Thursday, December 24, 2015

Happy Christmas or Merry Christmas?



"Merry Christmas and God bless us every one!"

I love my Christmas cards! I notice that from my cards from England, the writer will write "Happy" Christmas, whereas in my cards from my American family and friends, I am wished a "Merry" Christmas.

I have read that the reason behind this is because that Americans fully embraced the story, "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens and since a "merry" Christmas is used so much in that wonderful tale, then that is how it came to be so popular.  Now, the only thing about that theory...this same story is, of course, very popular in England also, so why do people there not say "merry" ?  It amuses me sometimes that the English language is used and pronounced so very differently in America.  For example, did you know that the huge company that you can order books from...you know the one that is also the same name as the mighty river in South America?  It is ama-ZAHN in America but in England it is pronounced ama-zun (rhyme last syllable with gun). It is almost as if Americans said, "okay, we will use your language but we will say it like THIS".

Oh well! Potato, Po-tah-to!  However, you say it, I do wish you all the very best!  If you get the chance, go  and look at this post just here.  You can see that even SANTA can be prickly!  We are all in need of forgiveness, I believe.   Merry Christmas/Happy Christmas/Peace and Joy to you all!









22 comments:

  1. As an English person I use Merry just as much as Happy, I think. Now I'm wondering....! Anyway, which ever it is, I hope you have one Kay - and also a Happy New Year!

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  2. Of course I had to check what my cards said. Out of the 8 I received from England, 7 say "Merry Christmas" (and one says "best wishes"). There is one from the US (can you guess who sent that one?) saying "Merry". All the others are either in German or from other countries.
    To me, "Merry" is appropriate, because I only use it in connection with Christmas, to denote that very special kind of joy that fills my heart at this time of year. Happy I can be all year round, which is why it is "Happy Birthday" and not "Merry Birthday".
    But that's just me being picky, you know :-)
    Anyway - have a very MERRY Christmas and a HAPPY New Year!

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    1. PS: Why not simply say "spuds"? That saves you the decision-making on how to pronounce "potato" :-D

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  3. And I watch so much British television, and read so many British books that I slip in and out of the two English languages. The latest word both Tom and I use is Oi! Isn't it perfect?! I wish you and your family a happy and a merry Christmas!

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  4. I don't know how true this is, but someone told me that in England "Merry Christmas" connotes a boozy celebration and "Happy Christmas" connotes a more sober marking of the occasion.

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  5. A blessed and beautiful Christmas to you and yours, however you pronounce it!

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  6. Merry Christmas or Happy Christmas... it's all the same to me. I just wish it for everyone.

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  7. AmazON

    The greeting is combined.
    It's 'Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year' normally.
    So I'll with you and Richard et al a 'Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.'

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  8. Very interesting, have a Merry Christmas.

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  9. Merry Christmas or Happy Christmas...it's all the same to me! Wishing you a great one, Kay. Merry and happy :)

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  10. I think we use both. Happy it it's the only greeting on the card but merry if combined with happy new year. I'm with Abdullah on Amaz- ON too but that could be my northern vowel sounds! Anyway, a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year to you and your family, dear Kay. x

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  11. I use both because, while "Merry" is what Americans say, I rather like the sound of "Happy Christmas"! Did you like the English card I sent you? I thought it was so adorable ~ I thought of you immediately when I saw them in the store. XOXOXO

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  12. Hi Kay

    'Merry' seems rather archaic and most youngsters would only think of it as a euphemism for being (pleasantly ) bibulous. There are many other terms for being rather more inebriated and I will not use them here.

    Whenever I hear the opening strains of 'God rest ye merry, Gentlemen', I picture Dickensian characters of the rotund kind.

    So a happy and merry Christmas to you and all your followers.

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  13. However it's said, the meaning seems to be the same and so I wish you and yours. Very Merry Christmas that's a happy time as well, even if these wishes are a but late.

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  14. On Christmas cards I say 'Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year'. But face to face I say Happy Christmas!

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  15. Happy, Merry back to you! I hope it was a good day and those nasty storms down south don't cause any trouble for you!

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  16. I have noticed before how many American words miss out the letter U in spelling. (USA Spell checker, covertly installed at purchase to test my patriotic behaviour patterns and place me on file). American's love English so much they want to preserve it for their own use and spell it differently.200 years from now it will quietly become standard English when the real spoken English in the UK is forgotten and phased out by other languages, and more modern traditions coming through to predominate culture outdated aspirations.
    A genuine conspiracy theory production from a reliable source.

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  17. I say "Merry Christmas"...and use "Happy" for "Happy New Year".

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