I don’t like “Happy Holidays” or “The Holidays” simply because, like Maria and unlike #42, “holidays” means something different Over Here. But then, the expression isn’t used over here, so it’s not an issue. I wouldn’t have a problem hearing or using it in America. When in Rome etc.

For me, the New Year is part of the Christmas Holidays, not a separate holiday that happens to be close by. There aren’t many Jews in Ireland, but I have said “Happy Hanukkah” on occasion.

Wow, I’d never before realized just how WASPy a part of flyover county I grew up in. I’ve never heard Columbus referred to as Catholic and Italy was only mentioned as the place he couldn’t get funding. Where I come from Columbus brought Christianity not Catholicism.

What a country!

“The historic rationale for a non-religious December/January festival is strong (though not in California), and it’s arguable that all this Winterval nonsense is just post-post-paganism re-asserting itself as the natural order of things.”

Why not California? Mediterranean climates have winter, too. Shorter days, cooler, etc. I detect some climaticism in here. As if winter meant snow all around.

Seriously, Chanukah was built around a pagan winter solstice festival, too. With Jerusalem and San Diego being almost exactly the same latitude, that makes a lot of sense in these parts, if one stops to think about it. Which few do, of course…

has given northern Europeans something to look forward to for millennia
This, on the other hand, offends my sense of Hobsbawmian (or Andersonian) scepticism – it soudns downright Northern Nationalist. Where s your evidence that it was in use before the 15th century?

late capitalism is also hard to prove. I suspect we may still be in early capitalism, and I’ve long since given up waiting for the cleansing Revolution.

I’m sure that somewhere, in this vast land of opportunity, there are soem sane, normal people. I, however, have so far met interesting, committed, thought-provoking people, most of whom were on at least some topics raving loons. (And I think the ones that did might have been faking it.)

Think about it for a moment: “Christ-Mass” – the very name reeks of popery …

And although atheistic I listen STRICTLY to traditional German and French Xmas carols at home, simply because if I hear “Frosty the Snowman”, “Rum-a-Pum-Pum”, “Winter Wonderland”, “Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer”, or any other of the secular stuff that we are bombarded with any more times I will be sticking very large skewers into my ears.

I am also from South Dakota, and I thought that was a really smart move on Gov. Michelson’s part. Why do we have a Columbus day? Well, to make Italians and other Catholics feel like part of America. In South Dakota ignorance about Native Americans and Native American alienation are far bigger problems than making South Dakota Catholics feel special. And actually a lot of schools focus on Native America history etc. on that day.

So your priest’s “Happy Hanukkah” recommendation is just a thinly-veiled expression of anti-Semitism, and if blondes weren’t blonde your remark would be racist, and you probably don’t even know how to go to church properly, and anyway, you’re just jealous.

Have a nice day.

Here I am, living in a heterogenous city in a Muslim country and can think about nothing except joining my family in Flyover land (central IL) for Christmas. Not the Holidays, but Christmas. I’m an atheist, too, but it’s still Christmas. And I wish you all a Merry Christmas. Maria, please spend some quality time in Flyover land as your live and visit our great country. It lacks alot, no doubt, but offers alot, too, and something that many other places cannot.

That hits the nail on the head. Just keep saying “Merry Christmas”, pretty much nobody will care. This isn’t a genuine issue outside of outraged talking head land.

Caveat: Some places like universities do have policies that ban overtly Christmas-specific decorations (eg creches), but allow “season” specific decorations (eg pine tree, snowman); the mandated language there would be one of the neutered phrases. But in practice in conversation, I’ve rarely run into anyone who takes “Merry Christmas” in anything other that its intended spirit.