to have never heard anyone ever object to someone wishing the a "Merry Christmas"?

[DrSeuss]

Has anyone, ever, heard anyone of any faith or none object to this? Even Richard Dawkins says it! My Muslim friends wish me Merry Christmas, Mayim Bialik of Big Bang fame wishes her FB followers Merry Christmas despite being an Orthodox Jew!
Surely anyone with half a brain accepts that someone is offering you their good wishes and just returns them? Or, if someone says, "Well actually, I'm Jewish/Muslim/whatever and don't do Christmas.", surely you just say, "Sorry, I didn't realise, have a good holiday."

So why the big deal about the fact that we should/shouldn't say it?

It's just that well known American minority namely Evangelical Christians making a fuss about their "persecution", isn't it?

No it's deadly serious, you can't offend anyone!

I have, but they were a pretentious, young, white, middle class British teenager who had recently discovered the joys of being offended by everything. (But not so offended she didn't want a selection box and presents, of course :) )

Arse end of the year merriment to you is my favourite so far. Think I'll try it on the local priest....

Definitely going with "Arse end of the Year Merriment"! Do you think Hallmark do a card?

"Merry Christmas" doesn't bother me per se... the person has nice intentions and I appreciate it, but I prefer "Happy Holidays" (I'm in the US) as it includes me.

What really burns ma britches though is Christians complaining that they are being persecuted because when they are at work an employer asks them to greet customers with "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas".

I've lived for a long time in both the US and the UK. Christianity is much more insidious here. For example, there are seven states that still have laws on the books that would prevent atheists holding public office. In all the state legislatures, there is only one public atheist. IMO it is more important to talk about religious equality here and fuss over seemingly silly things like how we greet each other.

...and yes, I realise that it sounds silly to a British ear where as an atheist you wouldn't have to worry about losing your job, your children being socially ignored and having representatives who understand your point of view.

It is just different here.

I had a friend at school who was a jehova's witness (or at least her parents were!) and we weren't allowed to give her Christmas cards or say happy Christmas to her.

I don’t know anyone who would object.

I think it is basically white people trying to be do-gooders and completely trivialising the actual issues which minority groups face in the UK who assume Muslims and other faiths are offended whereas actually they mainly couldn’t give a shite.

No - my bosses really did object!

Although maybe this is Mandela syndrome in action because I grew up in Birmingham and in my head I do think I remember the Winter holidays being Winterval 1995 or whatever instead of Christmas 1995. It didn’t stop anyone celebrating Christmas though, it just was a PC way of referring to all winter festivities and not just Christmas. It was ridiculous but not offensive and not occasioned by any other faiths complaining.

But according to poster above apparently it’s not real anyway so obviously false memories.

I always thought that was an American thing, as it also incorporates Thanksgiving as well as Xmas and Hanukah?

It incorporates Christmas, Hanukkah, and sometimes the New Year, but not Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is its own separate holiday, thank heavens. It's my favorite and It usually gets Happy Thanksgiving as a greeting.

This whole War on Christmas thing in the US is basically made up by the likes of Fox News and its adherents. I live in the Bible Belt, but I am happy to say that most people I know and certainly in my workplace, have no problem with Happy Holidays as it is more inclusive. Also it's probably important that the area that I live in has a lot of Jewish residents; merchants in particular are mindful of that so they also try to be inclusive.

No problem at all with saying merry Christmas. I guess that I tend to send cards with seasons greetings and snowflakes or similar on them rather than nativity scenes (am Jewish).

I would love to know who the "troublemakers" are that decide what offends Muslims

My bosses weren't Muslim.

We had "winterval" in Birmingham once. I consider happy holidays to be an American term rather than a British one.

I thought this "offence" stuff was just bull shit posted on face book to turn people against Muslims.

In real life people of all faiths wish you a merry Xmas as you leave their shops/buses etc

Honestly - not where I worked! A new secretary was reduced to tears when she put a small tree in her bosses office and she got a bollocking.

I loathe Christmas and all the ridiculous fuss that goes with it.

I would never say "merry Christmas" to anyone and I don't particularly want anyone to wish me a "merry Christmas" since other than time off work it means nothing to me.

A new secretary was reduced to tears when she put a small tree in her bosses office and she got a bollocking

If she had put one up in my office without asking me I would have asked her to remove it. She could keep it beside her own desk if she wanted.

It was her boss who liked it. The partners (different firm) who owned the building didn't. Her boss put fairy lights on a pot plant instead.

My DPs parents are Jehovahs Witnesses and they will not tolerate any mention of Christmas (Easter, Halloween etc) Even if you jokingly wish them a happy Christmas, they try to shut you down! 😂

Do JWs celebrate anything at all? Are weddings or Christenings/naming ceremonies celebrations?

Besides Jehovah's Witnesses, there is actually a history of anti-Christmas celebrating in quite a few Protestant denominations.

And anti pork. It's a bloody minefield!

They celebrate their wedding/ anniversaries. DP's parents will also join us for bonfire bonfire night (although I'm big sure if they're technically 'allowed')