Happy and Merry HOLIDAYS?

[viioletsarentblue]

What a load of pretentious, 'trying too hard not to offend anyone' bollocks of an ad.

In the words of Slade:

''It's CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!''

Disn't get to the end of the vid through fear of throwing up!
But she's American. Don't all Americans say happy holidays? As it's a national holiday.

Video won't play on my phone. Nothing wrong with happy holidays. Not everybody celebrates Christmas.

I thought it was Happy and Merry to link in with H & M. Not that I enjoyed it! Rather annoying.

Nothing wrong with happy holidays. Not everybody celebrates Christmas

Yes, but it IS Christmas that is being celebrated at this time of year.

As an example, you wouldn't expect people to change Diwali to 'Happy Holiday', just because not everybody celebrates Diwali
Diwali is diwali and
Christmas is Christmas.

There is no need to substitute the word 'holiday' for any of these celebrations

It's the holidays as in there is more than one this time of year....I have lots of friends of different faiths and none and "happy holidays" is a good catch all.

It seems as if 'Happy Holidays' or 'Merry Holidays' even more ridiculous sounding is an American thing and it's creeping in over here.

Hope that's a mincepie or a lovely bit of Christmas cake

But it's not just Christmas - it's also Hanukkah and Yule.

The video wouldn't work but isn't happy holidays used more in America because they have more Jewish people and there are those who celebrate Kwanzaa? It doesn't bother me in the slightest. I'd imagine it's creeping over here because there are less and less active Christians.

What TeaStory said. I would say Happy Christmas because that's what I'm celebrating but I wouldn't take offence at someone else wishing me a happy holiday, if they were celebrating something different, or preferred not to celebrate Christmas.

In any case, holiday means something slightly different in US, being reserved for "holy days" as opposed to vacations.

Yes, but it IS Christmas that is being celebrated at this time of year

Er, Hanukkah?

It's Merry Christmas and I have no intention of ever writing Merry Holiday in a card or on a present.

Now, I'm off to hang up my Holiday Christmas Decorations and put up my Holiday Christmas Tree, whilst eating a piece of Holiday Christmas Cake.

And I'll have a couple of these as well

Yanbu it's Christmas ffs!

Yes, I would say Happy Hanukkah to someone.

I wouldn't say Happy Holiday to them.
It's Hanukka.

I know what I mean I think

Yanbu it's Christmas ffs!

That would make a great MN Christmas Single.

I agree with you OP.

The whole video comes across as very 'let's tip toe around everyone so we don't cause offence, even though for most people this time of year is indeed solely about Christmas, especially the target audience' that's if I read it correctly and it is indeed a H&M ad

I'd say happy Hanukah to my Jewish cousins, the same way they would just say Merry Christmas to me. Happy holidays is more universal but it is one of those things that's to versatile for the British public, sorry.

Not forgetting Thanksgiving and the solstice.

My dd who is six came out of school today and said the teachers told them one of the boys religion means he doesn't celebrate Xmas so they have to give him a card but not one that says merry Xmas but happy winter. I think we will see if we can get a happy holidays.

Sorry, can't watch the video, but I don't see the problem. There's lots of holidays this time of year. I don't see the problem of saying 'happy holidays' if you're unsure which of these holidays the person you're speaking to celebrates. Or if the only holiday they celebrate is some time off work :)

I don't see the problem of saying 'happy holidays' if you're unsure which of these holidays the person you're speaking to celebrates

Okay, but it's still trying too hard to not offend.

If somebody said Merry Christmas to me and I didn't celebrate Christmas, it wouldn't bother me one little bit, as I suspect it wouldn't offend^ most people)
There are too many people choosing to be offended on behalf of others. It's strange.

Eh, I can't get worked up about this.
It's a retailer trying to appeal to the broadest possible customer base. Not that surprising, is it?

How does 'holidays' hurt, exactly? And how do you make the leap from 'holidays' to 'they're trying not to offend'?

I don't think 'Christmas ' really offends anyone. 'Holidays' includes more people, which is both a nice sentiment if it floats your boat, and probably a good way to increase your revenue if you're a business.

^I thought it was Happy and Merry to link in with H & M. Not that I enjoyed it! Rather annoying.

You do not have to say happy holidays if for you it is a happy christmas but you are slightly missing the point with your "but it IS christmas protestations". Yes, it is Christmas. For you.

My friend is celebrating Hanukkah, I celebrate Yule and dd has a good friend who is plymouth brethren but wishes her friends a happy holiday.

Christmas is a fairly young occasion and there were celebrations way before the christians hijacked the date. My Dad is a devout Orthodox Christian and does not celebrate on the 25th December either.

Nowt wrong with a cheery happy Christmas if that is right for you but sometimes a happy holidays is right for other people.

Oops!

I thought it was Happy and Merry to link in with H & M. Not that I enjoyed it! Rather annoying.

Just watched it. Does anyone honestly not think this is the reason for the Happy and Merry thing?

Besides, H&M have nearly twice as many stores in the US as in the UK, plus some Canadian one's. Anyone know if the ad is being shown there.

I was shocked at how they tried to avoid Christmas-related imagery in the ad.