Why "Merry" Christmas: Not Merry Birthday, Merry 4th Of July, Etc?

In My Humble Opinion
1

I doubt many Americans use the word “merry” very much in everyday usage; I cannot remember the last time someone told me they had a merry time at the party, or had a merry day. Ever see a “Merry Hanukkah!” card? Merry Birthday? Merry Anniversary?

I believe in other English speaking countries, they often wish people a “Happy Christmas”, but here in the USA, every year we dust off the word “merry” and throw it out there as if it were a totally normal, everyday word.

So, unless you are a huge LOTR fan, do you use the word “merry” any other time of the year in normal word usage?

2

My American friend who lives in London says, “Happy Christmas” now.

I say Merry because… Damn! I don’t know why.
(I’m a sheep)

3

I say “Happy Holidays” because I am a fighting soldier in the War on Christian Christmas!

4

Twas the night before Christmas…blah blah blah…St Nick shows up…yadda yadda yadda…when he leaves he says…

“Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night”.

And that story set the tone for Christmases to come.

Happy Holidays.

5

“But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night.”

Sorry, you’ll have to look somewhere else.
:slight_smile:

6

I support our troops!

But I personally prefer “Bah, humbug”, because it avoids the happy/merry/Christmas/holidays confusion.

7

Because Happy Christmas sounds tinny.

8

Merriness is not the same as happiness. It implies alcohol consumption in a cheerful familial environment.