# Is "Merry Christmas" replacing "Happy Christmas" in Britain? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 14, 2018, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-merry-christmas-replacing-happy-christmas-in-britain/826140 "2018-12-14T21:38:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2018, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-merry-christmas-replacing-happy-christmas-in-britain/826140/41 "2018-12-19T05:45:05Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > And you put your Christmas trees in upside down, too, right?😛 > [@PatrickLondon](#): > > Your private life is your business… > . . . :eek: Yeah, TMI dude. > [@DrDeth](#): > > I have never, ever seen anyone \*\*IRL \*\*unhappy about Happy Holidays. I think that is 99% a internet meme. You are very lucky then. On their best days they are unpleasant to be around. My favorite thing is when they walk around complaining about a) people saying “Happy Holidays” and -almost in the same breath- b) all the people who are so easily offended these days. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2018, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-merry-christmas-replacing-happy-christmas-in-britain/826140/43 "2018-12-19T07:15:13Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Do you guys still play those Winter tunes? Yes for South Africa. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2018, 8:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-merry-christmas-replacing-happy-christmas-in-britain/826140/44 "2018-12-19T08:54:36Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > I have never, ever seen anyone \*\*IRL \*\*unhappy about Happy Holidays. I think that is 99% a internet meme. While we battle over how much Brits say Merry v Happy (I reckon it’s evenly split), I would say that we don’t ever say ‘Happy Holidays’ - that sounds totally American. ---
**Author:** ![blindboyard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blindboyard/32/2833_2.png) [@blindboyard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blindboyard)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2018, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-merry-christmas-replacing-happy-christmas-in-britain/826140/45 "2018-12-19T18:08:16Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > Follow-up (semi-serious) question: does anyone say _Happy Krimble_ and/or _Merry Goo Year_ in Britain? > > (several long-time friends and I, all big Beatles fans, use those salutations in our holiday correspondence every year) Not Krimble, it’s the traditional scouse slang ter[m Crimbo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqBF7TiyATo). > [@Ashtura](#): > > It should be Merry Christmas everywhere. > > I mean, come on, when else do you get to break out the world “Merry?” Merry is a common euphemism for drunk. ---
**Author:** ![Apollyon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/apollyon/32/4238_2.png) [@Apollyon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apollyon)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2018, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-merry-christmas-replacing-happy-christmas-in-britain/826140/46 "2018-12-20T01:13:45Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Do you guys still play those Winter tunes? Yes, definitely in NZ. Along with fake snow, plastic icicle lights, and blow-up snowmen. We tend towards BBQ over turkey (though some still do a traditional roast lunch), but still eat mince pies and plum pudding (along with the pavlova and ice cream), and some poor sod gets to dress up in the fur lined Santa suit in sweltering heat (and often high humidity). 😃 And in my experience Christmas is almost always Merry. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2018, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-merry-christmas-replacing-happy-christmas-in-britain/826140/47 "2018-12-20T06:20:47Z")
> [@Ashtura](#): > > To be honest, this American doesn’t remember hearing “Happy Christmas” until the Harry Potter movies came out. Never heard the John Lennon song, Happy Christmas (War is Over)? ---
**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2018, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-merry-christmas-replacing-happy-christmas-in-britain/826140/48 "2018-12-20T18:44:44Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > Yes for South Africa. When I spent the weeks before Christmas (though not the holidays themselves) in South Africa a couple of years ago, I was surprised by the amount of Jingle Bells and White Christmas and Winter Wonderland and all that being played in shopping malls. It seems like the cognitive dissonance between the cultural influence of the Northern hemisphere on the one hand and the actual weather experience on the other hand is working very well. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2018, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-merry-christmas-replacing-happy-christmas-in-britain/826140/49 "2018-12-20T19:15:47Z")
> [@Schnitte](#): > > When I spent the weeks before Christmas (though not the holidays themselves) in South Africa a couple of years ago, I was surprised by the amount of Jingle Bells and White Christmas and Winter Wonderland and all that being played in shopping malls. It seems like the cognitive dissonance between the cultural influence of the Northern hemisphere on the one hand and the actual weather experience on the other hand is working very well. That’s nothing. They play it up big time in all the giant shopping malls in Bangkok. Targeting those tourists and resident Westerners. ---
**Author:** ![RobDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f07891/32.png) [@RobDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobDog)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2018, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-merry-christmas-replacing-happy-christmas-in-britain/826140/50 "2018-12-20T20:14:43Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > Never heard the John Lennon song, Happy Christmas (War is Over)? Which has the chorus “A very **Merry** Christmas And a happy New Year Let’s hope it’s a good one Without any fear” Go figure! ---
**Author:** ![oligopoly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8c91f0/32.png) [@oligopoly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oligopoly)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2018, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-merry-christmas-replacing-happy-christmas-in-britain/826140/51 "2018-12-21T14:56:11Z")
The movement to ‘merry’ is, in my opinion, due to the oft-succeeding phrase ‘and a happy New Year’ - i.e. people don’t want to use the word happy twice! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-merry-christmas-replacing-happy-christmas-in-britain/826140.md?page=2)