Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs (SACPA)

Those two simple greetings are the subject of much controversy and cause headaches for many at this time of the year. It is difficult enough dealing with the pressures of “getting ready” before relatives and friends arrive in late December, or going over one’s budget spending for presents and the host of other related holiday expenses. But these anxieties are compounded by not knowing how to greet each other at this time of year. Every year stories abound from around the country where someone takes exception to “Merry Christmas” or, more often, to “Happy Holidays”. Store employees are frequently instructed by well-meaning management to greet patrons with a generic and inoffensive “Happy Holidays,” only to end up offending those who were expecting a “Merry Christmas”. It does seem odd that the mood of joy, which is a cornerstone of hope at Christmas, can be undermined by a few words, often simply uttered off the cuff, and with the intention of making the recipient feel good. Why, indeed, does someone else’s gr