# How to reply to "I say Merry Christmas!!1!"? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 30, 2018, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-reply-to-i-say-merry-christmas-1/825359 "2018-11-30T23:28:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Ramira](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ramira/32/344_2.png) [@Ramira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ramira)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2018, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-reply-to-i-say-merry-christmas-1/825359/121 "2018-12-03T20:18:15Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Yes, I am aware of that. But I was pointing out it’s not even a month around the same time as Christmas (at least not for another forty years). The point can be made with the Eid which of course follow the month in moving through the solar year and at least are actually the holidays. ---
**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:** [December 3, 2018, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-reply-to-i-say-merry-christmas-1/825359/122 "2018-12-03T20:47:45Z")
> [@Ramira](#): > > It is **Harira.** > > At least if you know the actual name you may risk one day being able to order it somewhere. But I _have_ ordered it at [Le Marrakech in Saint Martin](https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g147348-d2018346-Reviews-Le_Marrakech-Marigot_Saint_Martin_St_Martin_St_Maarten.html), a Moroccan restaurant owned and operated by Moroccans, where it is on the menu as Ramadan Soup (Harira). 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ZPG\_Zealot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e47c2d/32.png) [@ZPG\_Zealot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZPG_Zealot)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2018, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-reply-to-i-say-merry-christmas-1/825359/123 "2018-12-03T23:13:15Z")
Have an Orgasmic Saturnalia is always worth a few chuckles as a reply. ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2018, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-reply-to-i-say-merry-christmas-1/825359/124 "2018-12-03T23:54:34Z")
I’d be tempted to say something like “Isn’t Christmas a holiday?” with a very confused look on my face… ---
**Author:** ![lingyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d2c977/32.png) [@lingyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lingyi)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2018, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-reply-to-i-say-merry-christmas-1/825359/125 "2018-12-04T00:09:48Z")
The first time I was told to say Happy Holidays and not Merry Christmas was when I worked at the front desk of a high end retirement home, because some of the residents were Jewish (Hawaii doesn’t have a large Jewish community). If someone wished me Merry Christmas, I’d reply Merry Christmas quietly (so others don’t overhear) or just thank them. The significance of respecting those of other faiths really struck me one day when the sleeve of one of the residents lifted up and I saw her tattoo. And there was one man in particular who no matter the weather would always wear long sleeves. I was told it was to hide his tattoo. _SIGH_ Thankfully I wasn’t on duty that day, but I heard that this man who was the quietest, gentlest, always friendly person suddenly snapped when a fellow resident (whom he saw almost every day) raised her hand to say Hi and he claimed she was giving the Heil Hitler salute! On the other hand, there were a few residents who would yell “Merry Christmas” to me across the room, knowing which fellow residents present were Jewish. _Double Sigh_ Now, I usually don’t say anything, letting the other person take the lead and repeat the greeting they said to me. I’m even careful about Happy New Year around native Chinese people since it’s not their New Year. Less so around Koreans as the Lunar New Year (at least those I’ve met) isn’t as big an event for them. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2018, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-reply-to-i-say-merry-christmas-1/825359/126 "2018-12-04T08:08:40Z")
“Bah. Humbug.” Follow up with: “If I could work my will, Every idiot who goes about with ‘Merry Christmas’ on his lips, should be boiled with his own pudding, and buried with a stake of holly through his heart. He should!” ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2018, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-reply-to-i-say-merry-christmas-1/825359/127 "2018-12-04T13:01:18Z")
> [@Melbourne](#): > > “Bah. Humbug.” > > Follow up with: > “If I could work my will, Every idiot who goes about with ‘Merry Christmas’ on his lips, should be boiled with his own pudding, and buried with a stake of holly through his heart. He should!” Well aren’t you a pleasant person? For 2 words almost always meant in a positive way? ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2018, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-reply-to-i-say-merry-christmas-1/825359/128 "2018-12-04T13:57:09Z")
> [@lingyi](#): > > On the other hand, there were a few residents who would yell “Merry Christmas” to me across the room, knowing which fellow residents present were Jewish. _Double Sigh_ It’s not like Jews are allergic to Christmas, or need to be shielded from its existence. There’s nothing wrong with one Christian wishing another Christian a Merry Christmas while a Jew is in the room. It’s something else to unknowingly say Merry Christmas to Jews, that’s less cool. It’s far less cool, downright insulting, to do it knowingly. ---
**Author:** ![postpic200](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@postpic200](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postpic200)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2018, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-reply-to-i-say-merry-christmas-1/825359/129 "2018-12-04T15:01:58Z")
> [@FloatyGimpy](#): > > 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. I think the key is “where I work”, a lot of people take “Happy Holidays!” as businesses saying, “We’re very happy to take you money, during what in the US has traditionally, been a Christian holiday where they exchange gifts, but we won’t acknowledge your faith, by saying Merry Christmas.” Or as they see it the WAR ON CHRISTMAS. But to your question, since you’re at work, you can’t do some of the things I would suggest, so a polite thank you. And leave it at that, the more polite you are the more ticked off they will get. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2018, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-reply-to-i-say-merry-christmas-1/825359/130 "2018-12-04T19:39:51Z")
I live in the liberal north-east, where there are lots of non-Christians. I have never run into this particular bit of rudeness. But if I did, I would probably do a double-take, and say something like “huh?”, expressing my shock that they took my well-intended words as a barb. and I think that would be okay. You don’t have to respond at all. You each greeted the other, time to move on to the next thing, whether that be walking past each other, one of you ringing up the other’s order, or getting down to talking about that account you are working on together. Oh – and at the end of the day, I would post about this bizarre rude person on-line, and get out some of my annoyance at them. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2018, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-reply-to-i-say-merry-christmas-1/825359/131 "2018-12-04T19:48:03Z")
Do people get upset by someone saying “God Bless You” after you sneeze? I’m not religious, so I just give the polite “Bless You” but I take the “God Bless You” as a polite social norm and not an assault on my agnosticism. I don’t keep people in my prayers as I don’t pray. I have good wishes for them or keep them in my thoughts. But if people keep me in their prayers, I take no offense. It is nice of them in my mind. Isn’t taking offense to “Merry Christmas” a little much? Taking offense to “Happy Holiday” is also very silly. That isn’t even anything new. I remember that phrase on some of the Christmas cards my parents got when I was a little kid. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2018, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-reply-to-i-say-merry-christmas-1/825359/132 "2018-12-04T19:57:57Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > Do people get upset by someone saying “God Bless You” after you sneeze? I had a classmate that used to say “I Bless You” after a sneeze. I always thought that was a little slice of awesome in 8th grade. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2018, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-reply-to-i-say-merry-christmas-1/825359/133 "2018-12-04T20:01:36Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > Isn’t taking offense to “Merry Christmas” a little much?. Once again, this thread isn’t about taking offense at being wished “Merry Christmas.” We are talking about people who get offended about being wished “Happy Holidays.” ---
**Author:** ![Grestarian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grestarian/32/3227_2.png) [@Grestarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grestarian)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2018, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-reply-to-i-say-merry-christmas-1/825359/134 "2018-12-04T20:29:12Z")
There is a certain cashier at the local grocery store where my wife and I shop. It’s clear she’s a senior citizen and it’s clear she’s been a cashier for every day of her adult life. It’s also clear time has diminished her hearing and she has also become thoroughly unimpressed by the daily routine. It’s clear that, as soon as she hands a customer the receipt and change from the transaction, she has already moved on to the next customer. She might say, “Thank you. Have a nice day!” or throw in a seasonal greeting but, regardless of the customer’s response, her counter to the response is invariably a very nasal and drawn-out, “Uh-huh, shewer!” (She really drags ‘sure’ out to be a two-syllable word) and she is immediately focused on the next person in line, visually, aurally, mentally, and verbally. That would seem to be the best approach to the seasonal zealots: Turn and look at the next customer (or appear to be searching for more, if there’s nobody in line) and call out, “Next?” You’ve got a job to do, business to transact; you’ve moved on to the next interaction. Most people – probably 99% – would take the hint and move on as well. For those 1-percenters who insist on a confrontation, you could probably respond with “Security!?” –G! Happy Holy Days – Whatever your persuasion! ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2018, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-reply-to-i-say-merry-christmas-1/825359/135 "2018-12-04T20:35:07Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Once again, this thread isn’t about taking offense at being wished “Merry Christmas.” We are talking about people who get offended about being wished “Happy Holidays.” Man, I gotta stop reading these threads when drunk. People who get offended about being wished “Happy Holidays” are morons. ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2018, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-reply-to-i-say-merry-christmas-1/825359/136 "2018-12-04T20:52:06Z")
Maybe ten years ago, when I was a bit upset at a snarky “Merry Christmas” reply to my Happy Holidays" greeting, I replied “What just Christmas? You want my New Year’s Day to be rotten?” I’ve since taken to “Happy Solstice” greeting and any comment is met with, I’m sorry, but the Christmas date was stolen from Solstice celebrations. ---
**Author:** ![GuyTanzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/48db29/32.png) [@GuyTanzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuyTanzer)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2018, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-reply-to-i-say-merry-christmas-1/825359/137 "2018-12-04T21:38:41Z")
“My uncle died in World War 2 defending the right to say ‘Happy Holidays’.” ---
**Author:** ![GuyTanzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/48db29/32.png) [@GuyTanzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuyTanzer)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2018, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-reply-to-i-say-merry-christmas-1/825359/138 "2018-12-04T21:43:07Z")
Another retort might be “and a dreary, boring Christmas spent praying in a cold church all day to you and yours, just the way the Puritans and the Founding Fathers celebrated it.” ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2018, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-reply-to-i-say-merry-christmas-1/825359/139 "2018-12-04T22:26:18Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > Well aren’t you a pleasant person? For 2 words almost always meant in a positive way? I think you’ve been whooshed, Nephew Fred. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2018, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-reply-to-i-say-merry-christmas-1/825359/140 "2018-12-05T13:41:02Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > May the bird of paradise fly up your nose! > May an elephant caress you with his toes! > May your wife get great big runners in her hose! > And may the bird of paradise fly up your nose! Happy Mondegren! It’s [_May your wife be plagued with runners in her hose_](http://www.lyrster.com/lyrics/may-the-bird-of-paradise-fly-up-your-nose-lyrics-little-jimmy-dickens.html) I just say, “But I’m not Christian,” with a small smile. Let 'em flail at the rising tide of secularism all they want. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-reply-to-i-say-merry-christmas-1/825359.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-reply-to-i-say-merry-christmas-1/825359.md?page=8)