Where I work, I will be seeing 1000’s of people over the holidays. I plan on saying “Happy Holidays” to people. Last year there were some who took offense and would angrily and loudly proclaim “MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!” to my very innocuous “Happy Holidays!”.
I never know how to respond to someone angrily shouting Merry Christmas at me. It doesn’t sound very merry.
It isn’t merry, and it isn’t meant to be. It’s an infantile passive-aggressive way of trying to force you to validate their way of thinking. Don’t fall for it.
My standard greeting around this time of year is to say, “Enjoy your holidays!” Regardless of how someone responds, I simply smile and go on my way. If it’s one of the jerk types you’re describing, my smile tends more toward the indulgent-toward-small-children-throwing-a-tantrum variety.
Do what you want, but consider that what you say could be applied to those who say Happy Holidays as well. It all depends on the intent behind of what they say, and they are many people who say happy holidays with the infantile passive-aggressive intent of trying to force them to validate their way of thinking.
Invalidating a tradition (or a traditional saying) is done for a reason.
You could look deep in their eyes and calmly, slowly, softly, deliberately say “I hate you” as if you really mean it. Turns out this is really surprisingly creepy and disturbing.