Early church leaders in Great Britain may have encouraged Christian followers to be happy rather than engage in merrymaking! In this sense, Happy Christmas is a bit more conservative and reserved than Merry Christmas, which conveys a more emotional, unrestrained celebration.
British people don't say ``Merry Christmas'' nor ``Happy Christmas'' because there is nothing British about either of these. Say whichever you prefer, people in Britain - British people - say both. There is no correct British answer.
Brits say "Happy Christmas" instead of "Merry Christmas."
You might remember a scene from the first "Harry Potter" movie in which Ron says, "Happy Christmas, Harry!" While this may sound strange to an American, saying "Happy Christmas" is commonplace in the UK, as opposed to "Merry Christmas."
Why say happy holidays instead of Merry Christmas?
Where “Merry Christmas” used to be the neutral default this time of year, “Happy Holidays” gained favour in liberal circles as a more “inclusive” alternative. The two greetings are somewhat semantically distinct.
According to Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (19th edn, 2012), Father Christmas is considered to be "[a] British rather than a US name for Santa Claus, associating him specifically with Christmas.
The answer is based on what the language represents: “happy” is a feeling, whereas “merry” is a behaviour. Furthermore, the bishop John Fisher wished “Merry Christmas" in a letter to Henry VIII's top minister Thomas Cromwell. The date of the letter is 1534, and it was written in London.
Americans call “Christmas”, wait for it…, “Christmas”. We frequently call the period of weeks around Christmas “the holidays” and have been known to say “Happy Holidays”. Personally during the holiday season, I say “Merry Christmas” to the people I know who celebrate Christmas.
In general, “Happy Holidays” is accepted as the broadest and most inclusive greeting at this time of year. If you know someone celebrates Christmas you can go with “Merry Christmas,” but 'tis the season for interacting with strangers (selling to them, buying from them, bumping into them on your way out of Target).
Holiday, which dates back before the year 950, stems from the Old English word hāligdæg, meaning “holy day.” Happy holidays is often seen as the more inclusive alternative to saying merry Christmas. No matter which phrase you choose, you're still acknowledging someone's holy day and wishing them well.
Over four in five Australians (85%) prefer the traditional greeting of “Merry Christmas” compared to more neutral salutations like “Season's Greetings” (8%) and “Happy Holidays” (7%).
A survey by the polling company from last year suggested the more traditional name of "Father Christmas" was used by 43% of the country – down by 8% from 2017. Meanwhile, the more American term of "Santa" was up by 9%, with 45% of those surveyed saying they used that name the most.
First of all, just saying Happy Christmas is a very common phrase and a very simple and easy way to be polite and to give someone your best wishes. But there are other ways to express this. Season's Greetings – This is a simple phrase and is often used as a welcoming phrase.
Endearments such as 'dear', 'sweetheart', 'darling', but in particular 'love', occupy a special place in the British English address system and usage because of their role in linguistic stereotyping: 'Love' is an intimate form of address that has proliferated into public contexts, where it is stereotypically associated ...
In the UK, US and Canada, “Santa Claus” or “Father Christmas” is believed to travel around the world sporting a red suit on his sleigh, pulled by reindeer. He comes down the chimney the night before Christmas (between 24 and 25 December), leaving presents for children under the Christmas tree!
Who started Happy holidays instead of Merry Christmas?
Early church leaders in Great Britain may have encouraged Christian followers to be happy rather than engage in merrymaking! In this sense, Happy Christmas is a bit more conservative and reserved than Merry Christmas, which conveys a more emotional, unrestrained celebration.
Things going on the outside world, and society's expectations, can make Christmas harder to cope with. For example: Feeling pressure to enjoy yourself and look happy. Media, adverts and representations of Christmas feeling upsetting and hard to avoid, and looking different to your experience of Christmas.
Most Christians celebrate on December 25 in the Gregorian calendar, which has been adopted almost universally in the civil calendars used in countries throughout the world.
Yes! For starters, it's important to note that "Happy Christmas" hasn't faded completely—it's still widely used in England. This is believed to be because "happy" took on a higher class connotation than "merry," which was associated with the rowdiness of the lower classes.
Coca‑Cola did not create the legend of Santa Claus. But Coca‑Cola advertising did play a big role in shaping the jolly character we know today. Before 1931, there were many different depictions of Santa Claus around the world, including a tall gaunt man and an elf —there was even a scary Claus.
It wasn't until the Victorian era of Christmas celebrations that he became a bringer of gifts in the UK. This was mainly due to the influence of the popular American character of Santa Claus that is attributed to Dutch mythology, and Father Christmas began to slowly take on similar attributes.
The English folk figure "Father Christmas" originally wore green robes which eventually turned red over time. This was mainly due to St Nicholas, whose legend modern portrayals of Father Christmas are based on, often appearing in paintings and illustrations wearing red-coloured robes.
