mrreindeer

Hey there TripleF, just as you're shocked by your client's well intended and yes, PC, greeting, it is quite possible that a bunch of people would get equally shocked by a presumptuous greeting of 'Merry Christmas'. You'd be surprised how many, even some Christians (I've heard).

I'm no fan of PC, as I'm sure some of you know, and I've got a very thick skin and am not easily offended myself. However, when I send out my holiday cards to my clients (and friends), I very clearly wish them a happy holiday and prosperous new year for good reason. The cards I choose to send are holiday/wintery cards with a very PC message because the Christian clients wouldn't like getting Hanukkah cards just as much as the Jewish clients wouldn't like getting Christmas cards and yep, the folks who celebrate Kwanzaa wouldn't like not being acknowledged either...and I've just covered a mere 3 faiths!

So, in order to address everyone in our big mix of a country (not to mention saving time and effort when I would have to buy separate cards and keep a difficult tally of who is what), I merely wish a simple 'Happy Holidays' to cover all my bases and not make anyone feel left out. Likewise, when I'm out and about, I wish people the same 'Happy Holidays' because I don't want to be presumptuous and assume something about a complete stranger. I wouldn't think someone would be offended by a well-intended 'Happy Holidays' though...

Even though, in a way, we all 'celebrate' Christmas in this melting pot of a great country, regardless of our faith (almost everyone I know has the day off, for instance, and we all shop the 'Christmas sales'...), I still respect someone's religious freedom and understand that some might take offense if I wish them 'Merry Christmas' or 'Happy Hanukkah' or 'Happy Kwanzaa' or 'Happy Ramadan' (whenever that is).

Make sense?