Happy Holidays: Google Doodle avoiding 'war on Christmas' rumpus?

[Gingersnap]

Happy Holidays: Google Doodle avoiding 'war on Christmas' rumpus?

By Rene Lynch
December 24, 2013, 9:54 a.m.

Nicely played, Google Doodle! I see what you did there.

Today's Google Doodle kicks off Christmas Eve by sidestepping the never-to-be-resolved "Merry Christmas" versus "Happy Holidays" debate.

The Google Doodle simple shows a bucolic scene of a couple in a horse-drawn sleigh making their way through a snowy, winter wonderland.

PHOTOS: Christmas decorations from around the globe

That said, if you hover over the Google Doodle you get a "Happy Holidays from Google!" message. Clicking on the Doodle turns up a "Happy Holidays" search.

The non-denominational holiday tidings come as younger Americans seem to be shrugging their shoulders at the "war on Christmas" grudge that many of their elders hold.

A majority of Americans -- 67% -- say that they prefer people to say "Merry Christmas," with only 18% saying that they’d rather hear "Happy holidays," according to a new Fairleigh Dickinson University's PublicMind poll. (Another 15% say that they're indifferent, or would rather people not say anything. Grinches!)

However, when poll results were broken down by age, the numbers shifted.

"Support for 'Happy Holidays' is greatest among young people: 30% of Americans under the age of 30 say that they'd rather hear the more neutral greeting," according to the poll results. By comparison, only 15% of people age 60 and older preferred that neutral greeting.

All that said, the traditional holiday greeting is still preferable by both the young and the less young.

The poll found that 58% of Americans ages 18-29 and 70% of Americans age 60 and older still prefer "Merry Christmas."

The article is asking readers which they prefer. Which do you prefer and why?

http://www.latimes.com/nation/shareitnow/la-sh-google-doodle-20131224,0,1452207.story#ixzz2oQdg8Mqh

[Celeste Chalfonte]

I appreciate a sincerely cheerful greeting and have no particular preference. Sometimes I say "happy holidays" and other times I say "merry Christmas." As my mother says, what comes up comes out.

On the other hand, someone who goes on some long mess of preaching in the guise of a holiday greeting is going to get a brisk nod and a quick exit. There's a woman who preaches all day long on the corner below my office. That one gets a "bah, humbug!" if anything. I have to keep my window closed, even in the nicest weather, because until the cops come around periodically and make her turn off the bullhorn, she interferes with my dictation program.

I also don't appreciate "Merry Christmas" being used as a cover for aggressive begging. I always nod and smile at the Starvation Army bell-ringers, because I figure they as individuals have the political awareness of a turnip. I don't contribute, however, to organizations which aggressively oppose my civil rights. In return for my smile and nod, I have been yelled at and once even cursed for not donating.

Frankly, I think anyone who is offended by someone else's good wishes needs to go to couth school. If "God bless you" means nothing to you, then smile and walk on. It made the speaker feel good and didn't harm you, so what's the problem? Again, if it gets preachy or aggressive, you can deal with the person as you would any pest.

[phillygirl]

I use both. I used to use Happy Holidays to encompass Christmas and New Year's. As I began to have more Jewish friends, I used it to encompass Hanukkah and Christmas.

I appreciate anyone that sincerely wishes me a good day, a happy holiday (regardless of the holiday), etc. I enjoy the Christmas time when strangers, be they merchants, other customers, my colleagues or my clients, take a moment to wish me a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, peace and joy of the season, etc. I noticed today that many of the other customers in the stores, as well as the workers, seemed to be able to deal a bit more with the stress of Christmas Eve when we all smiled and genuinely said "have a Merry Christmas"; "hope you're able to go home soon and enjoy the holiday", etc. etc. To me, it's just an expression of good cheer to a fellow human being and it's nice to express that to others, especially those that have to work on the holiday.

[Gingersnap]

I also don't appreciate "Merry Christmas" being used as a cover for aggressive begging. I always nod and smile at the Starvation Army bell-ringers, because I figure they as individuals have the political awareness of a turnip. I don't contribute, however, to organizations which aggressively oppose my civil rights. In return for my smile and nod, I have been yelled at and once even cursed for not donating.

Jeez, Celeste - do you have like a sign on you saying, "I consider you a lower and completely evil lifeform and so I will NEVER give a penny to the poor that you serve!"?

Whether I've given or ignored them completely, I've had never had a Salvation Army person yell at me or curse me.

Weird.

[Celeste Chalfonte]

Jeez, Celeste - do you have like a sign on you saying, "I consider you a lower and completely evil lifeform and so I will NEVER give a penny to the poor that you serve!"?

Whether I've given or ignored them completely, I've had never had a Salvation Army person yell at me or curse me.

Weird.

They probably hire a better grade of bell-ringer in Colorado than in Tampa/St Pete. The one who cursed at me appeared to have been extracted from the alkie line at the local shelter. Impulse control may not have been her long suit.

Around here, the bell-ringers seem to mostly be Asian-American teenagers. It's a little weird, but they're always quite pleasant.

[ReinMan]

...I always nod and smile at the Starvation Army bell-ringers, because I figure they as individuals have the political awareness of a turnip....

Hitch your pants up a bit; your tolerance is showing...

[Celeste Chalfonte]

Hitch your pants up a bit; your tolerance is showing...

Maybe you run into a lot a minimum-wage casual workers with a high level of political consciousness. Hasn't been my experience as a rule; I'm sure there are exceptions.

[phillygirl]

Maybe you run into a lot a minimum-wage casual workers with a high level of political consciousness. Hasn't been my experience as a rule; I'm sure there are exceptions.

I was once one of those. There were a lot more of us than you might think.

[Novaheart]

The article is asking readers which they prefer. Which do you prefer and why?



http://www.latimes.com/nation/sharei...#ixzz2oQdg8Mqh

I'm rather partial to "Merry Fucking Christmas, Y'all".

[Novaheart]

Jeez, Celeste - do you have like a sign on you saying, "I consider you a lower and completely evil lifeform and so I will NEVER give a penny to the poor that you serve!"?

Whether I've given or ignored them completely, I've had never had a Salvation Army person yell at me or curse me.

Weird.

I have. The woman who works the kettle at Publix (supermarket) in South Pasadena used to yell "God bless you." if you didn't donate. So I told her to go to hell, and she yelled at me. That was three years ago. The last two years I have smiled at her and put money in the kettle; she get's a funny look on her face like, "Isn't that the asshole who told me to go to hell?"

[Gingersnap]

I have. The woman who works the kettle at Publix (supermarket) in South Pasadena used to yell "God bless you." if you didn't donate. So I told her to go to hell, and she yelled at me. That was three years ago. The last two years I have smiled at her and put money in the kettle; she get's a funny look on her face like, "Isn't that the asshole who told me to go to hell?"

I get the impression that you might generate drama even when it's in short supply.

[phillygirl]

I'm rather partial to "Merry Fucking Christmas, Y'all".

Today a young woman went to the start of the line, instead of the end, and then got annoyed when the manager who was directing customers to open tellers in order to speed the process (the same manager had called for all free employees to go to that particular side of the store to assist...and the line wasn't even that long...I have to give them kudos for great customer service today!). This young woman also started audibly complaining that she needed to "get the f outta here" and "are you f'ing kidding me?". Not yelling, but that sort of under your breath but loud enough to hear kind of complaint.

The older woman in front of me filled me in on the situation, although I had sort of figured it out. She made certain to give me the detail on the young woman using the f word. I'm not certain if the young woman purposely went to the front of the line or not (the older woman was pretty adamant that it was purposeful. Eventually the manager directed her to a cashier and i could tell that even during her checkout process she was impatient, and had some issue with a discount or whatnot. Generally just unpleasant, which I find to be ridiculous on Christmas Eve. If you're impatient, a retail store is not the place to be at 3:00 p.m. on Christmas Eve.

In the parking lot the older woman who had been in front of me smiled, gave me that knowing look and wished me a Merry Christmas. I responded with "Merry F'ing Christmas!"
The older woman looked startled and then began laughing her butt off. I'm betting she laughed all the way home and told her husband about it!

[Adam]

I've never exactly liked "happy holidays," just because it sounds a little cold and forced. "I hope you have great holidays" or "have a great holiday" sounds a lot warmer to me, and I've certainly said that to people I know whom I do not expect to see again before New Year's. "Merry Christmas" always sounds a lot more cheerful to me to either people I don't know (or who don't know me, if I'm on the receiving end).

Just a personal thing. I've never particularly minded "happy holidays," so long as it's not something that's forced upon people in place of "merry Christmas" for the sole purpose of "not offending anyone." Then I tell those people (the ones who are forcing it) that they can take their "happy holidays" and shove it up their ass.



And to all a good night!

[scott]

I have. The woman who works the kettle at Publix (supermarket) in South Pasadena used to yell "God bless you." if you didn't donate. So I told her to go to hell, and she yelled at me. That was three years ago. The last two years I have smiled at her and put money in the kettle; she get's a funny look on her face like, "Isn't that the asshole who told me to go to hell?"

Yep, must be a Florida thing. Most of the bell ringers around here are rude. I put in $5 and the guy muttered, "nice Rolex."

I just smiled, said "Thanks!" and walked on.

[Adam]

Yep, must be a Florida thing. Most of the bell ringers around here are rude. I put in $5 and the guy muttered, "nice Rolex."

I just smiled, said "Thanks!" and walked on.

WOW! What an asshole!

Bell-ringers around here are universally friendly. They always have a "merry Christmas" or at least a smile and a "have a nice day" for any passer-by. CERTAINLY if someone puts money in the bucket, even just a buck or even a nickel, they always have a "thank you and merry Christmas" for the donor. Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, I run into a bunch of bell-ringers, as we have a "bell-ringing station," for lack of a better description, right in front of our office, and it's rotating as to who is ringing the bell. This is the heart of downtown Nashville, and at The Arcade, pretty much everyone goes for lunch, so it's a tip-top foot traffic location. Everyone from the Kiwanis to the Nashville Firefighters to the Lions Club to the Nashville Union Rescue Mission are out there ringing bells, and they are all always nice and definitely thankful when money goes in the bucket.

Same goes for those I see at grocery stores, Wal-Marts, etc.