More mini stories from the depths of retail!

[Jay 2K Winger]

Heh. That's got a nice ring to it. Maybe i'll start using it.

Not mine. Stole that from SNL.

[Shalom]

What most people celebrate now is Saturnalia, a Pagan celebration

It may not have been pagan in its origin, though.

The Talmud states that Saturnalia is the oldest human holiday, having been instituted by Adam. The story is that Adam was created, or at least thrown out of Eden, around the time of the autumnal equinox, and soon noticed that the days were getting progressively shorter. He was afraid that this would continue until there was nothing but permanent night, and became despondent. Eventually, though, the winter solstice passed and the days began lengthening again. He understood then that this was a natural process and the normal way that the world functioned, rather than a consequence of any actions of his, and instituted a holiday (eight days before and after the solstice) to celebrate; this eventually morphed into the Roman holidays of Saturnalia and Calenda.

(I think it's a good thing Adam wasn't north of the Arctic Circle, or he'd really have had a problem... )

On topic, I used to get annoyed when people wished me a Merry Chirstmas, me not being a Christian; now I just accept it in the spirit in which it was offered, thank them, wish them the same, and shrug mentally. If they can't figure out that someone with a yarmulka and beard isn't going to be celebrating that holiday, I'm not going to explain it to them.

(ETA: Why "merry"? There aren't any other holidays described with that adjective. I've never heard "Merry Mother's Day" or "Merry Thanksgiving". I understand that in England, or at least the bit that The Beatles came from, they said "Happy Christmas", which seems more consistent with other days of celebration.)

[BeenThereDoneThat]

(ETA: Why "merry"? There aren't any other holidays described with that adjective. I've never heard "Merry Mother's Day" or "Merry Thanksgiving". I understand that in England, or at least the bit that The Beatles came from, they said "Happy Christmas", which seems more consistent with other days of celebration.)

Funny you should mention The Beatles and the Merry/Happy Christmas thing. Our local 60s/70s/80s radio station has been playing an old promo made by The Beatles in their early days of fame - you can tell because of how polite and formal they sound - and out of all four of them, only John Lennon wishes us a "Happy Christmas". I'm wondering if it was a promo for American radio and they were asked to say MERRY Christmas...and John either forgot or ignored it

[charred]

We say "Merry Christmas" because Dickens' A Christmas Carol, which was unexpectedly culture-shaping in its popularity, used it quite often.

It's sometimes hard to argue when Scrooge says, "If I could work my will, every idiot who goes about with 'Merry Christmas' on his lips, should be boiled with his own pudding."

[wolfie]

I always took the following precautions at the wholesale club:

IF Customer is wearing a Christianity-themed shirt OR other Christianity-related accesories (e.g. cross/crucifix pendant/necklace) OR otherwise indicates their Christianity (e.g. wishing ME a "Merry Christmas")

THEN wish them a "Merry Christmas."

ELSE wish them a "Happy Holidays."

One truck stop was handing out dashboard calendars that said "Happy Holidays" - and that were sponsored by the "trailer church" on-site. That's one case where it really should have said "Merry Christmas".

[Shalom]

We say "Merry Christmas" because Dickens' A Christmas Carol, which was unexpectedly culture-shaping in its popularity, used it quite often.

Ah. I'd been wondering about that. Never read the book or seen any of the movie versions, but I probably know the whole story by osmosis from other sources by now.

It's sometimes hard to argue when Scrooge says, "If I could work my will, every idiot who goes about with 'Merry Christmas' on his lips, should be boiled with his own pudding."

Amen, brother.

Funny you should mention The Beatles and the Merry/Happy Christmas thing. Our local 60s/70s/80s radio station has been playing an old promo made by The Beatles in their early days of fame - you can tell because of how polite and formal they sound - and out of all four of them, only John Lennon wishes us a "Happy Christmas". I'm wondering if it was a promo for American radio and they were asked to say MERRY Christmas...and John either forgot or ignored it

No, actually these were recorded for the UK market, although they did get to this side of the Atlantic eventually. There were seven of them over the years, and the last year there was an LP with all seven. I've got a copy of this that I bought used about 20+ years ago, although given what I paid for it, it was probably a counterfeit. They're probably all up on utube by now, including one compilation of all seven here, although as I haven't got my headphones connected at the moment I can't tell whether the sound is any good.

Note that Lennon eventually recorded a song called "Happy Xmas [sic]/War Is Over", so it may just have been his way of saying it. [ETA: Now I've got that song in my head, and I now remember that although he called it Happy Xmas, he did say Merry Christmas in the lyrics.]

[ackmeow]

We've actually got a song in the mall that sings "Two front teeth"

Except it's sung by a whiny buck toothed beaver with his nuts in a vice, nipples in a clamp and a rabid gopher that thinks with all it's heart that the man's butthole is its home.

No music either. It is by far the worst song ever made.

[Jay 2K Winger]

One truck stop was handing out dashboard calendars that said "Happy Holidays" - and that were sponsored by the "trailer church" on-site. That's one case where it really should have said "Merry Christmas".

Should or shouldn't have is irrelevant. It was that church's decision to print them saying 'Happy Holidays.'

Holidays = Holy Days, after all.

[rose_metal_nz]

I have no problem with Happy Holidays, as for me at least, Christmas and NYE are the Happy Holidays! Time off work, bbq's, beer galore! Good friends, and family!

I don't see it as being PC, when you are wishing tons of people Merry Christmas day in and day out, it's nice to change it up a little!

^ this! That's my line of thinking too

[Food Lady]

I celebrate Christmas but never say Merry Christmas. Why? I have enough to do this season; I don't need to add in a greeting I have to consciously think about. It just doesn't roll off my tongue. Yet, so many customers say it after we've exchanged goodbye greetings and I've moved on. It's akward.

[Bella_Vixen]

I celebrate Christmas but never say Merry Christmas. Why? I have enough to do this season; I don't need to add in a greeting I have to consciously think about. It just doesn't roll off my tongue. Yet, so many customers say it after we've exchanged goodbye greetings and I've moved on. It's akward.

Same here.