Can you say Merry Christmas after Christmas? I think not. It is more common to say We Wish You a Merry Christmas, because the stress of Christmas is too much for a family to bear alone.
This is a widely held belief, supported by statistics. For example, if you told someone just last week that they were about to be arrested for not having a car insurance policy, and you didn’t have one, the probability that the person would believe that you were joking is very small.
But if you told them that you had a policy, and that your name was John and that your wife was Paula, and that your son was born with a heart defect, and that your family had to make do with just about anything they could get their hands on, then the probability that the person would believe that you were joking would be very high.
So if you’re leaving a Happy Easter wish on the table, it’s a good idea to include a comma after the happy Easter, to separate the two holidays. Commas can make it more clear what holiday is being celebrated.
Thanks for sharing, Turtlez! This article was focused more on why the phrase uses the word “merry” synonymously with “happy.” Maybe the use of the word “merry” adds to the meaning? Or is it because it is a sentiment associated with a season that isn’t over yet?
I’m a food writer. Like many food writers, I publish in May or June. About 90% of the food I write about is already pre-packaged and ready to go. So when people ask what holiday dishes they can make ahead of time, it feels good to know that I did my part to make sure that everyone had a holiday meal.
This is a great post! “Happy Holidays” allows everybody to be included…When you’re leaving a message on a mobile device, you don’t know for certain that it’s going to be picked up by a cellular provider.
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My best to you.
Thanks for sharing. I hope this helps.
I know it makes sense in the vernacular, but I sometimes feel bad for people who are trying to be politically correct – especially since the goal of the politically correct is not always clear.
