Are you getting Happy Holidays or Merry Christmas from store clerks ?

**imagine** · 12-22-2011, 11:56 AM

I have not heard either this year no Happy Holidays, no Merry Christmas

Not a single one -

Sometimes a Merry Christmas from a bell ringer for the Salvation Army but most of the time a Thank you after someone drops some change in the bucket.

The season, the holidays, the celebrations, are just not being mentioned.

What are you hearing where you live?

**shoiji** · 12-22-2011, 12:00 PM

I know the clerk said something at CVS but it all gets to be a blur with all the last minute holiday rush.

Will be happy when the holidays are over. But am grateful to have people to spend the holidays with this year.

**woodogmom** · 12-22-2011, 12:35 PM

yesterday at Rite-Aid in Memphis I got, "Happy holidays, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year if I don't see you before then. My you and yours be blessed and all the rest..." This was from an older clerk and I absolutely LOVED it....when I came back in to return the basket (not a lot of staff in that one, so folks rarely leave baskets in the parking lot, I think they only have 8 baskets anyway), she was telling the customer behind me a similar version....very nice to hear!

**nuisance26** · 12-22-2011, 12:48 PM

~Now that you mentioned it, I went out yesterday and made 6 stops. I was wished "Merry Christmas" by only one person, the bell ringer outside the grocery. Everyone else just said "Have a nice night" or something like that.
I only remember hearing holiday music at the grocery. And I didn't see any stores decorated either. That is pretty weird now that I think about it. Stores seemed to be doing their average weekday business. I got front row parking at the grocery and the mall during peak afternoon hours.
I guess it's going to be a disappointing year for retailers.~

**imagine** · 12-22-2011, 01:05 PM

Originally Posted by nuisance26

~Now that you mentioned it, I went out yesterday and made 6 stops. I was wished "Merry Christmas" by only one person, the bell ringer outside the grocery. Everyone else just said "Have a nice night" or something like that.
I only remember hearing holiday music at the grocery. And I didn't see any stores decorated either. That is pretty weird now that I think about it. Stores seemed to be doing their average weekday business. I got front row parking at the grocery and the mall during peak afternoon hours.
I guess it's going to be a disappointing year for retailers.~

So it isn't just my corner of the world.

**Incognito** · 12-22-2011, 01:33 PM

We make it a point to say Merry Christmas loudly and enthusiastically here. And we've been letting the school know that we do not want our Christian heritage censored or suppressed. The whole community is behind it, except for several people who belong to a recognized cult, and 1 who belongs to an eastern religion.

MERRY CHRISTMAS, AND MAY THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST BE BLESSED AND PRAISED!

**grneyegrl** · 12-22-2011, 01:41 PM

we r not the only ones with a holiday this time of year..i have jewish family and friends.. so i say enjoy your holiday as i family and friends of many faiths..

some only celebrate new years and i like to include all .

**sunshine** · 12-22-2011, 01:47 PM

I've heard "Merry Christmas" "Happy Holidays" and one "Happy Sol" from one who knows my heritage.

**McD** · 12-22-2011, 01:50 PM

I personally don't mention the holidays to the customers I deal with. If they come into the office to pay their bill, I might make a small joke and tell them that I'll 'see them next year'. Other than that, I just don't mention it in a work environment.

**moasmom** · 12-22-2011, 01:51 PM

Originally Posted by grneyegrl

we r not the only ones with a holiday this time of year..i have jewish family and friends.. so i say enjoy your holiday as i family and friends of many faiths..

some only celebrate new years and i like to include all .

That's a nice way of putting that, grneyegrl. I certainly don't mind if some says Merry Christmas to me; goodwill is always appreciated. But I personally prefer to be inclusive rather than exclusive with my interactions with people I don't know. Plus, I really can't imagine how what someone says in a store could make or break someone's holiday.

Kara

**Nishu** · 12-22-2011, 01:55 PM

Back when I was a kid, people would say both and you'd say "thanks, you too!" because that's what you say when people said something nice. I don't think anyone noticed one way or the other.

I miss those days.

**Spirit Deer** · 12-22-2011, 02:00 PM

I seem to recall a popular song from the forties or fifties where the refrain is "happy holidays". Funny how no one seemed to get offended by that back then. The song would not have been popular if they were.

It didn't seem to bother anyone to hear 'happy holidays' until the talking heads on TV decided to make an issue out of it for ratings, and their adoring fans blindly went along with it.

A person's faith must not be very strong if it depends upon what holiday greeting they receive from strangers.

**Nishu** · 12-22-2011, 02:04 PM

Originally Posted by Spirit Deer

It didn't seem to bother anyone to hear 'happy holidays' until the talking heads on TV decided to make an issue out of it for ratings, and their adoring fans blindly went along with it.

True statement.

When the economy takes down network news, I'm gonna dance in it's ashes.

**MomToTwoBoys** · 12-22-2011, 02:14 PM

We live in a culturally mixed city, so we celebrate more than one holiday around here.

Last night, the children's holiday program included songs about Kwanzaa, Hannukah and Christmas and it was pretty festive.

I think people need to stop worrying about offending others. The people on the receiving end need to stop being so offended. My goodness... you'd think you were killing them by saying something to them even as far as an acknowledgement of the holiday season is concerned.

**imagine** · 12-22-2011, 02:15 PM

Oh, I certainly did not mean for this to turn into the usual what greeting is appropriate or correct and all the stuff that goes along with it.

I just wondered if people were hearing cheerful greeting and wishes from places. OR if it was like it was here silence on the matter.

Sounds like some of you are hearing holiday greetings, any holiday mentioned.

I still find it strange that it isn't mentioned here at all. You wouldn't know there were any holidays being celebrated.

I do wonder if the economy has people not mentioning it.

It is almost like a Happy Holiday or Merry Christmas would be met with a Scrooge like or Grinch like answer. "What is so Happy or What is so Merry?"

or have people just given up worrying about the correct way to greet someone or wish someone happy wishes and moved on to no greetings and wishes at all.