Do you wish strangers you meet a happy holiday or Merry Christmas?

[sgluckadoo]

I use both, depending on who i am talking to. I do think it is ridiculous that people get offended by either one. I have very christian colleagues who are offended if I say happy holidays and others (christian, not christian, who knows) who are offended by merry christmas. To me, the fact that someone is wish you happy or merry anything is good.

[Ronnis25]

People that rush about wishing "merry Christmas" to EVERYBODY annoy me.  It's not their words that annoy me but it's their assumption that everyone else celebrates "Christmas"...many do not.  Different cultures have their own celebrations & traditions not just  "Christmas". Also, not everyone believes that Christmas is ALL about how many gifts and how much money one can spend to have a "happy holiday" or "Merry Christmas". 
     People that I personally know who celebrate Christmas...I will say "Merry Christmas" to them.  To strangers, if I have to say anything...I will say "happy holidays" if they look like happy people---otherwise I'm cautious of what I say. There are too many people with hurts that come to surface during the season, it's better to try and brighten their day rather than remind them of their pain.

Just for your own knowledge.  It is said that eighty persent of people in the United States are christians.  True many are not practicing Christians but hey you would have a better chance of hurting someone when you say Happy.  It amases me that we have to change our ways and not the other way around.  But that is not for here.
Jesus loves you no matter what you say.

[catherinedwhite]

I do wish strangers a Merry Christmas.

[de3ik]

This is an interesting question. I had never thought about it before. I usually don't even think about saying Merry Christmas to people because the holiday isn't on my mind, but people have said Merry Christmas to me and I have responded in turn. Today we were greeted by holiday wishes, so before we left I remembered the holiday and said Merry Christmas to another person. Made me feel good even though I had never really thought about it before.

[demaina]

I say Merry Christmas cause that is what I celebrate and there is no way for me to determine which holiday they celebrate or if they celebrate a holiday at all.  I figure I'm sending good energy towards them so if they are really insulted cause I didn't use what they deem the appropriate greeting, then it's their problem, not mine.  Plus, Happy Holidays isn't really specific to this time of year considering how many holidays there are and that presupposes that they believe in a religion. 

I had a whole argument about this with someone a while ago.

[loulizlee]

I wish strangers, friends, and family alike a Merry Christmas.  If they indicate they are offended, I say "sorry" but that is a part of my heritage.  I think there is too much taking offense at things things like that.  There are so many other important things that need our attention.  Taking offense to things that are not meant to be offensive is the one of the first steps to hate.

[LaTashaS28]

Yes I always say Merry Christmas or either happy holiday when someone says it to me, but if they don't I still will say it.

[ajami]

I always wish people happy holidays, not everyone really celebrate christmas.  I am a moslem and moslems do not celebrate christmas but I do.

[nhendrickson]

People that rush about wishing "merry Christmas" to EVERYBODY annoy me.  It's not their words that annoy me but it's their assumption that everyone else celebrates "Christmas"...many do not.  Different cultures have their own celebrations & traditions not just  "Christmas". Also, not everyone believes that Christmas is ALL about how many gifts and how much money one can spend to have a "happy holiday" or "Merry Christmas". 
     People that I personally know who celebrate Christmas...I will say "Merry Christmas" to them.  To strangers, if I have to say anything...I will say "happy holidays" if they look like happy people---otherwise I'm cautious of what I say. There are too many people with hurts that come to surface during the season, it's better to try and brighten their day rather than remind them of their pain.

Just for your own knowledge.  It is said that eighty persent of people in the United States are christians.  True many are not practicing Christians but hey you would have a better chance of hurting someone when you say Happy.  It amases me that we have to change our ways and not the other way around.  But that is not for here.
Jesus loves you no matter what you say.

I'd like to know your source for the eighty percent figure.  I seriously doubt that the majority are practicing.  In any case, even if that number is true, there is still a significant number of people in the US who are not Christian, one in every five people if you want to think of it that way.  Personally, I think that is a high number of people to alienate over a greeting that, if you mechanically say it to everyone and anyone, loses all meaning anyway.

This way of thinking is pretty typical of people who are in the majority.  You should try going to some environment where you are in the minority and experience what it is like to be an outsider, if only briefly.  Then you may feel a bit differently about it after you experience being in the minority.

[ghunter]

Yes, I do and I feel it does may some people day just to say something to them. So to the strangers out there MERRY CHRISTMAS!

[mom2taz]

most of the time i say merry christmas, but sometimes i also say happy holidays....to include new year as well as all other holidays regardless of a persons background that are this time of year

[nydiag]

Yes I do, Whenever I go during the holiday season I always tell people that I wish they have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year;
because i feel good when they wish the same for me.

[lkeys81]

I say Merry Christmas.

[keauhou]

I say Merry Christmas because that's what I celebrate, unless I am speaking to someone I know is Jewish and then I say Happy Hanukkah.

[constance312003]

I say Merry Christmas because it is a time to celebrate Jesus's birth and I am proud to be a Christian and want others to know that I am a Christian.