Hi Imperfect mum, this is more of a rant so my work has stoped us from saying merry Christmas we have to say happy holidays or festive season, I feel gutted why cause it’s Christmas you know Santa and gifts and decorating and Christmas tree, why do I have to stop what I believe, I respect other’s choices and beliefs but I can’t say mine. Am I just being mean or do I have a right to feel like this.
Edit: after reading how I wrote my rant I sound mean I wasn’t trying to, I work in the best work place, thank you for all straightening me out.
28 Replies
Depends where you work. With the public? Theyre not all going to have a merry Christmas. Some are hugely triggered at this time of year and I would say especiallt so this year.
There is no war on Christmas. Take a breath nobodys stopping you celebrating at home and in your own time.
Happy holidays is a saying that’s been around since at least the 50s, my mum has some cards from the 70s with both those phrases on them. Happy holidays is mentioned in old Christmas carols.
Your workplace is just trying to be inclusive, how awesome is that? There are so many other holidays around December/January 🤷♀️ let's celebrate that.. No one is stopping YOU from believing whatever you want in your own, personal time. Your "freedoms" are not being infringed upon. Thankfully we are a secular society 😀
Chill. There is no war on Christmas. Or Easter. Or whatever you celebrate. Wish whatever you want in your own time. But when you are at work, follow your employer's protocols.
Happy Holidays 👌
Why do people have such a tough time accepting inclusive terms or phrases?
"Happy Holidays" is just like saying "whatever this time of year means to you, I hope it's good". I genuinely can't fathom how that's offensive or rant worthy to some people.
If saying Happy Holidays as opposed to Merry Christmas leaves you "gutted", I truly believe you need to reassess your priorities.
Love when people scream "what about meeeeeeeeeee" when it literally has nothing to do with them. It's such a non-issue 🤷♀️ no one literally stopping her from believing whatever she wants. No one is stopping her from decorating her house or doing Santa things.
It's about literally doing a proper Christian thing and loving thy neighbour 🤷♀️
Happy Holidays is respecting everyone's belief (yes including yours) I think if it makes you feel gutted because you are upset that the phrase is including everyone's beliefs instead of just yours...well maybe you should do some research on other holidays and understand more about them and realise that the people who celebrate them deserve to get told to have a happy holiday as well. What a lovely workplace it sounds like you work in to be so respecting of everybody. They're not stopping you from celebrating Christmas. You can still do that even while saying Happy Holidays.
I mean, if I was somewhere and someone was like “happy thanksgiving” or “happy honuka” (not sure how to spell it) I would be a bit like ummm..? And taken aback I guess! But if they said “have a wonderful holiday” then I would be like awww thanks, and same to you!
So your workplace is just being inclusive of those who believe or celebrate in different ways.
Happy Holidays is completely appropriate and inclusive. It won’t be long until Christianity isn’t the majority.
I do however think that most people would receive being wished a merry Christmas warmly..
I think you have a right to feel like that. The world has gone pc crazy and it's sad. What happened to the good old days when people who didn't celebrate Christmas just got on with their lives as normal? Why expect a whole country to tip toe around your beliefs? I'm guessing a majority of people who don't celebrate Christmas probably don't even care! There are people out there that have a very hard time over Christmas due to loss, loneliness and family breakdowns maybe we should stop saying "Happy.." too because its not happy for everyone! Not everyone has time off work either so you could be offending people that need to work! Sounds crazy but not really, we are pretty close to not being able to say anything, just keep our mouth shut and wave! Oh but that might be offensive in one of the sign languages! I'm not religious but I don't get offended when someone says "God bless you". Rant finished 😂. Oh and a Merry Fucking Christmas to Everyone!
The good old days were definitely old, not necessarily "good".
Why is it so hard for people to grow and learn? People used the N word in the "good" old days, used slurs to describe LGBTQ+ Community just to name 2 examples. What's wrong with making everyone feel loved over the holiday season, whatever it is that they are celebrating 🤷♀️. We don't live in a Christian society, unlike what many assume. What's wrong with including other people in your joy? A little bit of kindness and thoughtfulness goes a long way 😀
Change is really hard for some people. I have a whole group of friends, older generation grew up in small rural town, still there. They love to cry pc gone mad. And even their kids will sometimes post this kind of thing too. It's definitely fear based. They dont want to change.
My grandmother grew up in an orpganage during the great depression.
They were always taught to say "seasons greetings" as a way of wishing everyone well because there were children in that home who were Christian, Jewish etc.
If a bunch of bloody nuns could be respectful of other religious beliefs in 1948, surely we can all manage to do the same in 2020...
Where did your grandmother grow up? I can tell you that Australia wasn't very diverse in 1948, I believe we were still living by a white Australia policy! Or maybe just coming out of it. I don't think there would have been enough Jews to warrant that. It was and is common to say it in places that have a strong Jewish population like New York and other parts of America but not all of it.
You're not even upset about having a religious holiday down played. I'd at least understand that even if I didn't agree. But how is saying 'happy holidays' undermining your 'belief' in tinsel and presents???
I'm really heartwarmed by the responses to this, and most of all to OPs edit.
It takes a lot of admit one's mistake 😀 well done OP 👌
Well what about the other way around? Why should i accept 'happy holidays' as a greeting when for 15 yrs ive never gotten any? I even work Chrirstmas Day, year after year. How about i feel like its being rubbed in when someone says Happy Holidays to me? Why should they say it if i dont agree or like it done that way, and it triggers as offensive to me?
Goes both ways.
The offending feelings need to stop on both accounts. Ppl should be allowed to call it want they want, not what they're told to. It's all a form of well - wishing. Nothing offensive in that
Absolutely agree.
Sure in your own time. Companies have huge and various communities to cover, you'll find there's lots of things you cant say when at work that you can to your mates.
It's no excuse frankly, businesses need to be mindful too when they say 'Happy Holidays' to people and then those same people speak their thoughts to these businesses about how that too, is offensive to them, and tell them off just as equally as the 'Merry Christmas' group.
They should be allowed to greet as both, not one preference over the other. It's just a matter of time before the 'Happy Holidays' group take it as what they too perceive as offensive
We're not talking about
'~ Theres lots of things you can't say at work. ~'
Thats for another day.
We are talking about not being fair to be forced to comply with greetings like Happy Holidays over Merry Christmas.
Happy holidays is the recognised most inclusive phrase.
Arguing with it doesn't mean you get to default to saying whatever you want, it *should* mean you want the company to look for a more inclusive phrase. To point out, they are also told festive season is ok, that would be perfect when someone's just been talking about getting no holidays or having to work on Christmas.
Bottom line, every Christmas Season phrase should be allowed. Putting one over the other isn't necessary and just causes more conflict. It all means well and it all should be allowed.
If someone said to me , from a work place, Happy Ramadan, I'd just say ' thank you same to you!'
I don't even care for it or celebrate it but it wouldn't offend as it's still a caring term of endearment.
Way too many sulky, offended, horrified, soft feathered ppl
in this world .
Yep and I bet the offended people are not even of the minority that doesn't celebrate Christmas, they are offended on behalf of them. A bit like April Fools when people post they are pregnant as a joke and people say that is offensive to people who have had miscarriages. No, speak for yourself not on behalf of everyone not all of us get offended by jokes. I've had 4 miscarriages and I don't find that offensive at all, I just eye roll because a real pregnancy wouldn't be announced on April Fools. I've even had a guy friend announce his pregnancy on April Fools 😂. So off track now but same deal, oh and grass trees, black boy was not offensive to all aboriginal people I live in an indigenous town and they all still call them black boys they love the story behind the name. People need to stop spreading their snow flakiness, if it offends you that's OK but don't make a massive show about it trying to change it on behalf of everyone else who probably aren't even offended by it.
Same could be said for people that get angry about businesses deciding what's best and most inclusive. Stop being 'snowflakes' and complaining about everything.
Lol to the comment above mine here, well isn't this what the OP's post is about? 🤣🤣🤣. How do you expect a debate to be discussed when this was the origon of the post? Haha. What a ridiculous remark.
Guess in your terms then, this whole thread should have remained blank .😂😂
My partner and I have this discussion every year at Christmas.
He works in a very multicultural workplace. They do ‘themed’ days on all the important Multi-cultural religious days. There’s nearly one every week. Someone from south east Asia bought home traditional clothing for them all to wear on a particular day. They do it, no questions asked. I think it would be great
But then come Christmas. For the Aussies, and they aren’t allowed to call it Christmas because it’s not being inclusive!!
So basically everyone gets to celebrate their days, but here in Australia they can’t celebrate their own holiday
I totally get why they are doing it, but if you have to be mindful of others beliefs and not be judgemental, than they should be mindful of your beliefs and not be judgemental
Do it anyway. It’s your belief, and you have a right to be heard
Allow the others who don’t care to bend to the minority, but you celebrate your way. It’s discrimination towards you otherwise