Freedom of religion. Just -- you know -- not your religion. - eviltoast
  • Varyk@sh.itjust.works
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    10 months ago

    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?

    • Zombiepirate@lemmy.world
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      10 months ago

      Nobody cares what you say except Fox News addicts who make imagined persecution their entire identity.

    • eltrain123@lemmy.world
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      10 months ago

      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.

      • Leviathan@lemmy.world
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        10 months ago

        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@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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          10 months ago

          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@lemm.ee
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          10 months ago

          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@lemmy.world
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      10 months ago

      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.

      • jesuiscequejesuis@lemmy.world
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        10 months ago

        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.