Holiday greetings

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For other uses of terms redirecting here, see Happy Christmas (disambiguation), Happy Holidays (disambiguation), Happy New Year (disambiguation), Merry Christmas (disambiguation), and Season's Greetings (disambiguation).
 The examples and perspective in this article may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. Please improve this article and discuss the issue on the talk page. (May 2009)

Holiday greetings are a selection of greetings that are often spoken with good intentions to strangers, family, friends, or other people during the months of December and January. Holidays with greetings include Christmas, New Year's Day, Thanksgiving (in the United States), Chinese New Year and Hanukkah. Some greetings are more prevalent than others, depending on the cultural and religious status of any given area.

Typically, a greeting consists of the word "Happy" followed by the holiday, such as "Happy Hanukkah" or "Happy New Year", although the phrase "Merry Christmas" is a notable exception. In the United States, the collective phrase "Happy Holidays" is often used as a simple way to refer to all of the winter holidays, or to the three major American holidays of Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day. Some controversy has arisen regarding the phrase "Happy Holidays" as an alleged attempt to diminish Christmas although its use promotes other holidays commonly celebrated in the United States.

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[edit] Merry/Happy Christmas

A Christmas cake with a "Merry Christmas" greeting.

The greetings and farewells "Merry Christmas" and "Happy Christmas" are traditionally used in North America, the United Kingdom, and Ireland beginning a few weeks prior to the Christmas holiday on December 25 of every year.

The phrase is often preferred when it is known that the receiver is a Christian or celebrates Christmas. The nonreligious often use the greeting as well, however in this case its meaning focuses more on the secular aspects of Christmas, rather than the Nativity of Jesus.

Its meanings and variations are:

  • As "Merry Christmas", the traditionally used greeting for those from America and the UK, composed of merry (jolly, happy) and Christmas (Old English: Cristes mæsse, for Christ's Mass).
  • As "Merry Xmas", usually used to avoid the length of "Merry Christmas", with the "X" (sometimes controversially) replacing "Christ". (see Xmas)
  • As "Happy Christmas", an equivalent that is commonly used in the United Kingdom and Ireland, as well as "Merry Christmas".
  • As "Feliz Navidad", which is the Spanish language equivalent of "Happy Christmas", but is frequently used in English context. The phrase "Felices Fiestas", the Spanish language counterpart of "Happy Holidays" has also been used in some Spanish speaking communities. This is not simply to be politically correct but simply to include all winter holidays that are celebrated in relation to Christmas in the Spanish-speaking world.

As of 2005, this greeting still remains popular among countries with large Christian populations, including, among others, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, South Africa, and Mexico. It also remains popular in non-Christian areas such as the People's Republic of China and Japan, where Christmas is still widely celebrated due to Western influences. Though it has somewhat decreased in popularity in the United States and Canada over the past decades, polls from 2005 indicate that it is more popular than "Happy Holidays" or other alternatives.[1]

[edit] History of the phrase

"Merry", derived from the Old English myrige, originally meant merely "pleasant" rather than joyous or jolly (as in the phrase "merry month of May").

Though Christmas has been celebrated since the 4th century AD, the first known usage of any Christmastime greeting, "Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year" (thus incorporating two greetings) was in an informal letter written by an English admiral in 1699. The same phrase appeared in the first Christmas card, produced in England in 1843, and in the popular secular carol "We Wish You a Merry Christmas."

The then relatively new term "Merry Christmas" figured prominently in Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol in 1843. The cynical Ebenezer Scrooge rudely deflects the friendly greeting: "If I could work my will", says Scrooge, "every idiot who goes about with 'Merry Christmas' on his lips, should be boiled with his own pudding." After the Spirits of Christmas effect his transformation, he is able to heartily exchange the wish with all he meets. The continued popularity of A Christmas Carol and the Victorian era Christmas traditions it typifies have led some to credit Dickens with popularizing, or even originating, the phrase "Merry Christmas"[2].

The alternative "Happy Christmas" gained wide usage in the late 19th century, and is still common in the United Kingdom and Ireland. One reason may be the alternative meaning, still current there, of "merry" as "tipsy" or "drunk". Queen Elizabeth II is said to prefer "Happy Christmas" for this reason[3]. In American poet Clement Moore's "A Visit from St. Nicholas" (1823), the final line, originally written as "Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night", has been changed in many editions to "Merry Christmas to all", perhaps indicating the relative popularity of the phrases in the United States.

[edit] Happy Holidays

For other meanings of "Happy Holidays", see Happy Holidays (disambiguation).

"Happy Holidays" is a seasonal greeting common in the United States and Canada, and is typically used during the holiday season. "Holiday" is derived from Middle English holidai meaning "holy day" [1]. It is used as an inclusive greeting during the holiday season around Christmas to those who do not celebrate it, but instead other winter holidays like Hanukkah or New Year's.

In the United States, it can have several variations and meanings:

  • As "Happy Holiday", an English translation of the Hebrew Hag Sameach greeting on Passover, Sukkot, and Shavuot
  • As "Happy Holiday", a substitution for "Merry Christmas"
  • As "Happy Holidays", a collective and inclusive wish for the period encompassing Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, the Winter solstice, Christmas, and the New Year

In the United States, "Happy Holidays" (along with the similarly generalized "Season's Greetings") has become the common greeting in the public sphere within the past decade, such as department stores, public schools and greeting cards.

Some advocates of the phrase view it as an inclusive and inoffensive phrase that does not give precedence to one religion or occasion. Critics view it as an insipid alternative to "Merry Christmas", and view it as diminishing the role of Christianity in Christmas, or part of an alleged secular "War on Christmas".[4]

The phrase 'Happy Holidays" also considers the fact that New Years and Boxing Day occurs shortly after Christmas. Hence, "Happy Holidays" is effectively a short form for the greeting "Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year."

"Happy Holiday" is also the name of a popular song by Irving Berlin.

[edit] Season's Greetings

For other meanings of "Season's Greetings", see Season's Greetings (disambiguation).

"Season's Greetings" is a greeting more commonly used as a motto on winter season greeting cards than as a spoken phrase. In addition to "Merry Christmas", Victorian Christmas cards bore a variety of salutations, including "Compliments of the Season" and "Christmas Greetings." By the late 19th century, "With the Season's Greetings" or simply "The Season's Greetings" began appearing. By the 1920s it had been shortened to "Season's Greetings," [5] and has been a greeting card fixture ever since. Several White House Christmas cards, including U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower's 1955 card, have featured the phrase. [6]

Some people believe that the "Season" in "Season's Greetings" is referring to the Christmas season. Due to this some people consider replacing "Merry Christmas" with "Season's Greetings" as an attack on their religion. Others say that it is pandering to a plurality of consumers by businesses so that they will make more money by hopefully not offending anyone by saying "Merry Christmas". Similar controversy has surrounded use of the phrase "Happy Holidays". (see also: Christmas controversy)

A differing opinion states that this saying is much more neutral and avoids elevating any one "holy" day over another. It may even be used to be more inclusive of other winter holidays (such as Kwanzaa or Hanukkah), or to acknowledge the possibility that the sayer does not believe in anything holy, including "holy-days".

Technically speaking, "Season's Greetings" could apply throughout the year, as each season has its own particular set of accepted behavior and greetings.

[edit] List of holiday greetings

Search Wiktionary Look up Merry Christmas in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Search Wiktionary Look up Happy New Year in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Winter greetings are often strung together. The English greetings often begin with saying "Have a...", written "Wishing you a..." or sometimes end in "...to all!" as a declaration.

  • کریسمس مبارک - Persian "Merry Christmas"
  • "Шинэ жилийн мэнд хүргэе" Shini jiliin mend hurgie, -Mongolian,- Happy New Year
  • "Христос се роди!" answer: "Воистину се роди!" or: "Srećan Božić" (Serbian) "Merry Christmas"
  • 明けましておめでとうございます。(Akemashite Omedetō-gozaimasu.), in Japanese, literally means "Opening congratulations." but is used as "Happy New Year."
  • 'A'yād Sa'īdah أعياد سعيدة - Arabic for "Happy Holidays"
  • Bayramınız Mübarek Olsun - Turkey - "(is a celebration of Ramadan (religious holiday)"
  • Boas Festas - Portuguese and Galician for Happy Holidays
  • Boldog karácsonyt/Kellemes karácsonyi ünnepeket : Merry Christmas/Pleasant Christmas Holidays in Hungarian, Kellemes húsvéti ünnepeket: Pleasant Easter Holidays-- in Hungarian( Magyar)
  • Bon Carnaval - A French, Creole, or Cajun carnival greeting often used for Mardi Gras.
  • Bon Nadal - Catalan for Happy Christmas
  • Buon Natale - Italian for Happy Christmas
  • Buone Feste - Italian for Happy Holidays
  • С Новым Годом (S Novim Godom) - Russian, - Happy New Year Lit. "With a New Year"
  • Среќна Нова Година и Божиќни празници, Srekna Nova Godina i Bozikni praznici - Macedonian (Makedonski)
  • Chag Sameach - Hebrew for "Joyous festival", used for most Jewish festivals.
  • Chúc mừng năm mới - Vietnamese language, "Celebrate the New Year"
  • Christ is Risen, replied to with He is Risen Indeed - Spoken in various languages, Roman Catholic, Orthodox and Eastern Rite Catholic countries - Christos Voskrese! (Христос воскресе) replied to with Vo istina voskresse! (Во истина Воскресе!) - Bulgarian - Kristus syntyy, kiittäkää! (Finnish) - Kristus födes, lovsjungen (Swedish) - Kristõs šõdd, spä’ssbõõžžâd (Skolt Sami) - Hrisos rodieu, kiittäkkiä (Karelian)
  • Crăciun Fericit! Romanian for Merry Christmas
  • Felices Fiestas - Castilian for Happy Holidays
  • Feliz Natal - Portuguese for Happy Christmas
  • Feliz Navidad - Castilian lit. "Happy Nativity"
  • Frohe Weihnachten/Fröhliche Weihnachten - German for Merry Christmas
  • Geseënde Kersfees en 'n voorspoedige nuwe jaar - Blessed Christmas and a prosperous New Year - Afrikaans speaking South Africans
  • Gëzuar Krishtëlindjen dhe Vitin e Ri - Albanian, "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year"
  • Glædelig jul - Danish
  • Gmar Chatimah Tovah ("May you be sealed for good") or Tzom Kal ("Have an easy fast") - solemn greetings for Yom Kippur.
  • God jul - Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, lit. "Good Yule"
  • gōng xǐ fā cái - Chinese (Mandarin), "Congratulations and Prosperity"
  • Gut Yontiff - Yiddish for "good holiday" used for non festival holidays.
  • Habari Gani - Swahili for "What's the news?" is the daily greeting for each of the seven days of Kwanzaa.
  • Häid jõule - Estonian
  • Happy Christmas - United Kingdom
  • Happy Easter - English
  • Happy Halloween - Canada, United States
  • Happy Hanukkah or Happy Chanukah - English
  • Happy Holidays - Canada, United States
  • Happy Kwanzaa - English greeting used before Kwanzaa.
  • Happy New Year - English. Yelled at stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve; greetings on first encounters early in the new year.
  • Happy Thanksgiving - Canada, United States
  • Happy Yuletide - English. Can generally refer to the period of cultural festivities surrounding Yule, Winter solstice, Christmas and the New Year.
  • Hyvää joulua - Finnish
  • Īd mubārak عيد مبارك - Arabic for "Blessed Eid" is used to greet at the end of Ramadan on Eid ul-Fitr
  • 'Īd sa‘īd عيد سعيد - Arabic for "Happy Eid" or "Happy Holiday"
  • It's a Festivus for the rest of us! - yelled enthusiastically to explain the meaning of the holiday Festivus
  • Iyi Seneler - Turkey - "Happy New Year"
  • Il-Milied u s-Sena t-Tajba - Malta - "Happy Christmas and a Happy New Year"
  • Jour de l'An- French for Happy New Year used in French Canada
  • Joyeuses Fêtes - French for Happy Holidays used in French Canada
  • Joyeux Noël - France, French Canada, Louisiana, Switzerland
  • Joyous Yule - Usually a Wiccan or Neopagan greeting for the Winter solstice
  • Kales yortes" or "Kala Christouyenna" - Greek for Happy Holidays or Merry Christmas
  • Kull 'ām wa 'antum bikhair كل عام وأنتم بخير - Arabic for "May every year find you (plural) in good health"
  • Linksmų Šv. Kalėdų ir Naujųjų Metų - Lithuanian "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year"
  • L'Shanah Tovah - Hebrew, Lit. "a good year". Common greeting during Rosh Hashanah and Days of Awe. It is derived from L'shanah tovah tikatev v'taihatem, lit. "May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year".
  • maaf zahir dan batin - Lit. "Forgive my physical and emotional (wrongdoings)"
  • Maligayang Pasko at Manigong Bagong Taon!! Filipino, greeting for "merry Christmas and Happy New Year"
  • Maligayang Pasko- Tagalog for Merry Christmas
  • Mele Kalikimaka - Hawaiian, is preferred over the traditional American "Merry Christmas" in the U.S. state of Hawaii; made popular worldwide by Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters in 1950 in song
  • Merry Christmas - United Kingdom, Australia, United States, The phrase is often immediately followed by and a Happy New Year.
  • Merry Yuletide - English, can generally refer to the period of cultural festivities surrounding Yule, Winter solstice, Christmas and the New Year.
  • Merry Xmas - Written English (often informal), referencing the Greek word Χριστος, for Christ.
  • Mīlād Majīd ميلاد مجيد - Arabic for "Merry Christmas" as used in Lebanon and several other countries
  • Nadolig Llawen a Blwyddyn Newydd Dda - Wales (by Welsh speakers), "Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year"
  • Nollaig Shona Duit - Ireland, (Irish Language), Gaeilge, lit. "You have a happy Christmas".
  • Phát tài phát lộc Tấn tài tấn lộc - Vietnamese language, "Luck and Prosperity"
  • Prettige Kerstdagen en een gelukkig nieuwjaar - Dutch
  • Ramaḍān Karīm رمضان كريم - Arabic for "Blessed Ramadan" is used to greet at the beginning of Ramadan
  • 새해 복 많이 받으세요 Saehae Bok Mani baduseyo - Korean "Happy New Year"
  • Season's Greetings - United Kingdom Christmas cards, not usually spoken
  • Selamat Hari Raya or Salam Aidilfitri - Indonesia and Malaysia
  • Shin Jileen Mend Khurgey - Mongolian for Happy New Year
  • Sretan Božić - Croatian for Happy Christmas
  • S'Rozhdestvom Kristovym! (С Рождеством Христовым!) or, more commonly, simply S Rozhdestvom! for the informal Christmas greeting, while the traditional religious greeting is Khrystos razhdayetsya! (Христос рождается, meaning "Christ is born!") and the traditional response is Slavite! (Cлавите!, meaning "Let us glorify him!"). - Orthodox and Eastern Rite Catholic countries
  • Taqabbala Allāhu minnā wa minkum تقبل الله منا ومنكم - Arabic for "May God accept from us, and from you"
  • The sky is blue, the grass is green, may we have our Halloween - Scotland
  • Trick or Treat - Canada, United States , the combined threat and request for candy of children at each door they visit on Halloween.
  • Vạn sự như ý - Vietnamese language, "All things are as expected"
  • Veselé Vianoce a Šťastný Nový rok - Slovak language, "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year"
  • Veselé Vánoce a šťastný nový rok - Czech language, "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year"
  • Vrolijk Kerstfeest en Gelukkig Nieuwjaar - Dutch, "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year"
  • Wesołych Świąt - Polish greeting used before Christmas (literally 'Happy Holidays').
  • 新年快乐 xīn nián kuài lè - Chinese (Mandarin), "Happy New Year".[7]


[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ ""Merry Christmas" beats "Happy Holidays" In 2005 Usage". BusinessKnowledgeSource.com. 2005. http://businessknowledgesource.com/blog/merry_christmas_beats_happy_holidays_in_actual_2005_consumer_usage_021216.html. Retrieved on 2006-06-12. 
  2. ^ "Dickens' Christmas Sequels" (stm). LetsGo Online. 1998. http://www2.jsonline.com/letsgo/daily/1129dickens.stm. Retrieved on 2006-06-11. 
  3. ^ "Christmas Words and Phrases". The Phrase Finder. 2004. http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/38/messages/1398.html. Retrieved on 2006-06-11. 
  4. ^ "Why "Happy Holidays"?". Reason Magazine. 2004. http://www.reason.com/news/show/32013.html. Retrieved on 2008-06-29. 
  5. ^ "Maryland Historical Society Library Devotes Exhibit To Holiday Cards". Antiques and the Arts Online. 2005. http://www.antiquesandthearts.com/TT-2005-11-15-12-06-16p1.htm. Retrieved on 2008-06-29. 
  6. ^ "Season's Greetings from the White House". The White House. http://www.whitehouse.gov/president/holiday/cards/06.html. Retrieved on 2008-06-29. 
  7. ^ "Chinese New Year: Greetings and Phrases in Mandarin Chinese". About.com. http://mandarin.about.com/od/chineseculture/a/newyear.htm. Retrieved on 2008-12-22. 
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