whether they celebrate Christmas, Hannukah, or Kwanzaa.  It can also be meant to include New Year's Day along with Christmas.\n\nEven many people who celebrate Christmas do so in an entirely secular fashion, complete with Santa, the reindeer, Frosty, tree, and presents.  Whether the Christians like it or not, Christmas is and has been Christ-optional in our culture for a long time now.
768200
I don't say "Merry Christmas" because I don't celebrate Christmas. I do celebrate Yule, however because I follow Asatru (Northern Euro Paganism). So I usually say "Happy Yule" or depending on who I'm greeting I may say "Happy Holidays" if I don't feel like explaining Yule at the time. Also, I don't hold it against anyone wishing me a Merry Xmas either. If someone wishes me Merry Xmas, I know it's a friendly greeting and not an attack on my religion. \n\nTo refer to the part of your question about people changing things, I think you're just seeing the effect of having a growing diversity. The country is not populated exclusively by Christmas celebrating Christians. There are a multitude of different clutures and religions, many of which have holidays celebrated around the solstice time. Because of that, many people offer up a greeting of "Happy Holidays" or "Seasons Greetings" when they don't know the background of whomever they are addressing or when addressing a wide audience. It's a matter of politeness and sensitivity. Also stores, for example are now referring to sales as "holiday" sales etc. Their reasoning for this is valid. They want to include as wide an audience as possible as customers. Whether you're Jewish, pagan, atheist or christian, your money is just as good. \n\nWith all that said. I don't think there is anything wrong with you saying Merry Christmas. If that is what you celebrate, good for you. I hope you have a wonderful holiday season (which I consider to be everything from Thanksgiving thru New Years). \n\nHappy Yule!
740242
I understand your way of thinking but in no way must we change the name "Christmas".  Its up to us to keep the real reason we celebrate Christmas alive and ensure our children learn about it. As for those who are not religious, I cant speak for them, they will enjoy the christmas period in their own way. I am not a practicing christian, I just dont want it to get lost among all the present buying and the rest.  Children who celebrate this time also enjoy the nativy at school  and carol singing and we must remind them of it, not  destroy it
776639
I say Merry Christmas because it is the day of Christ!  I really don't understand people who take offense to people saying Merry Christmas.  I wouldn't get all mad if someone wished me Happy Hannukah.  I'd just politely say "thank you, and to you as well", and be done with it.  What's so hard about being tolerant of the religious practices of others?
920757
That is right. Libs and cons shouldn't meddle with what people are doing. Let them hang Merry Christmas signs on the stores, who cares? I think went both sides use censoring they are being dumbasses.
866495
Of course not! It is the holiday season and if Christmas lights are put up, and seasonal items are being sold, there is bound to be some X-Mas music. There is nothing to be offended about.\n\nHappy Holidays! =)
794787
I agree with you......Why do people have to ruin the Christmas Season by complaining about how they are greeted. Does it really matter if Someone says "Merry Christmas" instead of "Happy Holidays"? I mean..does it physically hurt you or ruin your day?  Why can't people just say "Thank You" and go on with their lives?......I would rather someone said Merry Christmas to me then to ignore me or not say anything...... It's Christmas for God's sake......I still believe that Christ is part of Christmas...and am proud to say it...\nThanks for the GREAT Question/Comment.....and I hope that where ever you decide to shop, that they too will agree.\nI wold like to wish you a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS....ahead of the time.
923593
Dear friend, I feel this one hits close to home. I know exactly how you feel. This past year at school we were banned from saying merry Christmas. They even stopped putting up the Christmas tree in the lobby because they were afraid they'd offend somebody. To me that's just ridiculous. What that is is people being overly politically correct. Say it how you were raised. If I'm not mistaken isn't it all basically the same thing any way? If you were raised to celebrate Kwanzaa say Happy Kwanza! The message is all the same no matter how you say it. And that is good tidings. I hope I helped, sweetie. \n\nYour friend\n\n~senge~
824816
It's not all of them.  Just some of the zealots that try to start trouble by attempting to trick us.\n\nNow, your question should have been, why can't they understand that there is more to the holiday season than Christmas (Hannukah, Kwanzaa, Solstice, etc.) and let places like Wal-Mart just recognize them all by saying Season's Greetings and Happy Holidays.  Those particular people are just trying to push their religious holiday on others...and frankly, it's not very Christmas like...
701478
If I use Xmas I am just being a lazy typist...:)\n\nChristmas reminds me of when I was a little girl.\nChristmas was times spent with my parents and all of us and our children spending time together.\nChristmas was a special time when I still had a family in place.\n\nI will never stop saying "Christmas"  and I don't care how politcally incorrect this word would seem. Schools have taken this special time away from the children in order to be politically correct.  We are still a Christian country and I don't care if other sects or religions feel we should change this.\nIt is sad we have come to this stage, really sad.
709270
Christmas has always been celebrated around the chosen date of Christ's birth, (even though it's disputed as to his true day of birth).  The big hullabaloo was over the department stores trying to over compensate politically correct greetings of "Merry Christmas" to "Happy Holidays", not entirely to NOT offend all customers, but to protect their bottom line profit, in case the Christmas greetings did offend someone & they might not shop their.  As I recall, Walmart was the instigator of the uproar.\nAs to reserving Christmas celebrations just around the 25th of Dec., our culture has survived much around the changing of the Holiday, just by instituting other countries traditions into the Christian Christmas long before many Europeans immigrated to North America.  The change with Santa Claus, etc.  For as long as their has been money to profit on a holiday, so has the holiday changed from its true origins.\nI think that it should always be respected as a Christian day of celebration (Christ's birth), but everyone has joined in to celebrate the Holiday "Christmas" in their own way, even going as far as an Atheist wishing those who are of a Christian faith, a "Merry Christmas", just out of respect like wish them good health, or have a nice day.  Or from a person of Asian descent, who participates in buying a Christmas Tree & presents, but doesn't beleive in Christ & then may prepare for the Chinese New Year Celebrations, etc.\nBesides... not all Christians celebrate Christmas the same either... eg: The Roman Catholic Church has mass at different times than say the The United Church.  And the opening of gifts is for some celebrated Christmas Eve than on Christmas Day.\nTO EACH HIS/HER OWN... I say, but let us show respect & tolerance for everyones religious days, even if that means saying nothing at all.
786413
Nope - Ill jyst add that I hardly step foot into best buy anyway, they are always rude and unhelpful.
191515
Reason 1) It has to do with power; retail workers generally can't freak out on the customer, so it's about someone who generally feels inadequate and needs to assert his power somewhere in life. \n2) It's a "safe" fight; the customer knows the retail worker can't do much back, so it's an unequal fight, and the customer can say whatever w/out any reprimand or fear of retribution on the spot.\n3) It stems from the general sense of entitlement and lack of manners that is a bit too pervasive in our society.\n4) the customer is generally unhappy about the service and feels that he is "oweed" something more for his money.\n\nAll are possible, but I think #4 is almost never the "complete" reason.
815477
No, no. I was just thinking about this today actually! I really dislike this holiday. Thanksgiving, I can take. Christmas, I hate Christmas. I hate sappy Christmas music played up until Christmas Day --and then sometimes afterward as well!! It's like Chinese water torture all the way up until Christmas Day. I was in Borders, Old Navy, Barnes and Noble, and Atlanta Bread Co. today, I could not escape the Christmas music!! And it's still November. I hate when crossing the street people nearly mow you over in their SUVs, with a fancy little wreath attached to the grill!! I hate how people sack the stores searching for gifts for people they would otherwise ignore the rest of the year. I especially dislike how people decide that Christmas is the one time to buy people they love meaningful gifts. Love and meaning should infuse everyday of one's life. Not just one day out of the year. If I see a coat or a scarf or a toy that I know a member of my family would love, I buy it then and give it to them. I don't horde it for weeks or months and then shove it in some wrapping and slap it under a tree. :( But that's me!