Holiday greetings?

[theriviera]

I'm trying to pick out our Christmas card and I'm not sure if I should go the happy holidays/seasons greetings route or if I pick one that says Merry Christmas. I've always done the non-Christmas greetings as I have friends of many faiths and I didn't want to offend anyone. However, the cuter designs all say Merry Christmas :bag which is such a silly reason.

So, I thought I would poll the BBB - what do you say when wishing people well during this time of year? Does it make a difference if you are in person or it's a holiday card?

[wellyes]

I don't know of anyone who does not celebrate Christmas who gets offended by a Merry Christmas card... it is you spreading cheer based on what you believe.

I think it's appropriate for government or public places to be as inclusive as possible to , but each family should be free to celebrate as they wish.

[JustMe]

I would go with Happy Holidays/Seasons Greetings. I don't celebrate Christmas, and would not say I get offended if someone gives me a Christmas card, but I sure do appreciate the inclusivity (throughts about including more people's cultures,religions) when the card is more inclusive. Yes, I realize this still does not cover everyone as some don't celebrate anything this time of the year but it is closer.

Also, I have to say, although I do appreciate the thought...of spreading good cheer/wishes, happiness, it does feel a little weird to me. Kind of like getting a birthday card for someone else's birthday. I know I am kind of extreme there and most people don't feel that way, but just being honest about what it feels like for me.

That said, of course its all about what feels comfortable for you...and I understand feeling torn if all the cute ones are specifically Christmas (hmmn, that's interesting in itself...not because of anything about you...but interesting). If you do go with the Christmas ones and specifically know who celebrates other things (or nothing at all), it would be nice include a hand-written note wishing them a happy fill-in-the-blank if the cards you are sending allow that.

[crl]

Okay this is an issue for us. I strongly believe that the appropriate greeting is the holiday the recipient celebrates. (I don't walk around wishing other people Happy Birthday on MY birthday after all.)

So I try to pick neutral cards, "Joy" or "Happy Holidays" or such. And then we write the appropriate greeting on the card, "Merry Christmas Sue!" or "Happy New Year Jane!"

But dh has one person he has to send a card to who thinks this is ridiculous. So every year we have to have one card that has "Merry Christmas" pre-printed on it. Seriously.

We are so late getting our pictures done this year I think I should just do New Year cards. :rotflmao: But even that probably wouldn't satisfy this person.

Catherine

[nfowife]

I don't celebrate Christmas and I don't mind getting Christmas cards at all. We don't send out Happy Hanukkah cards to everyone because most of them don't celebrate Hanukkah and I think that would be kind of silly. We send out happy holiday cards. A few years we've done Happy New Year ones. I don't think it really matters. I enjoy getting cards and seeing our friend's and family's photos and I know the sentiment is good.

If one of my friends made a stink about it I would probably remove them from my card list. It's just too silly to make a stink about. When someone I don't know says "Merry Christmas" in a store or whatever I say "Thank you". No big deal and I know they are being friendly.

[erosenst]

On the poll, I checked the "happy holidays" option. But I totally agree with this:


I would go with Happy Holidays/Seasons Greetings. I don't celebrate Christmas, and would not say I get offended if someone gives me a Christmas card, but I sure do appreciate the inclusivity (throughts about including more people's cultures,religions) when the card is more inclusive. Yes, I realize this still does not cover everyone as some don't celebrate anything this time of the year but it is closer.

I will say that I'm very vaguely offended (not worth my time/energy getting more ramped up than that, although I know a number of people who do) when someone sends me a totally religious Christmas card, but only if it doesn't have a "wanted you to know I'm thinking of you, even though this card isn' appropriate" note. If you know me at all, you know that I'm Jewish. If you don't know me that well, no need for a card. If you do, please send one that's at least somewhat appropriate.

Obviously, that excludes professional cards, who may not know me. In that case, however, they're essentially being sent to increase business - so would think that they would want to be as inclusive as possible. Quite obviously, from cards I've received over the years, not everyone view it that way though!

[Pear]

The only cards I don't particularly enjoy receiving are the extremely religious cards. We have a few family members who manage to find cards full of religious iconography and scripture. A photo card that says "merry Christmas", "happy hannukah", etc. is just a cute card with a pleasant message.

[pinkmomagain]

I would go with Happy Holidays/Seasons Greetings. I don't celebrate Christmas, and would not say I get offended if someone gives me a Christmas card, but I sure do appreciate the inclusivity (throughts about including more people's cultures,religions) when the card is more inclusive. Yes, I realize this still does not cover everyone as some don't celebrate anything this time of the year but it is closer.

Also, I have to say, although I do appreciate the thought...of spreading good cheer/wishes, happiness, it does feel a little weird to me. Kind of like getting a birthday card for someone else's birthday. I know I am kind of extreme there and most people don't feel that way, but just being honest about what it feels like for me.

That said, of course its all about what feels comfortable for you...and I understand feeling torn if all the cute ones are specifically Christmas (hmmn, that's interesting in itself...not because of anything about you...but interesting). If you do go with the Christmas ones and specifically know who celebrates other things (or nothing at all), it would be nice include a hand-written note wishing them a happy fill-in-the-blank if the cards you are sending allow that.

I feel similarly.

[JoyNChrist]

I always go with something neutral (Joy, Peace, a nice non-religious quote), then write "Happy Hannukah" or "Merry Christmas" inside, depending on who the card is going to. Or "Season's Greetings" for the friends who celebrate the holidays but who I know are agnostic.

[hillview]

I usually do happy holidays or Peace JOY etc. Last year I did Merry Christmas because I liked the card and missed the Christmas message. We send to a very WIDE variety of people who observe different things.

[mommylamb]

Not Christian, and I have no problem getting a Merry Christmas card. Admittedly, I have thin skin on these issues, but this totally doesn't bother me. I wouldn't be bothered by a Happy Diwali card either for that matter. If someone sent me a religious Christmas card that talked about Jesus, I probably wouldn't put it up in my house in the display with the other cards.

Personally, I always use something non-denominational on my cards. This year they say "Cheers to you and yours!"

ETA: I voted Happy Holidays/Seasons Greetings, but I never use those sayings because I find them boring. I always say something else that's non-religious/seasonal.

[Nooknookmom]

I usually go with Merry Christmas. That said, I am way too CHEAP to buy expensive cards so I usually end up with whatever is on sale!

Also, I cannot stand mushy cards of any kind so my cards are far from super religous & do not contain long drawn out messages, I am a funny card kinda gal!

[TwinFoxes]

Not really answering the question, but I can't stand "Season's Greetings". It's so boring and bland, and just seems like it was written by someone who writes ad copy for a living, not like it came from a friend or loved one.

[artvandalay]

We always do Merry Christmas here at our house.

[DrSally]

Happy Holidays or something like that.

[fivi2]

I usually do happy holidays, but this year ended up with a Merry Christmas, just because I liked it the best.

We are not religious (I am an atheist) but we do Christmas (obviously not the religious aspects, but the Santa, reindeer, tree, gift aspects). I did run through my Christmas card list in my head, and didn't think anyone would be offended.

I guess, imo, it should be what the sender wants to send/celebrates.

[BelleoftheBallFlagstaff]

We say something like "Happy Festivus! Wishing you a season of Festivus Miracles"


With Love From the Rest of Us,
Insert names here

But we are weirdos! Seinfeld fans LOVE our cards! :D

[jgenie]

We always do Merry Christmas here at our house.

:yeahthat:

[g-mama]

Not really answering the question, but I can't stand "Season's Greetings". It's so boring and bland, and just seems like it was written by someone who writes ad copy for a living, not like it came from a friend or loved one.

ITA. IMO, it's the ultimate in generic and trying too hard to sound PC.

I say "Merry Christmas" because for us, we are celebrating Christmas and that is the reason we are sending out a greeting at this time of year. If I sent a New Years card, would I not say "Happy New Year" because my friends who are Chinese celebrate Chinese New Year at a different time?

[maestramommy]

For years we've used a "happy Holidays" or "Seasons Greetings" card because not everyone on our list celebrates Christmas or is Christian. But this year I just couldn't find a card choice that I liked in that Category, so we went with one that says "Merry Christmas Happy New Year" and I put in a more general holiday statement in the personalized section.

[kijip]

It varies on our cards. Sometimes happy new year, sometimes happy holidays, sometimes merry christmas, sometimes just says things like Peace Love Joy.

When speaking to people I say happy holidays unless I know what they celebrate and then I say that.

[MMMommy]

I play it neutral - "Happy Holidays".

[mom_hanna]

We do Happy Holidays or Season's Greetings usually, but the past few years, we have been late getting cards out so they have been Happy New Year cards. And a few years we have done nothing at all. oops.