Christmas is a big deal here in the States, but not because there's a deep cultural divide over it or any such thing. It's just the time of year when people are most likely to spend lots of money. I don't know that we make a bigger deal of it than Australia does.

Culturally, Christmas is largely a secular holiday. Speaking for my own region of the country (the upper south - somewhere between the godless north and the holy rollers), I barely see more overt public religiosity during Christmas than I do during Easter, and Easter generally comes and goes without me noticing it. I get junk mail informing me that Jesus is the reason for the season, but I get far more junk mail with Santa Claus showing me great deals on flatscreen televisions. Lots of people, like myself, enjoy Christmas as a time for family, giving, and hot sales on digital downloads of computer games without giving its religious underpinnings (pagan, Christian or otherwise) the merest thought.

That said, as always, there is the nutcase brigade who thinks there's a culture war going on. Remember that guy the other day who got pissed off because a GOG employee wished him a "Merry Xmas," because clearly that means that GOG hates Jesus and wants to take the Christ out of Christmas and how Christians who disagree with his righteous fury are traitors to the faith? He's a good example, but people like that are rarely visible in everyday life. They just come out of the woodwork on the internet.

It's much more common to encounter people who think the season has become far too commercial, but that's not the kind of sentiment that's likely to start a fistfight. There are also those of us who are a bit grinchy and wish public life wasn't drenched in holiday cheer for two months out of the year, but that's not quite the same thing.

So no, most of us here in the States, I think, just enjoy (or endure) the holiday season in our own ways, without worrying too much about whether other people are celebrating it properly or not.

Ahh only these days, they used to be out and about in the 50s
http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/12/mommy_why_is_there_a_war_on_ch.php

Of course it was the dirty reds who were to blame then but they were godless too so I suppose athiests are the next best/worst thing

Me, too. I grew up Christian, my family is Christian, the majority of my friends and family celebrate Christmas, this area is predominantly Christian... and the only time I notice a Christian "intrusion" in my atheist life is around this time of year. And that "intrusion" is simply horrible, people wishing me well and all that. ;) Oh, the humanity.

If anyone here feels offended by being wished Merry Christmas, just mentally translate it to "I really hope things are going well for you, and that you are able to spend time with loved ones doing things you enjoy." People mean well so try to take it in that spirit.

Merry Christmas to all of you, and a great New Year, as well.

Christmas is the BIG consumer holiday in the US. We do our civic duty by buying lots of crap we don't really need. This festivity annoys some groups who claim the same name and day.

Nothing to see here.

I was actually talking to some friends about this the other day.

I personally prefer wishing people Happy Holidays (though obviously when you say it after Chanukah and Kwanza have already passed it really does just mean Merry Christmas, and maybe Happy New Year). But that is just my personal thing. With friends and family it is easy since I know what people celebrate and how to address the issue, but with random people, like cashiers and what have you it becomes much more difficult. Though obviously not as important since you aren't likely to see the same person again.

I think I mostly get offended by people who blatantly say Merry Christmas in a situation where it is not appropriate. For example: with all your Jewish friends, or after visiting a mosque, or something like that. People do almost always actually mean well when they say Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays, I think there just should be a bit of thought when you say either of the two; and if you mess up, that is ok, but then someone might correct you and that should be fine as well.

I don't get the whole being offended thing. I have some Islamic friends and they wish everyone Merry Christmas despite the fact they don't celebrate it and aren't offended by those who wish to them.

I always thought "happy holidays" meant Thanksgiving through New Years... the holiday season. Songs as old as the 1930s say "happy holidays" and "holiday season" so I don't know why suddenly those terms are about being politically correct.

I am about as anti-politicaly correct as you can get but I like happy holidays...

Don't get me wrong, it's all made up stuff. It's just some of it has some long tradition and culture behind it.

Merry Christmas. now get that fucking white stuff away from my lawn so i can get outside again without falling on my bum every five meters.

thanks.

I mean, it is definitely a personal thing of whether to actually be offended or not. I don't get really bent out of shape about the whole issue, I just am very slightly annoyed. I mean, I also wish my friends who celebrate Ramadan a good Ramadan (and the Eids when I remember/find out when they are). So I'm not saying you can't wish other people to have a happy holiday, but I think the general sense of "Oh, EVERYONE celebrates Christmas" is ignorant and obnoxious. But I also really do try to be understanding, so I don't want to be too judgmental. haha

Merry New Year!

Historically, Christmas as a Christian holiday was literally forced on people to push aside what they were already celebrating (wassailing gave way to caroling, if you will). December 25th as a holiday was banned for, what, hundreds of years before they got this idea to just usurp the day as their own. There's absolutely nothing religious about the day, so people who get all pissy about saying happy holidays instead of Christmas, or xmas instead of Christmas can bite me.

With that being said, I say merry Christmas and happy holidays interchangeably without any thought, and I've never once personally met someone who was offended when it was holiday said instead of Christmas. Like someone said earlier, Turkey Day, Christmas, New Years all fall into a pretty short block of time, happy holidays covers it all pretty well.

I think the issue comes with saying Happy Holidays on December 24th for example. Every other holiday has passed (except for New Years) and at that point really Happy Holidays is just a formality. You can't encompass holidays which have already passed.

But, like I said before, really, I don't think most people mean anything negative by saying Merry Christmas to everyone or anything like that, so it isn't a huge deal.

HAIL THE SUN!

Never considered it but going to dress up my place in 2011 to celebrate Mithra! Proper Mithmas!