<p>well my take is that people started saying Happy Holidays around the first day of December. When people said “Have a happy holiday” back on the 5th, I interpreted it as having a happy holiday season no matter what part of "ChristmaHanuKwanzaakah"you celebrate ;)</p>
<p>Kwanza is a made upholiday that was started at a state college in socal. (csulb)</p>
<p>@TCBH- The majority of “Easter” traditions came from Pagan roots. The time frame, the eggs, etc come from Pagan roots- most definitely not Christian :p.</p>
<p>The time frame is related to passover. The eggs aren’t part of the religious tradition.</p>
<p>You could maybe argue that passover has pagan roots, but Easter has a clear historical tie in.</p>
<p>@Clowiebear, yes I realized that. thank you for that bit of information. I was just stating a list of things that people are known to celebrate during this particular season.</p>
<p>Speaking of which, I forgot to add the Solstice, my neighbors celebrate that as well :D</p>
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The majority of Asians (our generation) that I know celebrate Christmas and give cards/presents.</p>
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<p>Well, I for one, am, as are MOST of the Jewish people I know. I understand why people say it and it’s great that they’re trying to spread holiday cheer and stuff but Christmas is a CHRISTIAN holiday. Yes, there’s a lot of consumerism around it but I don’t celebrate it in the least–no Santa, no stockings, definitely no tree. And it frustrates me when people don’t realize that there’re other religions. Especially as a little kid, it can make you feel ashamed and abnormal. Jews are already in the minority, but when you’re a little kid and you’re already hearing about your friends getting their trees and ornaments and there’re all these lights up and EVERYONE is a part of that except for you, it can feel pretty bad. And then, on top of that, and people all say Merry Christmas to you. Well no, there are people who DON’T celebrate Christmas and when others assume everyone celebrates Christmas it can make people feel really sidelined, isolated, abnormal… It makes little Jewish kids feel bad that people aren’t saying Happy Hanukkah to them, makes them jealous of their Christian friends, possibly even ashamed to be Jewish. I still remember a time when I was about eight or nine years old going skiing right around Christmastime. These men on the chairlift next to me were trying to be nice and they asked me what I’d asked Santa for for Christmas. They were just so nice I didn’t want to be rude and make a fuss out of nothing by telling them I didn’t celebrate Christmas, so I just told them I’d asked Santa for x, y, and z. Then, after, I felt terrible for lying–what, was I ashamed to be Jewish? Why didn’t I stick up for myself, alert them that they shouldn’t just assume? This incident still sticks in my mind almost 10 years later…</p>
<p>So, in short, yes, it does bug me when all the windows in all the stores say Merry Christmas, when all you hear on the radio are Christmas songs, when everyone’s houses have Christmas lights up and Christmas trees in inside and you’re just completely left out of it. You feel isolated from mainstream culture, but then if you object you’re seen as a killjoy and people think you should just get over it and suck it up. But I’m proud of my ethnicity and culture and I’m not going to pretend to be something I’m not and to celebrate something I don’t.</p>
<p>Please, just think before you wish everyone Merry Christmas.</p>
<p>In response to the original question, it is pretty awkward that even if you’re trying to be aware of different religions and say Happy Holidays, it still doesn’t apply to Jews. So why not just wish people a nice break if they’re kids, or a good New Year’s if they’re adults? Or even a Happy Holiday Season would be ok… I can live with Happy Holidays, even… But just please think before you tell every person Merry Christmas. Sometimes it might make someone feel a little bit less than merry. (Not to mention, it gets freaking annoying hearing it from EVERY single person.)</p>
<p>I am totally ok with “happy holidays” since it is an attmept to be inclusive of all religions, since I extend it to be a “Happy New Years’ wish”, too.</p>
<p>What does get to me, though, are people who know I am Jewish and still assume that I must celebrate Christmas. They still assume that I must be doing something celebratory on Christmas, even if it is not religious like going to mass.</p>
<p>They can’t believe that I have no family gathering to attend, and have chosen not to “celebrate” with Christian friends. To me it is an extra day off.</p>
<p>When faced with their obvious confusion, I have had to ask them what they do on Rosh Hashanah. Of course, their response is, “Nothing, it is not my holiday.” Then I say, “Right! That is how I feel about Christmas.”</p>
<p>@quo- Seriously, if you are annoyed by “Merry Christmas” you need to get over it. I am not Christian. I come from a Jewish (dad) and Pagan (mom) family. I am proud of my ethnicity and my religion but I was raised in America and here Christmas is a very secular holiday. Christmas is a federal holiday- it is part of American “culture” whether you are Christian or not. I work in an immigrant 1st grade classroom where there is a grand total of ONE Christian and 12 out of the 15 students who have been in America more than a year had a Christmas tree in their house. I celebrate the giving, the Santa, etc without any of the Christian aspects (obviously). </p>
<p>Both of my best friends in college are Jewish (they actually are practicing, unlike me) and they have no issue with Christmas or “Merry Christmas”. </p>
<p>Do you also have problems with New Years and Easter (“Christian” holidays)? If so, then you must have a heck of a time living here. People are just wishing you a happy day, happy season, merry whatever. They want you to be HAPPY, so just take it with a smile. </p>
<p>Yes, I’m telling people to get over it. It’s a federal holiday and for the most part it is celebrated as a cultural, secular holiday- even if you’re Christian. And with that I’m done on this topic :). HAPPY YULE and Merry Christmas all.</p>
<p>@TCBH- I’ll concede the timing of Easter. For some reason, I completely forgot about Passover. My apologies :).</p>
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<p>Weren’t all holidays made up at some point?</p>
<p>^ Technically yes, but Kwanza was made up in the 1960’s for African American’s to celebrate their African roots, even though most Africans have never heard of Kwanza until they move to the US.</p>
<p>Christmas is much more secular than Easter, but it still has Christian roots, since it celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. Yes, noone knows the actual date of his birth, but you can make it as religious or as nonreligious as you want. And don’t Jews believe that Jesus lived? and that he was a great prophet? Then why is it such a problem to celebrate his birth? You don’t have to believe that he was the Savior, or that he was Resurrected. Easter for that reason is much more religious since it celebrates the day of Jesus’ resurrection, even if it does have pagan and secular influences (ie. eggs, bunny, all that)</p>
<p>Also, Hanukkah and Kwanza are not technically holidays, since they are not recognized by the federal government, public schools or private businesses as days off. </p>
<p>PS. I don’t have anything again Jews, or “Happy Holidays” but sometimes I think that people put PCness over common sense.</p>
<p>Guys, next year Hanukkah is during Christmas…hoorah hoorah, less disputations. Still though, shouldn’t it be common knowledge that a JEWish person doesn’t celebrate CHRISTmas? And no, I’m not indicating that every individual person should memorize that I’m jewish, but if you do know, you could still have the courtesy to just say happy holidays. It just makes more sense in any context anyway. Are we not getting off of school for break for Holidays? It’s not like Hanukkah is never celebrated during break as mentioned above…</p>