Merry or Happy?

Subject: Merry or Happy?
From: woodsie
Date: 06 Dec 06 - 09:21 PM

Is it Merry or Happy Christmas? I know most people say Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. But is it O.K. to say happy christmas?

Subject: RE: Merry or Happy?
From: number 6
Date: 06 Dec 06 - 09:43 PM

Merry or Happy?

Whatever makes ya feel good.

biLL

Subject: RE: Merry or Happy?
From: Wincing Devil
Date: 06 Dec 06 - 09:48 PM

The last lines to Clement Moore's poem "Twas the Night Before Christmas" read:
But I heard him exclaim, 'ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!"

Subject: RE: Merry or Happy?
From: number 6
Date: 06 Dec 06 - 09:56 PM

'In Charles Dicken's "A Christmas Carol" the cynical Ebenezer Scrooge rudely deflects the friendly greeting and broods on the foolishness of those who utter it. "If I could work my will," says Scrooge, "every idiot who goes about with 'Merry Christmas' on his lips, should be boiled with his own pudding.'

biLL

Subject: RE: Merry or Happy?
From: Rowan
Date: 06 Dec 06 - 10:03 PM

Most people I know (now, that's not a bad line for a song) say "Merry Christmas" but I know a few who prefer "Happy Christmas and a merry New Year!"

There are also several of my friends (peeved about the crassness of the whole season) who parody Ebenezer Scrooge and greet each other with "Happy Bah Humbug!"

Cheers, Rowan

Subject: RE: Merry or Happy?
From: Cluin
Date: 06 Dec 06 - 10:05 PM

Merry was a hobbit. Happy was a dwarf.

Take your pick and Season's Geetings to you.

Subject: RE: Merry or Happy?
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 06 Dec 06 - 11:12 PM

Great old songs:
Hail to this Happy Christmas-tide, 1885, Frank L. Armstrong

Happy Christmas Morning, 1875, William A. Pond, Jr.

Come Happy Children, Christmas carol, 1882, H. P. Danks

Which leads me to ask, which came first- Happy or Merry?

Subject: RE: Merry or Happy?
From: CapriUni
Date: 06 Dec 06 - 11:37 PM

For what it's worth, all the Christmas cards I've gotten from folks in America are printed with "Merry Christmas," and the few I've gotten from Britain say "Happy Christmas."

I, myself, like to say: "Glad Yule!" :-)

Or how about this: "Splendid Saturnalia!"? (Though that's December 13th)

Subject: RE: Merry or Happy?
From: GUEST,memyself
Date: 06 Dec 06 - 11:50 PM

My impression has long been that "Happy Christmas!" is the norm in Britain, while I can say with some certainty that "Merry Christmas!" is the norm in North America.

Subject: RE: Merry or Happy?
From: Rabbi-Sol
Date: 06 Dec 06 - 11:52 PM

In Spanish they say Felice Navidad. Felice is literally translated as happy.
                                           SOL ZELLER

Subject: RE: Merry or Happy?
From: Scrump
Date: 07 Dec 06 - 06:49 AM

These days the word "merry" often implies a slight lack of sobriety caused by ingestion of alcohol. It used to mean the same as "Happy" and in the context of Christmas the words are interchangeable and mean the same thing, i.e. happy not slightly p*ssed.

Many people say "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year" - I suppose it seems more interesting than "Happy Christmas and Happy New Year".

I've never heard anyone wishing "A Merry New Year" - I wonder why not?

Subject: RE: Merry or Happy?
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 07 Dec 06 - 07:23 AM

"God rest you merry" was a traditional greeting, as in the carol.

Subject: RE: Merry or Happy?
From: GUEST, Topsie
Date: 07 Dec 06 - 07:37 AM

The Christmas cards I remember from childhood wished one a

'Prosperous New Year'.

Have our priorities changed?

Subject: RE: Merry or Happy?
From: Paul Burke
Date: 07 Dec 06 - 07:40 AM

I thought Mary Christmas was Father Christmas' wife.

Have a Good Friday.

Subject: RE: Merry or Happy?
From: Scrump
Date: 07 Dec 06 - 07:50 AM

'Prosperous New Year'.

Have our priorities changed?

No, it's just that we realise it's waste of time wishing anyone prosperity these days in the UK. The best we can hope for is to be poor but happy ;-)

Subject: RE: Merry or Happy?
From: GUEST,memyself
Date: 07 Dec 06 - 08:32 AM

Also, time being money, it would be inexcusably profligate to utter the three syllables of "properous" when you could get by with the two syllables of "happy". And mark my words, those syllables that we think nothing of throwing to the wind today will be worth a pretty penny tomorrow. Those who have kept a few in reserve will be the ones who come out on top ...

Subject: RE: Merry or Happy?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 07 Dec 06 - 08:34 AM

Generally Happy Christmas in our family. Merry is a good word, but it's got a slightly desperate sound, while happy is more relaxed and settled. So perhaps Merry is appropriate for the way Christmas tends to be.

You wouldn't say Merry Birthday.

Anyone say Jolly Christmas? I quite like the sound of that.

Subject: RE: Merry or Happy?
From: Geoff the Duck
Date: 07 Dec 06 - 08:39 AM

I'd go for Merry Christmas as a general rule (Yule Rule?).
Wes Hale!

Quack!
GtD.

Subject: RE: Merry or Happy?
From: MMario
Date: 07 Dec 06 - 08:59 AM

From what our Historian for our Dickens Festival says -- "Happy Christmas" was the norm until the early 1900's when advertizing in the US started to push the "merry Christmas" -- and it took over quite rapidly.

Subject: RE: Merry or Happy?
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 07 Dec 06 - 09:19 AM

Discussion of origin and meaning of the phrase God rest ye merry, gentlemen.

Subject: RE: Merry or Happy?
From: Mo the caller
Date: 07 Dec 06 - 09:39 AM

"I've never heard anyone wishing "A Merry New Year" - I wonder why not?"
Merry suggests a celebration to me, happy a more long term thing.
Mmario - how old is the carol 'We wish you a merry Christmas' then? I sort of thought of it as 'trad'

Subject: RE: Merry or Happy?
From: Bert
Date: 07 Dec 06 - 10:27 AM

Rorty Solstice.

Subject: RE: Merry or Happy?
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 07 Dec 06 - 11:10 AM

These days it's getting harder to find anyone under the age of 60 who even knows what prosperous means, let alone uses it in a greetings card...

But I'll use that rather than the 'Kule Yule' I received one year.... **Shudder**

LTS

Subject: RE: Merry or Happy?
From: Scrump
Date: 07 Dec 06 - 11:12 AM

God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen - that reminds me of that old Norfolk carol Arrest These Merry Gentlemen

Subject: RE: Merry or Happy?
From: JennyO
Date: 07 Dec 06 - 11:22 AM

Merry Christmas in Oz.

I used to have a teacher called Merry Chrismas (without the t).

I'm not making this up you know.

Subject: RE: Merry or Happy?
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 07 Dec 06 - 02:38 PM

There is a town in New Zealand (North Island) called Mere Mere - prounounced Merri merri.... they just tack a big sign under it that says 'Christmas'.

LTS

Subject: RE: Merry or Happy?
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 07 Dec 06 - 02:51 PM

Several websites with carols say that "We Wish You a Merry Christmas is 16th c, but I can find no evidence of this.
Often combined with the 'figgy pudding' (ugh) verse.

Subject: RE: Merry or Happy?
From: Dame Pattie Smith EPNS
Date: 07 Dec 06 - 03:01 PM

In Wales we say Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
                Nadolig Llawen a Blwyddyn Newydd Dda
I bring Rosemary into the house over the festive season - an old pagan custom for prosperity. It also makes the house smell nice cos I suspect houses were quite smelly in pagan times! I prune my Rosemary bush and arrange it in a bucket. Then I decorate it just like a Christmas tree with lights and stuff. It`s very pretty.

Subject: RE: Merry or Happy?
From: Gizmo
Date: 07 Dec 06 - 04:33 PM

The words "God rest ye merry gentlemen" - used to put images into my head about drunken old sots, being put on to their bed by their kind wives - who no doubt would chastise them in the morning (the best time to get at someone is when they have a hangover - apparently) for spending their christmas bonuses down the local..... Then again, I've always had a wild imagination.

Subject: RE: Merry or Happy?
From: MMario
Date: 07 Dec 06 - 04:37 PM

Well - "We wish you a merry Christmas" certainly doesn't have the same "feel" to it that some carols which I *know* go back to the 15 and 1600 have...

But it could also be that the day to day greeting differed from the lyrics of this one song. Certainly there are a lot of examples of "happy Christmas" being used in song.

Subject: RE: Merry or Happy?
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 07 Dec 06 - 05:13 PM

True story... my former brother in law (also called Paul) was a nurse in the Royal Army Medical Corps, and for a time was stationed in Rinteln, Germany. For their Christmas concert they "borrowed" one of the inhabitants of the morgue (yes, a corpse), dressed him as Santa and wheeled him around the wards singing carols. When they got to the psychiatric ward they started to sing 'God rest ye jerry mentalmen....'

LTS

Subject: RE: Merry or Happy?
From: GUEST,JimP
Date: 07 Dec 06 - 08:25 PM

And I have a Jewish friend that decorates for and celebrates Isaac Newton's birthday on Dec. 25th. I supposed that's better (but less humorous) than calling it, as did Jon Stewart one year, "National Jews go to the movies Day."

Subject: RE: Merry or Happy?
From: frogprince
Date: 07 Dec 06 - 08:39 PM

"Wreck the malls with cows on Harleys, fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la..."

Subject: RE: Merry or Happy?
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 07 Dec 06 - 08:50 PM

Howzabout "Have a cool Yule?

Man

Jerry

Subject: RE: Merry or Happy?
From: GUEST,Martunes
Date: 07 Dec 06 - 08:51 PM

Merry or Happy what?

Subject: RE: Merry or Happy?
From: GUEST,memyself
Date: 07 Dec 06 - 09:33 PM

"Merry or Happy what?"


Hmmm - I think this is an instance where it would pay to go back and read the thread. I'll betcha dollars to doughnuts a smart young feller like yourself can figure it out.

Subject: RE: Merry or Happy?
From: Tradsinger
Date: 08 Dec 06 - 06:03 AM

Either will do, but not "Happy Holiday", Aaaaghhhh.

Subject: RE: Merry or Happy?
From: Tom Hamilton frae Saltcoats Scotland
Date: 08 Dec 06 - 07:43 AM

Merry or Happy, they mean the same thing

Subject: RE: Merry or Happy?
From: Scrump
Date: 08 Dec 06 - 09:16 AM

At the rate things are going here in the UK, we won't be able to wish anyone a Merry or Happy Christmas - see here

or here

:-(

Subject: RE: Merry or Happy?
From: DMcG
Date: 08 Dec 06 - 10:01 AM

According to the Guardian, Scrump, that survey used questions like "Do you admit to banning Christmas decorations because you are worried about offending other faiths?" which is about as sound a question as "have you stopped beating your wife?". The full article is here.

Subject: RE: Merry or Happy?
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 08 Dec 06 - 10:45 AM

Since I never institute holiday greetings exchanges, I don't worry about how they're phrased. I always just say "You too" after some other fool says whatever he or she pleases.

Subject: RE: Merry or Happy?
From: Cluin
Date: 08 Dec 06 - 10:49 AM

A Messy Kweeznuz.

Subject: RE: Merry or Happy?
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 08 Dec 06 - 11:09 AM

Good article DMcG and something I had long suspected.

and a gradely crimbo to one and all.

:D (tG)

Subject: RE: Merry or Happy?
From: Bee
Date: 08 Dec 06 - 11:50 AM

Traditionally it's Merry Christmas, Happy New Year in Nova Scotia. Greeting cards tend to Season's Greetings. Some do say Happy Holidays. I'm not sure why some of the Christian persuasion fuss about that - 'holiday', after all, means 'holy day', and takes into account that Christ Mass is not the only December holy day.

I once celebrated Saint Nicholas day in Holland by attending a carol concert in the Bavo cathedral in Haarlem. The monster pipe organ was played by, I think the name is, Albert de Clerk. Sorry, it was many years ago. There were 3000 people attending to sing. It was glorious.

Subject: RE: Merry or Happy?
From: GUEST
Date: 09 Dec 06 - 11:02 AM

I say "Happy Holidays" because it's about the whole season, not about the Jesus myth.

Subject: RE: Merry or Happy?
From: Mrs.Duck
Date: 09 Dec 06 - 04:29 PM

I'd always assumed the Happy Christmas that is creeping in was American as I can only remember it ever being 'Merry' where we lived.

Subject: RE: Merry or Happy?
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 09 Dec 06 - 05:07 PM

Following POGO, I like to say, "A Kool Yule and a Frantic First!"

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: Merry or Happy?
From: Tom Hamilton frae Saltcoats Scotland
Date: 10 Dec 06 - 08:51 AM

As A Born again Christian, I believe in the Jesus 'Myth' I don't like the business of 'Happy holidays' because after all Britian is still a Christian country.

I mean if I was in a Muslum country I would be expected to follow their rules and laws.

Love and God Bless

Tom