Deciding whether it should be merry or happy Christmas always been debatable from past ages. You need to consider that the person you are wishing may not believe in the celebration of Christmas, and so, it is only appropriate that you say ‘merry’ not happy.
Merry Christmas or Happy Christmas: Which is Correct?
Another reason why it is ‘Merry Christmas,’ not ‘Happy Christmas,’ is the historical influence on the typical Christmas greeting. According to history, the right adjective for wishing anyone during Christmas is ‘Merry,’ not ‘Happy’!
It all dates back to as far as 1534 when Bishop John Fisher used ‘Merry Christmas’ in a Christmas letter he wrote to Thomas Cromwell. Apart from this, there is also a line in the carol that sings, ‘God rest you merry gentlemen, ’ which was composed as far back as the 16th century in England. Even the English of the time supported ‘Merry’ over ‘Happy.’
From the first Christmas card to different carols composed by various notable persons in time past down to the very popular hymn that begins with the line, ‘We wish you a merry Christmas…’, the use of ‘Merry’ as the appropriate adjective for greeting others around us during the celebration of the season of love. This has been confirmed over and over again.
The Origins of ‘Merry Christmas’ and ‘Happy Christmas’
However, the use of the adjective ‘Merry’ in the Christmas greeting is not universally accepted across all cultures. Some cultures, mostly those where the celebrations of the season of love, Christmas is a tradition. To those kinds of cultures of those that celebrate Christmas, they would appreciate the use of ‘Happy’ more, especially the British upper class. This is as they stress the vulgar implications of the word ‘Merry’ and the very state of being merry even when it is just a mild greeting connotation.
You can now make your choice!