Discussion
another #british #english #vernacular quirk i just reckoned:
y’all in the UK say HAPPY christmas instead of MERRY christmas. am just wondering now, what do Canada, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand go with when there’s no USians around?
why HAPPY christmas? why do y’all don’t do MERRY christmases?
yes, am being a nosy ESOL dingbat 🤓
@blogdiva I’ve only heard “Merry Christmas” in Canada. Don’t know why we didn’t go with “Joyous Christmas” since that would match “Joyeux Noël”.
My mother thinks “merry” sounds more special since we use the word “happy” for so many things but merry is usually reserved for Christmas.
Given Canada’s similarities with the UK and our intertwining with the British monarchy I’m surprised we didn’t stick with “Happy Christmas” (I’m glad we didn’t). I guess we’re more “low-brow” 😂
@blogdiva
Heard Happy Holidays, Season's Greetings and Merry Christmas in Alberta
update: LMAO
❝ Across the pond, “Merry Christmas” was often seen as a little too low-brow, especially given its popularity in America. ❞
The scandalous reason Americans say 'Merry #Christmas' while Brits say 'Happy Christmas' - Upworthy - https://www.upworthy.com/merry-christmas-vs-happy-christmas
thank you Sarah @pussreboots for the link
https://sfba.social/@pussreboots/115794961513985901
@blogdiva @pussreboots Ok, so just here in the UK, checking my Xmas cards from neighbours, 5 of which clearly say 'Merry Xmas' and only one of which says 'Happy Xmas'. Perhaps we're all just a bunch of low-brow irrelevancies? Larger sample required, clearly.
@blogdiva @pussreboots Ok, so just here in the UK, checking my Xmas cards from neighbours, 5 of which clearly say 'Merry Xmas' and only one of which says 'Happy Xmas'. Perhaps we're all just a bunch of low-brow irrelevancies? Larger sample required, clearly.
@conniptions @pussreboots am just the messenger 🥺
@blogdiva you’re welcome.
@blogdiva Not sure it matters but I’ve always said “Happy Christmas” “Merry” just isn’t part of the day to day vernacular. “Are you merry?” Seems odd. “Are you happy?” Seems normal. “Are you happily marred?” v “are you merrily married?”
@pussreboots @blogdiva “The Victorians ruined everything” is a useful phrase.
@drahardja @pussreboots @blogdiva To be fair, Dec 25 in the Roman era fell after the Saturnalia festival, it was the birthday of the Unconquerable Sun. (Dies soleris invictus natal, iirc) Saturnalia had much in common with bacchanalia, in that the Romans threw a hella party. Constantine, best known for Constantinople, now Istanbul fame, formally made the 25th Jesus’s bday so as to suppress the Roman deities and celebrations.
Also, for anything which cannot be blamed on the Guardians of Pedophiles, the kakistocracy, billionaires, or CERN, we can safely blame the Victorians. And mosquitoes, obviously. Oh, and the Dutch East India Company. Definitely them.
@blogdiva I’ve noticed some occasional swapping, with North Americans sometimes saying Happy Christmas and Commonwealth citizens sometimes saying Merry Christmas.
Canuck here. Our family and friends say both.
@blogdiva Canadian here. I only hear Merry Christmas.
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