# OK To Say 'Happy Holiday' When It's Not Your \*Own\* Holiday? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 26, 2006, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-to-say-happy-holiday-when-its-not-your-own-holiday/374148 "2006-09-26T00:17:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2006, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-to-say-happy-holiday-when-its-not-your-own-holiday/374148/1 "2006-09-26T00:17:49Z")
I’m not Jewish, I don’t even play one on TV, but I got used to being around Jews during their holidays. For six+ years, I cleaned houses almost exclusively for Jews and so wound up helping serve all the big meals on the various Holy Days, shivas, etc. To be honest, I miss it. Good food, big and loud and loving families furthering tradition, the whole kit and kaboodle. I’ve been out of the biz for 2 years now. Soooo, last weekend was Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. Some of the people I work with over the phone (haven’t met in person, they’re hundreds of miles away) are Jewish, and I wished 2 of them a Shana Tova last Friday. One of them asked if I was Jewish, and to be fair my name could pass as Jewish if one didn’t know me. When I said I wasn’t he sounded confused and commented he was surprised I’d say that if I wasn’t. I didn’t respond, he said thank you, I said you’re welcome, we hung up. What’s the big whup? You wish people a Happy Birthday on \*\*their \*\* birthday, not yours, right? Still, if I’m wrong or being insulting, I wanna know so I don’t keep looking foolish. I do enough of that knowingly. Whaddya think? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2006, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-to-say-happy-holiday-when-its-not-your-own-holiday/374148/2 "2006-09-26T00:21:21Z")
I think you did the right thing. The guy was just startled at being wished a happy holiday by a goy. The overwhelming majority of non-Jews have no idea when Jewish holidays are, or the right greeting for them. ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2006, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-to-say-happy-holiday-when-its-not-your-own-holiday/374148/3 "2006-09-26T00:27:10Z")
[QUOTE=silenus] I think you did the right thing. The guy was just startled at being wished a happy holiday by a goy. The overwhelming majority of non-Jews have no idea when Jewish holidays are, or the right greeting for them. [/QUOTE] I agree. I certainly wouldn’t be insulted if a non-Jew wished me a happy holiday on any Jewish holiday. If any Jew did take umbrage at that, I’d think it was very odd. I would be surprised, though, if a non-Jew said the right greeting for the holiday (and in Hebrew, no less). Not offended, but surprised. ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2006, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-to-say-happy-holiday-when-its-not-your-own-holiday/374148/4 "2006-09-26T00:29:51Z")
I should also add that I wish people who I know to be Christian Merry Christmas or Happy Easter at the appropriate times. ---
**Author:** ![GilaB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@GilaB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GilaB)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2006, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-to-say-happy-holiday-when-its-not-your-own-holiday/374148/5 "2006-09-26T06:08:08Z")
I’d be surprised, particularly that you made your greetings in Hebrew rather than ‘Happy New Year’ or something like that, but I wouldn’t have a problem with it. When you’re part of a small minority, you just don’t expect people to know details like that. A few years ago I started a thread on what the proper holiday greeting is for Ramadan, as it didn’t seem like ‘Merry Ramadan’ was exactly what was called for. (Apparently, it’s ‘Ramadan Mubarak.’) ---
**Author:** ![Noone\_Special](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/noone_special/32/2863_2.png) [@Noone\_Special](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noone_Special)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2006, 9:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-to-say-happy-holiday-when-its-not-your-own-holiday/374148/6 "2006-09-26T09:04:09Z")
No problem at all – I’m surprised it was an issue at all. I wish and get wished all kinds of Happy Holidays wishes all the time – to and from non-Jews. I and everyone I have ever greeted for their holidays were perfectly pleased with it. Always. Maybe the guy was just surprised you knew about _Rosh HaShana_? ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2006, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-to-say-happy-holiday-when-its-not-your-own-holiday/374148/7 "2006-09-26T09:12:20Z")
Perfectly fine in my book - I regularly wish religious people happy Christmas, Easter, Hannuka, Rosh Hashana, Songkhran, Diwali, Holi, and Eid. ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2006, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-to-say-happy-holiday-when-its-not-your-own-holiday/374148/8 "2006-09-26T11:13:04Z")
Thank you all for the comforting replies! And the new information on the Ramadan greeting. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2006, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-to-say-happy-holiday-when-its-not-your-own-holiday/374148/9 "2006-09-26T12:14:50Z")
I am not offended when someone who is not a christian wishes me a Merry Christmas (OK, not a perfect analogy as I’m agnostic, but I was raised in the christian traditions.) I personally don’t think it is wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Puzzler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d07c76/32.png) [@Puzzler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Puzzler)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2006, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-to-say-happy-holiday-when-its-not-your-own-holiday/374148/10 "2006-09-27T07:19:06Z")
I also believe it was surprise, not offence. [hijack] A slightly relevant story: My Hebrew name is hard for N. Americans to pronounce. Hence, with time, I have learned to present myself to Americans (and Canadians) using a somewhat modified pronunciation of my name, which they find easier to get. About a year ago I phoned a business contact from the states for the first time, and introduced myself. The conversation went something like: Me: Good morning. My name is \, and I’m from \ in Israel. Him: Good morning. But isn’t your name \? Me: _Gasp_ I turned out his son has an Israeli friend who shares my name, so he learned the proper way to pronounce it. I was surprised, but defiantly not offended. [/hijack] ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2006, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-to-say-happy-holiday-when-its-not-your-own-holiday/374148/11 "2006-09-27T09:29:57Z")
I don’t see any problem… heck, I’ve even wished American friends a “Happy Father’s Day in Spain” and a Muslim friend called Joe a “Happy St Joseph’s” - which is kind of the opposite, saying “hey, I’m having a holiday today that applies to you even if it’s not your holiday!” ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2006, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-to-say-happy-holiday-when-its-not-your-own-holiday/374148/12 "2006-09-27T13:53:19Z")
At least 10 of my non-Jewish colleagues and students have wished me happy new year. I find it very moving. ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2006, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-to-say-happy-holiday-when-its-not-your-own-holiday/374148/13 "2006-09-27T17:10:06Z")
[QUOTE=Puzzler] [hijack] A slightly relevant story: My Hebrew name is hard for N. Americans to pronounce. Hence, with time, I have learned to present myself to Americans (and Canadians) using a somewhat modified pronunciation of my name, which they find easier to get. About a year ago I phoned a business contact from the states for the first time, and introduced myself. The conversation went something like: Me: Good morning. My name is \, and I’m from \ in Israel. Him: Good morning. But isn’t your name \? Me: _Gasp_ I turned out his son has an Israeli friend who shares my name, so he learned the proper way to pronounce it. I was surprised, but defiantly not offended. [/hijack] [/QUOTE] I’ve gotten that, but in reverse; my first name is a common Hebrew or Russian name, and I’ve had people of both nationalities tell me I’m saying it ‘wrong’. I get a little miffed and tell them I’m saying it the way I’ve been taught by the woman who gave it to me!