Hi everyone, today’s keyword is Chris...I mean, winter holiday.
By the way, why can’t we say ’Merry Christmas” without offending people anymore?
Also, what are the differences between “Merry Christmas” and “Happy Christmas”?
Let’s find out, with “People Also Ask”
Hi, I am Shao, Welcome to what people also ask, where I search something seemingly obvious on Google
and share with you some of its PAA, aka People Also Ask, which is a feature telling
you what other people search on Google that relates to your query.
Pardon my French, but today’s keyword is Christmas, which is a term probably
as offensive as “winter holiday” to other people.
But how can these unremarkable December alternatives to “See you later!” and “Hi"
and "Good bye” be offensive to someone?
The first PAA“Why we can't say Merry Christmas?” will answer this first question.
The first PAA is extracted from an article titled “Why can’t we say ’Merry Christmas”
anymore without offending people?” published in 2016 by The Palm Beach Post, which is an
American daily newspaper in...uhm..where is it... Palm Beach County,South Florida.
This article starts by discussing the controversy of a satanic display in Boca Raton’s Sanborn Square
, a designated freedom of speech zone, near a Christmas tree and biblical Nativity scene.
The satanic display includes a pentagon and a sign read “In Satan we trust.
One nation under Antichrist.”
It was placed by Preston Smith, a member of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, which
is a Non-profit organization that promotes the separation of church and state. This organization challenges
the legitimacy of many federal and state programs that are faith-based.
As it turns out, there is an ongoing debate about whether America is a Christian country
or a secular one, and the proponents of church-state separation argues that their hard-earned tax dollars
shouldn’t be going toward displays like Nativity scenes. And also, Christmas, since it's a
religious holiday, shouldn’t be a national holiday.
But obviously, the government can’t cancel Christmas because it’s one of the biggest commercial holidays
in the United States, the cancellation of Christmas will be disastrous to its economy.
So what do we do? Call it a winter Holiday!
So here’s the question: “Can you still say Merry Christmas?”, which is the next
PAA we are gonna talk about.
The answer of this PAA is extracted from an article titled” Using Merry Christmas or
Happy Holidays is no longer about putting a stranger at ease” published by NBC News
in 2019 written by Melissa Mohr, author of “Holy Sh*t: A Brief History of Swearing.”
According to Melissa, when we greet and take leave of people, we rely on what linguists
call "phatic speech".
These are expressions that, as sociolinguist Peter Trudgill puts it, “establish and maintain
good social relations, without necessarily communicating any information.”
When we say things like “please,” “thank you” and “How are you?” we are greasing
the social wheels that indicating that we are positively disposed toward our interlocutor
and that we know and abide by norms of politeness.
Until quite recently, “Happy Christmas” was one of these phatic expressions, a December
alternative to “See you later!” and “Have a good day!”
Today, however, The choice between sticking with the traditional salutation “Merry Christmas”and
the more political correct one “Happy Holidays” reveals your political stance.
“Merry Christmas” means that you’re likely a conservative and comfortable with
Christianity as the default.
“Happy Holidays” indicates, “I am a liberal and try very hard to be inclusive,
but I still want to wish you a Merry Christmas.”
What is interesting is that this article also talked about
the differences between "Merry Christmas" and "Happy Cristmas"
According to the author, In Britain, this reveals your social status.
Though happy and merry are synonyms, they actually have different connotations.
Merry implies a degree of revelry that is missing from happy,
, which tends more toward quiet contentment.
When you make merry, you’re doing a lot of drinking, dancing, eating rich food and playing games.
“I am happy” means you are pleased; “I am merry” means you are drunk.
For some reason, The British upper classes either objected to merry’s echoes of debauchery
or thought that it had become too middle class by the time King George V
gave the first Royal Christmas message on the radio in 1932.
On that occasion, he wished his subjects a “Happy Christmas,” and upper-class Brits
have been saying it that way ever since.
Are you proudly middle class?
Then by all means go with “Merry Christmas!”
An aristocrat or a social climber?
“Happy Christmas!”
A posh person who feels guilty about sounding posh?
Then go ack to “Merry!”
Also, the winter holiday is not necessarily referring to Christmas you know , according to an article
titled"Why is Christmas Day on the 25th December?" published by whychristmas.com which appears
to be a website dedicated to Christmas related information.
There are several holidays that associated with winters other than Christmas,
those holidays includes but not limited to : Yule in Scandinavia
Roman Festival of Saturnali, and of course Hanukkah.
So the winter holiday is not necessarily referring to Christmas, but for some people, Christmas just has to
be “a winter holiday”, that’s why Australians celebrate Christmas in July.
Which leads to our next PAA “What is Christmas in July in Australia?”
The answer is extracted from an article titled” WHY AUSTRALIANS CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS IN JULY”
which published by Christmas world, which is a company selling Christmas decorations.
Here are some excerpts from this article:
Australians get to celebrate Christmas twice a year.
Once on the traditional December 25th, and then once again in July.
The reason this is done is that December down under is anything but cold.
So instead of being huddled by the fire, drinking hot chocolate, Australians head to the beach
or have a day outside in the sun.
Then when July finally rolls around, this is when Australians celebrate Christmas in
the traditional sense since it’s colder.
Although we know it as Christmas in July, Australians call this second celebration Yuletide or Yulefest.
Since it’s colder in July down under, Christmas can finally be celebrated with drinks by the
fire and getting cozy in warm attire. Alright let's recap!
Today we learned that the way you greet people in December might reveal your social status or your political stance
But no matter what you are still running a risk of offending people anyway.
Australians get to celebrate Christmas twice, and the second celebration they call it Yuletide or Yulefest.
Today’s question is: How do you greet people in December? And did that ever offend anyone?
Let me know your experiences, bye.