Dec 23 2015

It’s still ‘merry Christmas’ in my language

It’s frowned upon in America to wish someone a ‘merry Christmas’. We were there one Christmas a couple of years ago and the best wishes were a simple and boring ‘happy holidays’. ‘Merry Christmas’ is an absolute no-no.

Why?

It’s politically incorrect. Someone, somewhere, might be offended.

The old saying of ‘when in Rome do as the Romans do’ was ignored in our case, but no-one seemed to care. We were Australians, so perhaps we were excused for our ignorance.

Mind you, we were quietly advised that in ‘their country’ it was strictly forbidden.

With all the anti-Muslim sentiment sweeping the world we just (wrongly) assumed that it might have been the fear of offending Muslim people. We’ve assumed that ever since.

I’m glad to learn we were wrong. Yet horrified to learn that it is because of a minority group with even less of a minority (so to speak).

It’s irrelevant to me who it is, so I won’t dwell into it and it is best ignored.

‘Merry Christmas’ – I recently read – has as good as disappeared from the American vocabulary, and I’m disappointed to hear it being replaced with ‘happy holidays’ in Australia too.

I can think of more ways to offend a person than wishing them a ‘merry Christmas’, but I’m certain that none who still visits the Cafe will be offended.

So to those loyal few, we would like to wish you a merry Christmas and thank you for your loyalty.

We may even reward your continued visits here with a couple of posts in 2016.

Cheers, everybody.

 

14 comments on “It’s still ‘merry Christmas’ in my language”

  3. Merry Christmas Michael, I quite agree with you on this matter. Along with Merry Christmas usually goes a wish for peace on Earth, I wonder if that has gone out the window. It seems from what I’ve been reading on Facebook, that the Victorian Government is trying to push your state firmly down the path the Americans seemed to have gone down, and I’ve only heard the “Peace on Earth and Good will to all Men(and Women)”, accompanied by a “Merry Christmas”, so to you I say Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, and May you and Carol have Peace on Earth, Good health and good cheer.

    Chris Townley

  6. And i’ll join in wishing you a Merry Christmas too Michael and Carol and may peace, integrity, openheartedness and well being prevail for you and all of us in 2016

  9. Merry Xmas ALL……. (and this salutation is from someone whom finds the ‘Grinch’ AWESOME ++)…… MERRY XMAS AMERICA *grins*
    At this time of year one wonders about the “Manger Story”…… it’s a story about an couple of Arabs -( one of them was pregger’s)… and how they were seeking refuge…….ain’t it funny how what goes around comes around…… funny old world…in’it….ay.
    PEACE, ya all!
    Discuss.

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