while it seems everyone else says ‘happy christmas’
which imo is a way better phrase, it’s very … pragmatic. happiness is more attainable than merriment. how often is anyone merry?
Merry Christmas is a popular expression in the UK too.
I think that merriment is actually much easier to attain than happiness. One could be miserable in life, but have a few drinks and be merry.
Is it wrong for me to say that the pessimism with a side of alcohol is the most British you could possibly describe being merry?
Who is “everyone else” in this story?
The only place I know that days Happy Christmas is the UK
In Australia, it’s merry
I’m from the UK, and I’ve always said merry.
I doubt it’s any more prevalent in a specific country and more likely specific to individual families and friends.
For example, i always thought it was an american thing to say happy christmas.
Definitely not an American thing. It’s ALL Merry over here.
My family always said happy, but we also say Gesundheit, so who knows
Either way, happy and merry Christmas to you :)
Happy Merry to you too!
In the US, it’s incredibly rare if not impossible to find someone who says “Happy Christmas.” It’s either “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Holidays.”
The song goes “We wish you a merry Christmas”, so that’ll always be there for as long as the song is popular.
Plus (also because of the song, I assume), you say “merry Christmas and a happy new year”, not “happy Christmas and a happy new year”. Too much happy there.
Insofar as there’s a distinction between the two, I feel like you’ve got it switched. Merriment would be a night out with drinks and friends, whereas deep happiness would be more like contentedness with your life choices. But they’re about the same. Plus “A Christmas Carol” uses Merry, and it’s like the ultimate Christmas story.
“Merry Christmas” is pretty much the only context I see my fellow Americans use the word “Merry” other than deliberately trying to sound upper class British.
Around here we wish you a homosexual Christmas
AKA: make the yule time gay.
Tradition, mostly.
Dickens used Merry Christmas in his Christmas Carol and the US used the greeting since the 19th century.
In the UK however, happy christmas is more common as the royals used that phrase.
There’s apparently no big thing behind it. Just the way language evolved with different influences in different regions.
am from uk. merry christmas is very much the common phrase here by a long shot
Agreed - it’s merry christmas and happy new year.
The only people I’ve personally known who exclusively say “Happy Christmas” are Irish. Are you Irish, OP?
We like to brag about our ability to still pronounce the R sound.
Similar to why Brits say Happy Christmas, honestly.
Lol no. You yanks can’t pronounce the R. The only real R is a rolling R. If your tongue is not tapping and vibrating against your palate you are not pronouncing an R.
Stupid comment. You’re referring to the Spanish R, or in a language with a similar R sound.
Imagine if a French or German person told you that their R is the only way to pronounce the R.
This kind of misguided gatekeeping is exhausting.
Dude it was a joke. The first comment was a joke, and the reply was a follow-up “no u” joke. I’m sorry you can’t read into subtext without /s
Also, Spanish R? Have you not heard of Scots? It’s called apical-alveolar trill, and I wish i could pronounce it better lol
Oh. Teehee. All good then. Happy holidays fellow lemming.
fingerguns.gif
If Americans aren’t pronouncing an R, then what letter are they pronouncing?
[ɹ]
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There’s a slight chance I could be convinced to accept the french R into the company of real R sounds, but I agree the rolling one is where it’s at. The American one is something special.
Canada says Merry Christmas even though we usually do British spelling and measurements.
Also, the north pole is either in Canada or Russia (not going to look it up) so we are probably correct.
The area around the north pole is just ice without any land underneath. It’s also not part of any nation.
Bah humbug
I think Merry Christmas is a harken to antiquated dialect, much like other religious phrases. Thou shalt not kill or Thy will be done or extra Ecclesiam nulla salus
Happy Chrimbo
Merry also means drunk - at least in common British English.
Therefore it is quite an easy state to attain either from the offy, or a few pubs tat are also open for a few hours in the afternoon.The vast majority of Americans don’t even know that ‘merriment’ is a word. They just know you’re supposed to say ‘Merry Christmas.’ That’s it.
AND IF YOU DONT SAY IT YOUR WOKE RAAAA
The great irony there being “happy holidays” is from the Old English (language, not malt liquor) for “happy holy days.”
The great irony being that Bing Crosby had a very famous song called “happy holidays” that is featured in the movie “holiday inn” and if you don’t like a Bing Crosby Christmas movie you’re a goddamn communist.
My woke did what?
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