# Etiquette for wishing Christian religious holidays **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 18, 2014, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etiquette-for-wishing-christian-religious-holidays/686424 "2014-04-18T15:45:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Claverhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2014, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etiquette-for-wishing-christian-religious-holidays/686424/21 "2014-04-20T18:18:20Z")
At Easter you should **[greet](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paschal_greeting)** people with “_Christ is Risen !_” to which the response is: “\*He is Risen Indeed ! \*”. as above. But the triple kissing is optional. ---
**Author:** ![Hector\_St\_Clare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5ac83/32.png) [@Hector\_St\_Clare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hector_St_Clare)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2014, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etiquette-for-wishing-christian-religious-holidays/686424/22 "2014-04-20T20:55:45Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > They may not be offended – just a bit surprised… They know that you are someone from India, so may think you don’t know about Christian Holidays. (Most Christian Americans would have no idea about Hindu or Muslim holidays, for example.) India has substantially more Christians (around 3% of the population) than America has Muslims or Hindus, Christians are (I believe, though I might be wrong) somewhat more educated than the average, and Christianity has a public profile disproportionate to its population, due to all the missionary-founded schools, colleges and hospitals around. So I would imagine most urbanized, educated Hindus are vaguely aware of Christian holidays in a way that the average American Christian might not know about Divali or Ramadan. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2014, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etiquette-for-wishing-christian-religious-holidays/686424/23 "2014-04-21T01:49:16Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > They may not be offended – just a bit surprised… They know that you are someone from India, so may think you don’t know about Christian Holidays. (Most Christian Americans would have no idea about Hindu or Muslim holidays, for example.) My sister’s class had a very bright student who was raised in India. She was in the advanced English classes. Yet she had pretty much zero biblical literacy, and it was a struggle for her, since so much literature assumes you know at least a little bit about the Bible. It was a testament to her that she was able to stay in the advanced classes. Anyways, I’d guess that the responses the OP has been given are partly because they are unexpected, but partly because they don’t know how to respond back. They think they are supposed to respond back with some Indian holiday. You know, like, when a known Jewish person wishes you “Merry Christmas,” you generally say “Happy Hanukkah” back. At least, that’s what I’ve seen on TV. Nearly everyone is a Christian around here, and everyone celebrates Christmas. I’ll admit that saying “Happy Easter” doesn’t come up much, but I think that’s because there is a significant minority of people who think “Easter” is a pagan holiday, and that it should be called “Resurrection Sunday.” And those types of people are very vocal about it, making saying “Happy Easter” mean you’ll have to listen to the lecture. But I would think that was mostly a local problem. Most Christians call the holiday “Easter,” as it has been called since at least the KJV days. (Yip, it actually mentions Easter.) ---
**Author:** ![Uniqueorn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uniqueorn/32/2807_2.png) [@Uniqueorn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uniqueorn)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2014, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etiquette-for-wishing-christian-religious-holidays/686424/24 "2014-04-21T09:13:46Z")
I wish “Happy Easter” to my Muslim friends and they wish me “Eid Mubarak”. Works well, because we all want each other to be happy. Oh yeah, I am nominally Christian (Protestant, but one of the European versions, not one of the US homebrew ones), but would classify myself as “spiritual, but not religious”. ---
**Author:** ![PeacePlease](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/71c47a/32.png) [@PeacePlease](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PeacePlease)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2014, 9:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etiquette-for-wishing-christian-religious-holidays/686424/25 "2014-04-21T09:49:30Z")
My mother is a devout Christian. My father is an agnostic. I, myself, am an atheist. I have no problem wishing my mother a ‘Happy Easter’ (which I did today). She also said a prayer over our meal. No biggie. I just put my hands together (in a ‘namaste’) type pose and listen to her until she is finished. It makes her happy and means absolutely nothing to me. No harm, no foul. She does know that I am a non-believer and I think she knows the same of my Dad, but it makes her happy. Again, whatever!!! ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2014, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etiquette-for-wishing-christian-religious-holidays/686424/26 "2014-04-21T11:26:04Z")
This was a three day weekend for me. Leaving work Thursday, I told everyone, “Have a nice weekend!!” Works for any belief system. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2014, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etiquette-for-wishing-christian-religious-holidays/686424/27 "2014-04-21T11:36:28Z")
> [@Skammer](#): > > “Wishing you and yours a somber and reflective Good Friday.” 🙂 I had to stay sober? I wish someone had told me earlier. ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2014, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etiquette-for-wishing-christian-religious-holidays/686424/28 "2014-04-21T11:49:45Z")
Frankly most people are so into themselves they hardly wish people a hello or goodbye anymore let alone mention any special holidays. Once when I used to walk over around a Jewish area someone might say “shalom” or something. I just nod and maybe say “howdy”. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2014, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etiquette-for-wishing-christian-religious-holidays/686424/29 "2014-04-21T11:54:08Z")
> [@am77494](#): > > **Here’s my experience in the US:** > I encounter strange reactions when wishing American colleagues Merry Christmas or Happy Easter. Either they brush it off - or look offended - or act like they did not hear me. Really? Wow! I had no idea Americans had become such hypersensitive arseholes about this. I blame Fox News, I guess. Do you think they are reacting like this because they are atheist bigots who can’t stand anyone giving even lip-service respect to Christian festivals, or because they are Christian bigots who think only white people should be allowed any knowledge of Christian things? Hopefully you will not run into anything like this with Europeans, but, in any case, you should know that it’s not you, it’s them. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2014, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etiquette-for-wishing-christian-religious-holidays/686424/30 "2014-04-21T11:58:55Z")
> [@Urbanredneck](#): > > Frankly most people are so into themselves they hardly wish people a hello or goodbye anymore let alone mention any special holidays. > > Once when I used to walk over around a Jewish area someone might say “shalom” or something. I just nod and maybe say “howdy”. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2014, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etiquette-for-wishing-christian-religious-holidays/686424/31 "2014-04-21T12:03:36Z")
Happy Easter! And be sure to [nail that bunny to the cross!](http://doorbell.net/easter.gif) ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2014, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etiquette-for-wishing-christian-religious-holidays/686424/32 "2014-04-21T12:34:46Z")
Maybe they aren’t sensitive, but rather baffled? They may be assuming you are not Christian, and they may not be Christian themselves, and it’s pretty weird for people to greet each other with riding of a religion that neither one celebrates? With Christmas, “Happy Holidays” works just as well and leaves no one out, so people default to that. In the US, Easter is not a major public holiday like it is in much of the world. It’s more of a quiet family thing, perhaps with some church, a family dinner, and some stuff for the kids. So brining it up unprompted would be kind of strange. ---
**Author:** ![Claverhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2014, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etiquette-for-wishing-christian-religious-holidays/686424/33 "2014-04-21T12:49:40Z")
In Britain Easter is religious for those who are religious and a 4-day holiday ( including the normal weekend ) for those who aren’t. Neither hassles the other and ‘_Happy Easter_’ would be accepted sanguinely either way, although not expected. Christmas would be ‘_Happy Christmas_’, to everybody, _verry_ occasionally ‘_Merry Christmas_’, although that is Dickensian archaic, and **never** ‘ **Happy Holidays** ’, which sounds timid to our ears. If we are christian, or muslim, or pagan we don’t worry about offending people by celebrating the things we believe in. Fuck’em for being offendable, they should go spit up a rope. ---
**Author:** ![saje](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saje/32/3631_2.png) [@saje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saje)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2014, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etiquette-for-wishing-christian-religious-holidays/686424/34 "2014-04-21T12:59:19Z")
I’m pretty much a heathen and I say “Merry Christmas” . I don’t generally acknowledge Easter because since I’m well beyond the goodie-gathering age the holiday has no meaning for me. But I certainly wouldn’t be offended if someone wished ME a Happy Easter or Christmas, or, for that matter, Passover, Kwanzaa, or any other holiday that’s important to them. Generally those sorts of statements are meaningless politeness, and if it’s more than that, why would I throw sincere well-wishes back in someone’s face? There’s a time to be rude and stand your ground but I don’t think this sort of thing qualifies. Not for me anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2014, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etiquette-for-wishing-christian-religious-holidays/686424/35 "2014-04-21T13:22:09Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Yet she had pretty much zero biblical literacy, and it was a struggle for her, since so much literature assumes you know at least a little bit about the Bible. It was a testament to her that she was able to stay in the advanced classes. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2014, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etiquette-for-wishing-christian-religious-holidays/686424/36 "2014-04-21T13:33:04Z")
> [@Skammer](#): > > “Wishing you and yours a somber and reflective Good Friday.” 🙂 I’ve had that issue with Jewish holidays - I’m not Jewish, but they are often big deal for the Jews I’ve worked with. And the Jewish holiday calendar seems filled with not happy holidays that are made for somber reflection. I’ve discovered that “have a nice holiday” as you would say “have a nice weekend” on an ordinary Friday works regardless of the religion of the person and is generally appreciated as acknowledgement, if not participation, and regardless of the tone of the holidays and I don’t need to keep in my brain that “Happy Yom Kippur” isn’t appropriate. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2014, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etiquette-for-wishing-christian-religious-holidays/686424/37 "2014-04-21T13:49:41Z")
> [@Claverhouse](#): > > In Britain Easter is religious for those who are religious and a 4-day holiday ( including the normal weekend ) for those who aren’t. Neither hassles the other and ‘_Happy Easter_’ would be accepted sanguinely either way, although not expected. And therein lies the distinction: in the US it is not a work holiday. So for religiously observant, it’s an important holiday, for everyone else, it doesn’t exist; wishing non-celebrants “happy Easter” is a nonsequitur. Which I think explains the confused looks OP is getting. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etiquette-for-wishing-christian-religious-holidays/686424.md?page=1)