Most Americans Say They Still Prefer Having a Merry Christmas Over a Happy Holiday

People walk at a shopping mall in Santa Anita, Calif., on Dec. 20, 2021. Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images

It’s that time of year again. As people decorate their homes and finish shopping for gifts, many begin tiptoeing around “politically correct” holiday greetings.

Yet despite the push to use more inclusive seasonal greetings over the years, evidence suggests most Americans still prefer to hear and say “Merry Christmas.”

One report states that from the 6.5 billion occasion cards sent annually, more than 1 billion contain Christmas greetings. Another analysis indicates 53 percent of written holiday correspondence includes “Merry Christmas.”

That’s not surprising considering the trend over the past decade.

Aside from the demands of a handful of activists, data indicates that more than half of the American population doesn’t care whether someone wishes them “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Holidays.”

Poll results from the Pew Research Center say 52 percent of Americans don’t care how stores greet customers over the holidays, which is up from 46 percent in 2012.

The majority of the rest prefer the traditional salutation “Merry Christmas.” Even when the linguistic battleground began heating up in 2013, 57 percent of surveyed Americans said they preferred “Merry Christmas” as a seasonal greeting.

“I default to my Christian identity and say ‘Merry Christmas’,” attorney and author Wendy Patrick told The Epoch Times.

Patrick said wishing people a “Merry Christmas” has been her go-to seasonal greeting for years. “Unlike my days spent in the courtroom, I have never heard an objection raised to my Christmas greeting.”

And she thinks that’s because—Christian or not—people really just enjoy celebrating the holiday.

People walk past the lit Christmas tree at Winterfest in Costa Mesa, Calif., on Dec. 19, 2016. Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images

“The world celebrates Christmas, regardless of individual faith. Santa Claus, egg nog, Christmas cookies, showy light displays,” Patrick said, adding, “Many of my atheist colleagues are right there in the thick of it, with an ostentatious tree and enormous blow-up Santa in their front lawn.”

For many Americans, celebrating the holiday is less about religious beliefs and more about enjoying tradition. One poll’s results show that while nine out of 10 U.S. adults celebrate Christmas, only 56 percent do so as a religious holiday.

In many cases, well wishes are well received. “The intent is what’s important. People are generally emotionally intelligent, and can sense if someone is saying ‘Merry Christmas’ or ’happy holidays’ just to get a reaction out of someone,” CEO of Kizik, Monte Deere, told The Epoch Times.

From Deere’s perspective, it’s not even a debate. “Outside of trafficking in a meritless culture war, the majority sincerely return the sentiment to whoever said it.”

So how did America end up in a years-long word war over simple felicitations? Because for some, saying “Merry Christmas”or “happy holidays” is more about political affiliation than celebration.

Partisan Greetings?

During his 2016 campaign, former President Donald Trump said, “We’re going to be saying ‘Merry Christmas’ at every store. You can leave [happy holidays] at the corner.”

From that moment on, what began as leftist fringe demands for a universal holiday greeting became interchangeable with political identity.

President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump in their official 2018 Christmas portrait at the Cross Hall of the White House, on Dec. 15, 2018. Andrea Hanks/White House

In the years that followed, to tip your hat and politely wish someone “Merry Christmas” meant you were a Republican.

And for those who chimed in with “Happy Holidays,” it meant you were a Democrat. Starting around Thanksgiving, headlines and social media would be jammed with poignant reminders of why it wasn’t OK to wish people “Merry Christmas” anymore.

One study showed 66 percent of Democrats think stores should use more universal holiday greetings, while 67 percent of Republicans indicated businesses should welcome customers with “Merry Christmas.”

“A lot of things have become a political battleground for so-called activists,” attorney Ken Koenen told The Epoch Times.

Koenen said the seasonal greeting debate reminded him of the story about ants in a jar. He said if you put 100 black ants and 100 red ants in the same jar, nothing will happen until someone starts shaking it. Once shaken, the different ants will start attacking each other, thinking the others are the “enemy.”

He thinks the divisiveness over “Merry Christmas” and “Happy Holidays” is essentially the same thing.

“The question to ask is: Who’s shaking the jar? Unfortunately, too many people listen to the jar shakers instead of themselves and common sense.”

Another poll from both sides of the political spectrum revealed that 46 percent of Americans, in general, don’t think “Merry Christmas” is an inappropriate greeting for stores and businesses.

Holiday Spirit

Though for people like attorney Patrick, Christmas is everywhere, which makes the traditional greeting a natural choice.

“Christmas decorations, Christmas trees, and Christmas music are ubiquitous come December, making it objectively unlikely someone will be offended,” she said.

Koenen says greetings should be taken in the context of the spirit of the season. “It is not my job to determine what is offensive to every individual I meet,” he said.

“I would rather say something uplifting. A wish for them to be merry or happy is a positive thing.

Sharing a story from his youth, Koenen described a Jewish and Christian family that lived next door to each other. The Christian family would wish their neighbors a “Merry Christmas,” and their neighbors would return the greeting with “Happy Hanukkah.” It was just that simple and kind-hearted.

“They became good friends and learned from each other,” Koenen concluded.