Over the last few years, some people have objected to the ubiquity of the seasonal greeting “Merry Christmas!”, and have insisted that “Happy Holidays!” is less offensive to those who do not celebrate Christmas. But those who advocate “Happy Holidays!” are perceived by some to be part of a “war on Christmas.” Our newly elected president has stated that in his administration, we will say “Merry Christmas” again. It is unfortunate that mutual good wishes have become contentious in this way.
A historical perspective helps. “Merry Christmas” was once a term that offended many Protestant Christians, because it is a contraction of Christ’s Mass. Puritan Protestants, who are the ancestors of many New England Protestants, did not celebrate Dec. 25 at all, because the date of Christ’s birth was never specified in Scripture, and Protestants never described their worship as a “mass.” That was distinctly a Catholic term. And there was a third objection as well: Puritans were not particularly fond of the revelry implied by the word “merry.”
But in this, as in so many other issues, the Protestant-Catholic dialogue over the last 500 years has led each side to more appreciation of the other’s point of view. In this instance, celebrating Christmas won.
Still, the expression “Merry Christmas!” loses all its meaning if it is trivialized, if it carries no religious meaning at all. It may even be offensive to some non-Christians, though certainly not to all. Substituting the phrase “Happy Holidays,” a contraction of “happy holy days,” recognizes that others may be celebrating other holy traditions.
As a living representative of the Puritan tradition, I think it is important to be both more considerate and more precise. Thus, in the context of families, churches or among friends whom we know to be celebrating Christmas, “Merry Christmas!” is very appropriate. When we do not know the faith perspective of those we greet, or when we know that they are not Christian, it is more respectful to say “Happy Holidays.” But, as a contemporary Puritan, I would go further. Neither expression — “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Holidays” — is in the Bible, and Puritans pay attention to the Bible. So I would suggest that there is a biblical greeting that is especially appropriate at this season, and in fact may be appropriate at all times. In the biblical story, angels announce the birth of Christ by saying, “On Earth, peace and good will” to men. Universalizing the expression, we could greet one another, at this season especially, with the words “Peace and good will!” Can anyone argue with that?
Richard R. Crocker lives in Lebanon. He is the emeritus dean of the Tucker Foundation and college chaplain at Dartmouth College.