MonkeyTeddy wrote: ↑Thu Dec 28, 2023 10:07 am We were a little disappointed to receive our always-welcome NVN newsletter yesterday with the title "Wishing you all a very Happy Festive Break" and not even a mention of Christmas!
wordle
The whole reason we have this festival is because of Christ (OK, I know the winter solstice was hijacked by the Church but that's ancient history) and we are still, nominally at least, a Christian country. And in this household, despite all of us being either atheist or agnostic, we like to keep the tradition of wishing people a Merry Christmas or a Happy Christmas.
Happy New Year everyone! 

dudette wrote: ↑Tue Jan 02, 2024 10:29 am

Denwand wrote: ↑Tue Jan 02, 2024 8:19 am

The use of Xmas for Christmas dates back hundreds of years - X is for the Greek letter Chi which is the first letter of Christ in Greek. It’s not just modern people being lazy.

Denwand wrote: ↑Tue Jan 02, 2024 8:19 am Interesting.

I am not religious as such but always cringe if I see the phrases "Happy Holidays" , or worse "Tis the Season" (ugh!) since they are horrible "Americanisations" of our English language.

Also the substitution of "Xmas" for Christmas makes me cringe - as if Christ needs to be pushed out of Christmas altogether.

But I have noted that my practising Christian (mostly protestant) friends and family members make a point of saying "Happy Christmas" instead of "MERRY Christmas" in a strange throwback to Cromwell's interregnum where the very idea of Hoi Polloi enjoying themselves is actually repugnant to the Roundheads and "Merry" was seen as a synonym for being a bit tipsy!

So MERRY Christmas is the only phrase that works, but I always say "Happy Diwali" and "Happy Eid" and "Happy Chanukah" to anyone who practises these religions.

So a Very MERRY Christmas and a HAPPY New Year to all of you!