Merry Christmas: Retailers say trend of generic greetings ending

News & Record ^ | 12/13/10

[TigerLikesRooster]

Merry Christmas: Retailers say trend of generic greetings ending

Monday, December 13, 2010

(Updated 12:32 pm)

By The Fayetteville Observer

FAYETTEVILLE (MCT) — Five or six years ago, political correctness started making its way into the holiday greetings in retail marketing.

Being careful not to alienate non-Christian customers, some of the nation's top retailers opted for a more generic approach, replacing the traditional "Merry Christmas" with a more general "Season's greetings" and "Happy holidays." And forgoing "Christmas tree" for "holiday tree."

That advertising trend may be nearing an end.

"I think the pendulum is kind of swinging back now," said Anna Hodges Smith of Hodges Associates. "We were in a time period for awhile where people were so conscious of being politically correct and not offending anyone. We've had clients who insisted that they don't offend anybody. I think we're kind of shifting the other way now. People are like, 'I'm going to promote what I believe.' "

Hodges Smith said her advertising, marketing and public relations agency has been criticized by clients for using such nebulous terms as "Happy holidays" in their ad messages. Even, she said, when there was no intent to avoid the Christian religious belief.

[TigerLikesRooster]

Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth to all men God’s glory is in the highest heavens, but his high state is now found in the stable, what was lowly has now become sublime. God’s glory is on the earth, it is the glory of humility and love. And even more: the glory of God is peace. Wherever he is, there is peace. He is present wherever human beings do not attempt, apart from him, and even violently, to turn earth into heaven. He is with those of watchful hearts; with the humble and those who meet him at the level of his own "height", the height of humility and love. To these people he gives his peace, so that through them, peace can enter this world. Benedict XVI

[BigCinBigD]

I called in and made my car insurance payment the other day and the woman who answered the phone said “Happy Holidays” and I asked her which Holidays were those. She just transferred me.

[allmost]

Merry CrhistMass to you as well.

[Ev Reeman]

http://www.koco.com/r/26162860/detail.html?taf=okl

[indcons]

The liberal “controversy” over Christmas is manufactured, meaningless, and divisive. BTW, I am not a Christian - why should that prevent me from wishing you a Merry Christmas though?

Merry Christmas, FReeper brothers and sisters - may God bestow his mercy, love, and kindness on you and yours on this auspicious occasion.

[Ev Reeman]

I didn’t personally check it out! Up to you!

Subject: Fwd: Sears - Serious Message

Based on the below, let’s support Sears and their commitment to our troops.

Sears - Christmas shopping this year.

I know I needed this reminder, since Sears isn’t always my first choice. It’s amazing when you think of how long the war has lasted and Sears hasn’t withdrawn from their commitment. Could we each buy at least one thing at Sears this year?

How does Sears treat its employees who are called up for military duty? By law, they are required to hold their jobs open and available, but nothing more. Usually, people take a big pay cut and lose benefits as a result of being called up for active duty.

Sears is voluntarily paying the difference in salaries and maintaining all benefits, including medical insurance and bonus programs, for all called up reservist employees for up to two years.

I submit that Sears is an exemplary corporate citizen and should be recognized for its contribution. I suggest we all shop at Sears at least once, and be sure to find a manager to tell them why we are there so the company gets the positive reinforcement & feedback it well deserves.

Pass it on.

I decided to check this before I sent it forward. So I sent the following e-mail to the Sears Customer Service Department:

I received this e-mail and I would like to know if it is true. If it is, the internet may have just become one very good source of advertisement for your company. I know I would go out of my way to buy products from Sears instead of another store for a like item, even if it’s cheaper at that store.

This is their answer to my e-mail:

Dear Customer:

Thank you for contacting Sears.The information is factual. We appreciate your positive feedback.

Sears regards service to our country as one of greatest sacrifices our young men and women can make. We are happy to do our part to lessen the burden they bear at this time.

Bill Thorn
Sears Customer Care
webcenter@sears.com
1-800-349-4358

Please pass this on to all your friends. Sears needs to be recognized for this outstanding contribution and we need to show them as A mericans, we do appreciate what they are doing for our military!!!

It’s verified ! By Snopes.com at:

http://www.snopes.com/politics/military/sears.asp

____________________________________________________________

—
Samantha McHugh
NORYL Indirects
T: (518) 475-3569
M: (518) 423-2920
F: (866) 594-5721
E: samantha.mchugh@sabic-ip.com
1 Noryl Ave
Selkirk, NY 12158
www.sabic-ip.com

[Vendome]

Here’s the deal.

You retailers made the Commercial version of Christmas go huge and for nearly 100 years you had huge signs that shouted Merry Christmas.

Songs were written.

Moveis, play action, etc.

Then you became globull moralists and tried to nueter the meaning of Christmas and make it more generic. We tried to fight you and were deteremined to say “Merry Christmas” with the thought of we aren’t about to let the Commies take the Christ out of Christmas.

It is after all his birthday.

So after putting up with your schtick for so many years many of decided to forgo Commercial Christmas altogether and plan months in advance for celebrating Christ’s birth.

You still insisted on some generic holiday. Fine, you have your generic holiday.

There are some 250 million Christians in this nation and we ain’t having it anymore.

I went to the mall tonight and just didn’t feel like buying a thing. Personally, the place looked generic and it didn’t feel all that Christmasy.

I have loads of money and could have bought quite a few things but I wasn’t enticed by the store displays at all.

In fact, the dang’d place felt like a sauna. I and many other men were wiping the sweat from our foreheads and trying not to be irritated but finally my ADHD kicked in and I told the friend I was with she could stay but I couldn’t take the heat anymore.

If it was 80 degrees it must have been 85. Very uncomfortable and I hated being there.

Funny, my friend made the observation of how many people there were and how few actually had any bags full of shopping.

I said the place sucked and wasn’t coming back for anything except California Pizza Kitchen.

We left and upon exiting I enjoyed the cool air of the evening.

Felt more like Winter and Christmas.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.

[Ev Reeman]

And a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you also.

[cherry]

I make it a point to say "Merry Christmas" to everybody..especially the sales clerks because they put up with a lot of junk and are probably told not to say MC....

I also make it a point to send only religous themed Christmas cards...

[BigCinBigD]

Me to.

[Forward the Light Brigade]

Merry Christmas! and those who will not say it should be boycotted. Let them see how well they do with their atheist, Muslim, radical Jews and Liberal customers. Lets see how long they can stay in business. Tis the season to retake America!

[101voodoo]

Then you became global moralists

Wrong, they simply believed it would improve their bottom line to shun "Christmas" in favor of "Holiday". They would have as easily gone the other way if they believed it would positively effect the bottom line.

[AlexW]

“BTW, I am not a Christian - why should that prevent me from wishing you a Merry Christmas though?”

It should not bother you at all.
Growing up in Memphis, from 1944, I remember asking my parents why some of the greeting cards did not say Merry Christmas, only Happy Holidays.
They told me that it was from their Jewish friends, but it was no problem. It was just their custom.
The city still had the CHRISTMAS parade, and the Jewish respected it, as well as all the other Christian trapins
of Christmas.

If Christ had not been born, would there be any holiday at all?

[Vaduz]

I send a unsigned card to the PC rats I work with every year it says Season’s greetings you idiot SOB.It drives them nuts.

[pnh102]

I also make it a point to send only religous themed Christmas cards...

I love doing that. I even go out of my way to use Christmas-themed stamps.

[Caipirabob]

That is very cool. Thanks for posting that = interesting!

[raccoonradio]

“Why should we? Chri$tma$ has 2 s’s in it and they’re
both dollar signs.

“But Mr Scrooge, I think people forget whose birthday we’re celebrating...Christmas has a significance, a meaning!”

“A sales curve! Wake up Cratchit it’s later than you think.”

“I know, Mr. Scrooge. I know.”

—Green Chri$tma$, Stan Freberg

[kimmie7]

I’ll have a go at Sears today, thanks! Also, 3 folks at Olive Garden wished us Merry Christmas last night. Hubby, who isn’t usually a fan (likes it, but not crazy about it) left smiling and vowing to return during the season.

[Abin Sur]

I love doing that. I even go out of my way to use Christmas-themed stamps.

I work the counter at the post office, and I make it a point to simply respond in kind to whatever greeting the customer uses. If they say "Merry Christmas", I say "Merry Christmas" back to them. If they say "Happy Holidays", I say the same back.