Why do American say ‘holidays’ instead of Christmas

[mouseaka]

when they’re such an overwhelmingly religious country?

Meanwhile over here in the UK we’re far more secular but everyone just calls it Christmas?

It’s weird, if anything you’d expect it to be the other way around!

In US English, vacation = UK English holiday, so holidays in US means something more like holy days or bank holidays.

Think of Madonna's song Holiday, it's about taking one day off work, not a week on the Costas.

Because it’s a more historically religiously diverse country and not everyone is celebrating Christmas in December. Hanukkah and Kwanza both celebrated in December and depending on the year, sometimes other holidays as well.

The UK historically is a Christian country. America is founded on religious freedom (never mind the evangelical Christian crackpots of modern times).

I’m Jewish. I don’t celebrate Christmas religiously. I quite appreciate a happy holidays. I’m not offended by happy Christmas either. But the nice thing about living in America (there aren’t many) was that my holidays were more visible than they are here. A menorah in the town square next to the Christmas tree. You don’t see that in the UK. (I still prefer it here, menorah or no menorah 😂).

Because all of our winter holidays fall so closely together. The holidays includes Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas Eve and Day, Kwanza, and New Year's Eve and Day. Some years there may be others, depending on the calendar.

Really, because Halloween decor is in the stores in August and Christmas displays in September, it all runs together a little. When I go to Lowe's, I find a Frankenstein's Castle display juxtaposed to Santa and his reindeer a little disconcerting.

And as you probably know, in the US, we call our trips vacations. Just cultural differences. 😉

I am aware boxing day is irrelevant because they aren't British.
I'm not sure why you're telling me this and what your point is.