Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays?

People love getting worked up over the War on Christmas. It's the debate that's raged on to nausea: should we say "Merry Christmas" or should we say "Happy Holidays?"

When I was a kid, this debate didn't exist. Everyone, regardless of race, nationality or creed said "Merry Christmas." So then why has the phrase "Happy Holidays" become so popular and such a topic of debate? The simple answer, other than that the world we live in has become ridiculously politically correct, is that Christmas has become less of a Christian holiday and more of a generic cultural holiday.  Christmas is celebrated by many non-Christians and as the years have passed, the religious meanings behind this holiday have faded away, even to some who call themselves Christian.

I say "Merry Christmas" because Christmas is the holiday that I celebrate. If I celebrated say Hanukkah, then I'd most definitely greet my friends with "Happy Hanukkah." If I celebrated Festivus, I'd greet my friends with "Happy Festivus" (which is a bit of an oxymoron, isn't it?).  Christmas is more to me than a day when a fat guy in a red suit squeezes down chimneys and drops off presents, however I refuse to force my beliefs down another person's throat.   I'm not offended when someone greets me with "Happy Holidays"  and I'd hope that those I say "Merry Christmas" to wouldn't take it as me trying proving a point or be malicious, but rather me greeting them with the name of the holiday I celebrate. That's not always the way it works out though, is it?

Two-thirds of Americans say they prefer "Merry Christmas" to "Happy Holidays." How about you?