Merry Chrismtas Vs. Happy Holidays

Why does it even matter? Really?
This issue is a really big annoyance to me...

I would say that at least 90% of people in the USA celebrate Christmas. I would say that almost 100% of those 90% of people celebrate it differently. Not everyone celebrates it as the birth of Jesus Christ and that's OK. Some people celebrate it as a new beginning, a time to be with family, a time to reflect, a time to give thanks, to have hope, to be joyful, etc... And every single one of those reasons is fine by me (isn't it great to live in the USA?). But for some people it's just not...

So starts the argument of what to say when running into someone at the supermarket or answering the phone around this time of year... I say: say whatever one makes you happy (both make me happy FYI)! And don't take it personally if the greeting that is said to you isn't the one you would have said. Take it as a nice gesture and leave it at that! I actually prefer to say Happy Holidays when I'm saying it to someone i don't know for all the reasons i listed above. First of all this is a HOLIDAY season not just Christmas. It starts with Thanksgiving and ends with New Years. And you know what not everyone in this country is a Christian, so they don't celebrate Christmas. If i know the person and know how they feel about Christmas then I usually say Merry Christmas, such as my family.

Honestly I hear more people complain about someone saying Happy Holidays or Seasons Greeting to them rather then Merry Christmas... and to those people all I want to say is SO WHAT???!!!

Christmas to me is a feeling not a day. It's the season. It's the awesome Christmas lights on peoples houses, it's apple cider and hot chocolate, it's Cornish and Victorian Christmas (In Grass Valley and Nevada City), its my favorite holiday music, it's my Christmas tree decorated with ornaments from years past, it's the memories from my childhood, it's the hope of change in my life, and it's the time we share with the people we love.

And i think I'm done. FYI: This all started a few nights ago with a conversation I had with Ant and just got resurfaced with a forwarded email that i received this morning. A complaining email about people saying Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas... " It's a Christmas Tree not a Holiday Tree"..... (Rolls eyes! )