• Varyk
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    9 months ago
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    Can you say Merry Christmas or is that oppressive in the states?

    I left the states and started traveling before that became a thing, and I noticed when I visited years later that everyone said happy holidays instead of Merry Christmas.

    What’s the general culture rule on that now?

    Do I say Merry Christmas and then the other person just says happy whatever their holiday is?

    • ZombiepirateEnglish
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      9 months ago
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      Nobody cares what you say except Fox News addicts who make imagined persecution their entire identity.

      • Varyk
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        9 months ago
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        This rings true, thanks

    • eltrain123
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      9 months ago
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      You can say “merry Christmas” . You can say “happy Hanukka”. You can say “happy holidays” or whatever other holiday greeting you’d like to give.

      Some people may get pissy, but they aren’t worth wasting your time on. If someone doesn’t like the way in which you wish them a good day, they probably have more going on than you have time to help with. Move on and enjoy your day.

      I usually say “happy holidays” and have never had someone correct me or argue with me and I grew up in Texas, where the religiously entitled nut job roams the countryside as far as the eye can see.

    • aberrate_junior_beatnikEnglish
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      9 months ago
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      It’s only a thing in the fever dreams of conservatives. People just say whatever and it’s fine.

      • Leviathan
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        9 months ago
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        What’s funny is I still say Merry Christmas out if pure habit, which would probably make one of these Christofascists happy until they see my actual lifestyle, music, etc.

        • dangblingus
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          9 months ago
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          Saying Merry Christmas isn’t political. If some mouth breather who votes against their own economic interests thinks it’s political, that’s their burden to carry.

        • alien
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          9 months ago
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          I say Merry Christmas and I am not even Christian, and I’ve said it to non-Christians too haha. I had no idea it could be a controversial thing to do.

    • guy
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      9 months ago
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      It was also quite confusing as a Brit. Here a “vacation” is called a “holiday”. And here the people are not so religious, Christmas is more often celebrated unreligiously now, saying Merry Christmas is not really an issue. The first time I heard “the holiday season”, I presumed that meant summer, because people go away on summer holidays then.

      • jesuiscequejesuisEnglish
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        9 months ago
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        I always thought that was an interesting quirk between American English and British English. The work “holidays” comes from “holy days”, which would be specific religious days where you don’t have to work. A “vacation” is when you vacate your place of work temporarily.