# Why "Merry Christmas"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 17, 2010, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-merry-christmas/564559 "2010-12-17T21:08:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2010, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-merry-christmas/564559/1 "2010-12-17T21:08:17Z")
Why do we say “Merry” at Christmas, but “Happy” for the other holidays? ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2010, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-merry-christmas/564559/2 "2010-12-17T23:26:06Z")
The British say “Happy Christmas”, or, it is at least accepted there. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2010, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-merry-christmas/564559/3 "2010-12-17T23:31:40Z")
**etv78** , this is really more of a GQ type post, so I’ve moved it there from MPSIMS. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2010, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-merry-christmas/564559/4 "2010-12-17T23:34:22Z")
> [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](#): > > **etv78** , this is really more of a GQ type post, so I’ve moved it there from MPSIMS. There’s an actual (factual) answer? To be fair, I couldn’t figure out which forum ti DID belong in. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2010, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-merry-christmas/564559/5 "2010-12-17T23:50:23Z")
As you should no doubt expect by now, there’s a [Wikipedia article on the subject](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holiday_greetings). According to it, “Merry Christmas” was popularized by Dickens’ A Christmas Carol (which is actually responsible for a lot of the Christmas traditions). ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2010, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-merry-christmas/564559/6 "2010-12-17T23:55:24Z")
> [@etv78](#): > > There’s an actual (factual) answer? To be fair, I couldn’t figure out which forum ti DID belong in. Doesn’t matter if there’s a factual answer - you’re asking an etymological question, which will at least have a factual basis. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2010, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-merry-christmas/564559/7 "2010-12-18T00:16:20Z")
I say “Happy Christmas” at times. Quite frequently, in fact. I partly suspect that the proximity of Xmas to New Year’s contributes to the custom. Since one frequently gives greetings for both holidays at once, it seems awkward to say “Happy Christmas & Happy New Year.” Changing the first _happy_ to _merry_ makes it sound better. No cite, as I drew that conclusion from my rectum. ---
**Author:** ![\_mostly\_Harmless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/9d8465/32.png) [@\_mostly\_Harmless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_mostly_Harmless)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2010, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-merry-christmas/564559/8 "2010-12-18T00:27:02Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > No cite, as I drew that conclusion from my rectum. Well said and well said. ---
**Author:** ![Candyman74](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Candyman74](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Candyman74)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2010, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-merry-christmas/564559/9 "2010-12-18T00:29:44Z")
> [@robert\_columbia](#): > > The British say “Happy Christmas”, or, it is at least accepted there. It’s accepted, but it’s traditionally “Merry Xmas and Happy NY”. ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2010, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-merry-christmas/564559/10 "2010-12-18T01:30:47Z")
> [@Candyman74](#): > > It’s accepted, but it’s traditionally “Merry Xmas and Happy NY”. Happy New York? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2010, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-merry-christmas/564559/11 "2010-12-18T01:56:44Z")
> [@Candyman74](#): > > It’s accepted, but it’s traditionally “Merry Xmas and Happy NY”. Yes, in fact just a year ago I heard ERII say “_Merry_ Christmas” not “Happy …”. On TV, of course. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2010, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-merry-christmas/564559/12 "2010-12-18T02:01:08Z")
I always thought it was a British thing to say “Happy Christmas” based on Hermione stating thus to Harry in the first HP movie. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2010, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-merry-christmas/564559/13 "2010-12-18T03:27:06Z")
And Jim Hacker translating Sir Humphrey’s convoluted and lengthy discourse to “Happy Christmas”. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2010, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-merry-christmas/564559/14 "2010-12-18T04:11:52Z")
I really suspect the carol [“We Wish You a Merry Christmas”](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Wish_You_a_Merry_Christmas) had as much to do with it as anything. Now bring me some figgy pudding! ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2010, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-merry-christmas/564559/15 "2010-12-18T06:40:00Z")
I always wondered if it had to do with the connotations of the words. Merry may mean happy, but it also implies a gathering of people, a festive occasion, and having fun. It’s not a quiet or lonely happy at all. Then again, that may have come with the association with Christmas. ---
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2010, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-merry-christmas/564559/16 "2010-12-18T07:17:27Z")
Us Brits definitely say Merry Christmas and as pointed out above it was probably a phrase that was born in England. Being merry suggests drunkenness so perhaps the Harry Potter writers thought it would be more appropriate to say “happy” in a kids film. ---
**Author:** ![D18](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@D18](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D18)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2010, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-merry-christmas/564559/17 "2010-12-18T14:11:05Z")
FWIW [A Visit From St. Nicholas](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Visit_from_St._Nicholas) originally ended with Santa saying “Happy Christmas to all”. > [@](#): > > The final line, originally written as “Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night”, has been changed in many later editions to “‘Merry Christmas’ to all”, in accord with the standard Christmas greeting current in North America. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2010, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-merry-christmas/564559/18 "2010-12-18T23:45:33Z")
> [@rachelellogram](#): > > I always thought it was a British thing to say “Happy Christmas” based on Hermione stating thus to Harry in the first HP movie. It’s lots older than that. Happy Xmas (War Is Over) by John Lennon in 1971. ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2010, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-merry-christmas/564559/19 "2010-12-20T20:19:54Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > > [@rachelellogram](#): > > > > I always thought it was a British thing to say “Happy Christmas” based on Hermione stating thus to Harry in the first HP movie. > > It’s lots older than that. I took **rachelellogram** ’s post to mean that she assumed “Happy Christmas” was a British thing because it was said in Harry Potter; not that she thought it started with Harry Potter. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2010, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-merry-christmas/564559/20 "2010-12-20T20:26:34Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > …“Merry Christmas” was popularized by Dickens’ A Christmas Carol (which is actually responsible for a lot of the Christmas traditions). I was at the [Dickens Fair](http://www.dickensfair.com/) on Saturday, and everyone seemed to be saying “Happy Christmas”. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-merry-christmas/564559.md?page=2)