is it offensive if a store says happy holidays instead of merry christmas?

[karyn]

from media matters

O'Reilly opens new front in "war" on Christmas

On the November 9 broadcast of his television show, Fox News host Bill O'Reilly said "I don't believe most people who aren't Christian are offended by the words 'Merry Christmas.' I think those people are nuts." Later, when guest Philip Nulman, an advertising and marketing executive, said that using the phrases "Season's Greetings" and "Happy Holidays" does not offend Christians, O'Reilly disagreed. "It absolutely does," he said. "And I know that for a fact."

O'Reilly's comments occurred during a discussion about his "decision to look at some retail policies this year" in light of the purported fact that "some department stores even tell employees to avoid saying 'Merry Christmas.' " Introducing the segment, he described various retailers' policies on using the term:

O'REILLY: Here's what we found out: Sears/Kmart would not answer our questions. Spokesman Chris Braithwaite simply ducked the issue. Their website banners: "Wish Book Holiday 2005." They were the worst we had to deal with. OK? Sears/Kmart. JCPenney says its catalog is always called "Christmas catalog." Federated Department Stores -- Macy's, Bloomingdale's, Burdines -- says the words "Merry Christmas" will be used in most advertising. Same thing at May, Filene's, Lord & Taylor, and Marshall Field's. But Kohl's refused to define how the company will deal with Christmas. Dillard's, however, will use the slogan "Discover Christmas, Discover Dillard's." So there you go. Shop where you like the atmosphere. Just remember, Kohl's and Sears/Kmart, basically, not all right.

The segment was part of an ongoing series of reports on Fox News highlighting a purported "Christmas Under Siege" by "secular progressives," which O'Reilly promoted along with Fox News host Sean Hannity before Christmas 2004. In recent weeks, O'Reilly has renewed the campaign, including, for example, an October 20 discussion on his TV show in which he blamed the "loony left" for the "war" on Christmas while promoting Fox News host John Gibson's new book, The War on Christmas: How the Liberal Plot to Ban the Sacred Christian Holiday Is Worse Than You Thought (Sentinel, October 2005). In addition, during the November 1 broadcast of his nationally syndicated radio show, he claimed that, like the country's Founding Fathers, Supreme Court nominee Samuel A. Alito Jr. does not "want all mention of Christmas stricken from the public arena."

From the November 9 edition of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor:

O'REILLY: "Factor Investigation" segment tonight: As you know, Christmas has become controversial in America. Public displays of the federal holiday are under attack by the ACLU [American Civil Liberties Union], and some department stores even tell employees to avoid saying "Merry Christmas." So we decided to look at some retail policies this year, and here's what we found out: Sears/Kmart would not answer our questions. Spokesman Chris Braithwaite simply ducked the issue. Their website banners: "Wish Book Holiday 2005." They were the worst we had to deal with. OK? Sears/Kmart. JCPenney says its catalog is always called "Christmas catalog." Federated Department Stores -- Macy's, Bloomingdale's, Burdines -- says the words "Merry Christmas" will be used in most advertising. Same thing at May, Filene's, Lord & Taylor, and Marshall Field's. But Kohl's refused to define how the company will deal with Christmas. Dillard's, however, will use the slogan "Discover Christmas, Discover Dillard's." So there you go. Shop where you like the atmosphere. Just remember, Kohl's and Sears/Kmart, basically, not all right.

With us now, Philip Nulman, author of the book Just Say Yes!: Extreme Customer Service [Career Press, 2000]. That's what I like, extreme customer service. All right, 85 percent of Americans say they're Christians. Christmas is a federal holiday, signed into law by [President] U.S. Grant. And we're living in a time where some retail outlets will not say "Merry Christmas." Insane?

NULMAN: No, no, I don't think it's insane. I think that it's good business practice, actually. And many organizations are trying desperately to be inclusionary. They feel that the use of "Merry Christmas" in their packaging, their bags, their messages, their environment is just the opposite. It's exclusionary to the 15 or 20 percent of the customer base that is not Christian.

O'REILLY: And you agree with that?

NULMAN: I do, from a marketing standpoint.

O'REILLY: See, I think you're, I think you're crazy. And here's why. I think the backlash against stores that don't say "Merry Christmas" is enormous because now people are aware of the issue. There's going to be -- it's like the third or fourth year that we've reported it. I know everybody's hypersensitive about are they going to say "Merry Christmas"? Are they going to say "Happy Holidays"? What are they going to say? Are there decorations that say "Merry Christmas"? They're hypersensitive. And when you walk into a secular environment, most Christians are looking around, and they're really aware of it. Now, the other thing is, I don't believe most people who aren't Christian are offended by the words "Merry Christmas." I think those people are nuts. I think you're crazy if you're offended by the words "Merry Christmas."

NULMAN: Well --

O'REILLY: So you're basically only knocking out your nutty customers. And why do you want them anyway?

NULMAN: When businesses make decisions to be inclusionary as opposed to exclusionary, they do it on the basis of wanting to invite all customers in.

O'REILLY: But what --

NULMAN: They don't want to exclude customers --

O'REILLY: They are inviting all customers in --

NULMAN: What happens very often is that the message gets through to the customer that -- who is not Christian --

O'REILLY: Yes.

NULMAN: -- who is Muslim, who is Jewish, who's, who follows another faith, Buddhist, that they are not being invited in or catered to. When we counsel businesses, what we want to do is invite everyone in.

O'REILLY: Well, they --

NULMAN: "Season's Greetings" and "Happy Holidays," Bill, does not offend Christians.

O'REILLY: Yes, it does. It absolutely does. And I know that for a fact. But the smart way to do it is "Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, Season's Greetings, Happy Kwanzaa."

NULMAN: It's a long list.

O'REILLY: It's OK, you've got a big store. You've got a big store.

— A.D.

[evilgrrl]

I'm a pagan. I celebrate solstice. However, considering all the pagan traditions we use to celebrate to celebrate Christmas - evergreen tree, birth of the Sun King, etc., etc., I am not offended by Christmas.

Bill O'Reilly is an idiot, and he's really just trying to make a buck and a name for himself.

[mmmcherry]

what the fuck... i cant see anyone being offended by "happy holidays" OR "merry christmas"... even if you dont celebrate christmas, the cashier at freaking zellers isnt gonna know that are they? why bother getting all worked up about it when its easier and a better use of everyones time by just ignoring it and walking away...

[VoldtaEngler]

happy hanakwanza!!

[mmmcherry]

hey that works for me

[Amelia G]

I loathe it when people say "Merry Xmas" in stores and act like it should make them extra likeable. Most people I know are not Christian and the notion that it is good to impose one person's holiday on another is just sick. Add to that that many people who do celebrate Xmas find the whole experience extremely stress-inducing. If I am buying a box of sushi at the supermarket, I definitely do not need to hear that propagandist nonsense.

I mean, uhm, yeah, I do have an opinion on this.

A holiday about the giving spirit should not be used to make people feel excluded or abnormal. That is a mockery of what the holiday is supposed to be about.

[killerkat]

i didn't read that because,i really,really,really, really HATE Bill O'Reilly .........

but no,i don't give a damn what you call it....

[Tequila Zaire]

I saw the broadcast that the transcript is from and I agree with the sentiment...we're taking the point and fun out of holidays by making them some damned general and "safe".

Christmas should be just that....christmas. Not "Happy Winter Holiday Season" ...what's next "Happy Late October Costume Day!"....the reason Christmas is getting so cut down is people are honestly offended by it...both the christmas and commercial side.

The sense of humor and fun these holidays once had is dying in the name of people getting insanely oversensitive about the "christmas" name. "Don't you say that to me you crazy christian!"...it's crap like that which leads to other great times of the year being cut down.

What the hell happened to people just enjoying the holidays even if they had zero religious feeling for it? If you don't like the Jesus aspect...don't buy into it...same with the commercial aspect. Just suck it up.

Halloween has turned to shit in recent years...and I personally like the rituals of Christmas but less and less they feel like they once did cause year after year I have to hear a fucking rant about how my christmas lights are offensive to neighbors who don't celebrate the holiday or worse having to make it so generic it has no fun to it anymore.

One of these days...tower...gun...and just clean house....

[Amelia G]

I saw the broadcast that the transcript is from and I agree with the sentiment...we're taking the point and fun out of holidays by making them some damned general and "safe".

Christmas should be just that....christmas. Not "Happy Winter Holiday Season" ...what's next "Happy Late October Costume Day!"....the reason Christmas is getting so cut down is people are honestly offended by it...both the christmas and commercial side.

The sense of humor and fun these holidays once had is dying in the name of people getting insanely oversensitive about the "christmas" name. "Don't you say that to me you crazy christian!"...it's crap like that which leads to other great times of the year being cut down.

What the hell happened to people just enjoying the holidays even if they had zero religious feeling for it? If you don't like the Jesus aspect...don't buy into it...same with the commercial aspect. Just suck it up.

Halloween has turned to shit in recent years...and I personally like the rituals of Christmas but less and less they feel like they once did cause year after year I have to hear a fucking rant about how my christmas lights are offensive to neighbors who don't celebrate the holiday or worse having to make it so generic it has no fun to it anymore.

One of these days...tower...gun...and just clean house....

If your neighbors complain about your holiday decorations, they are just mean-spirited jerks.

However, if it were your birthday, would you go sing Happy Birthday to someone who was not having a birthday that day?

A neighbor who didn't like you hanging colored crepe paper and having a cake with a bunch of candles would be a jerk. But a neighbor who didn't share your birthday would think you were a fucktard if you said "happy birthday" to them.

[Buster Friendly]

the whole fucking 'season' offends me, no matter what you call it... so around my crew we call it 'greedfest'... yeah paganize it and call it yule, or winter soltice, or whatever (since that's what it is, and I have not troubles with the longest night of the year)

but in this culture, it's about sick greed, and family stress... you should see the sick shit my family pulls when I try to opt out... I love giving gifts... ON MY TERMS, and to whom I want to give them to... shit when I'm wealthy it'll be a 'very merry unbirthday' to every motherfucker I'm feeling jovial towards... I love buying people gifts...

but the social obligation, and the stress, stress, stress... fuck that, and fuck anybody who tries to shove it down my throat...

and fuck bill o'really up the ass with a giant novelty candy cane, and break it off so it's all jagged,and keep thrusting...that sick fuck's more of a perv than any of us on this board, he's been outted for it, and the fucking right in this country little hypocritical bitches they are have totally forgotten it..

man fuck that guy... I know it just feeds his machine to even get pissed at a dipshit likethat (you want to talk about vampires? Fox, Poopert Murdoch, and his entire ghoulish crew go all ya'll goth wanannabes beat by a longshot... and what the fuck is up with rudolph guilliani? does that motherfucker look like fucking nosferatu or what? just take a look at a picture of that baby eating bitch, and tell me he doesn't...) i fucking at o'really... (which just makes his sissy ass ball tingle, i know it does...)

fuck christmas, and any christians who rode in on it...

...end rant.

[Vitorro]

a lot of people, christian and non can say whatever thy want for the holiday season, it has become to damn commercial in the last two decades anyways. I perfer someone saying "Merry Christmas" over "Happy Holidays" , but that is My preference, not everyone elses. So if some places dont use the Christian phrases, its ok, but it should be a choice, not a have to kind of thing.
The area I live in has a big thing about the Christmas season, but it is a christian conciious town inthe middle of the bible belt area of the US. Sometimes it can seem people try to shove their view on the season down your throat, but that is how they are taught from a young age, and as long as it isnt WAY overdone, it shouldnt bother too many. At least in this area anyway. but noone I know, christian or not, say they dont like having the time off to spend with their family and friends, which for many, is the best part of Christmas , Hannauka or Kawanza Season.

[Pull~My~Hair]

i think its all stupid....

[Umbilical Lotus]

Wow, this is all completely pointless.

I'll let you in on a secret: I'm a non-holiday person. I don't really celebrate any holidays, from easter to halloween to christmas to my birthday. I find them more of a source of personal and financial stress than I do a source of fun and good times, and I don't like dealing with the guilt that results if I have to skip a holiday for any reason. That said, I don't give a damn what other people celebrate. That's the word there - celebrate. Unless it deliberately harms others, there is nothing wrong with people partying and having a good time.

But the baffling thing here isn't about how people are against the partying and carrying on, but the way it's worded? I mean, what the hell? Why is this an issue? It's such a minor, stupid thing - it's something I thought no one ever COULD feel offended over - and I just don't understand why people, well, give a damn. Am I really so suffused with apathy that I just don't understand why people have their genitals inverted over such a small, insignificant thing?

This also ties in with a major rising anger: the entitlement many extremo-christians feel, that if they aren't surrounded by a government that adheres to their religion and an environment that perfectly fits their beliefs, they're being horribly oppressed. This is just a peek into that miasma of absolute confusion, but it's more than I want.

[Amelia G]

I don't think almost anyone is against the partying and carrying on, except maybe a few very religious people who feel it trivializes the holiday. O'Reilly just says there is a war on Xmas because that is a lot sexier than just saying some people find it mildly more polite to say "Happy Holidays" than "Merry Xmas" because the former includes more people and the latter excludes more people.

But there is a big difference between someone putting a tree in their own house and trying to push others to have trees or repeat slogans of a holiday they may not share.

[vixta]

well, in this house all of our signs will say 'merry xcemas'. because the whole thing is so incredibly irritating. ha ha. 'twas funny while stoned.

[OliX]

that guy O'Reilly is nut

[Morning Glory]

i'm pretty sure that saying merry christmas would be pretty offensive to christ himself, being that it not only doesn't have anything to do with what he preached, most of the time it goes so far as to go agaisnt it.

[ladybug]

hell He wasn't even born on dec 25th.....

[peoplejudgeme]

i would be much less offended if it was "happy jesus day"... that way i could just assume they were talking about the jesus that i know in washington heights, he is a nice older puerto rican guy who sells ice cream.... yay jesus!

[VoldtaEngler]

hell He wasn't even born on dec 25th.....

And on a side note..

[P I L O T]

MERRY THANKSGIVOWEEN!!!

I would prefer "Happy Holidays"