Merry Christmas

Origins of Merry Christmas

The phrase was first found in a letter that experts believe was written by an English admiral in the late 17th century. In 1843, it was used in the first Christmas card, mass produced by John C. Horsley for Sir Henry Cole. The greeting read: “A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to You.”

The phrase gained popularity when it was used in Christmas stories. Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol uses the saying. The last line of Clement Moore’s poem, A Visit from St. Nicholas, includes the phrase "Merry Christmas." It was originally “Happy Christmas” but got changed after the use of “merry” became predominant in the United States.

Merry stands for happiness, and Christmas means "Christ’s mass" in early English. Sometimes Christmas is controversially shortened to Xmas. While some believe this is anti-Christian, others point to the “X” standing for “Chi” in Greek, which are three of the first four letters of Christmas.

A Controversial Holiday Greeting

Merry Christmas can be considered an inappropriate holiday greeting by some because of its Christian origins. People who celebrate Hanukah, Kwanza, and other non-Christian religions, or who have no chosen religion, may find the term offensive. In fact, some retailers have gone out of their way to keep from offending any of their non-Christian customers by banning the phrase.

Due to the controvery, other holiday phrases have become acceptable to use in place of Merry Christmas when sending out greetings. These include “Season’s Greetings,” “Happy Holidays,” “Holiday Greetings,” “Best Wishes,” and “Happy New Year.”

However, many non-Christians use the greeting and refer simply to the secular meaning of the phrase rather than the Christian origin.

Christmas Around the World

The phrase Merry Christmas is use throughout the world to impart holiday wishes. Knowing how to say the phrase in other languages can make your international friends and family feel special during this time of year.

Merry Christmas in languages around the world include:

• Danish—Gladelig Jul
• French—Joyeux Noel
• German—Froehliche Weihnachten
• Irish—Nollaig Shona Dhuit
• Korean—Sung Tan Chuk Ha
• Spanish—Feliz Navidad
• Welsh—Nadolig Llawen

More translations of the phrase can be found here. Some of the translations are not perfectly exact, as languages can vary in structure and form when translated.

Un-Merry Christmas

Not just the Grinch and Ebenezer Scrooge have unhappy holiday seasons. In fact, a lot of people become melancholy or depressed over the holidays. Sometimes the holidays remind people of lost loved ones, missed opportunities, or other life problems. Being unemployed or recently laid off can affect a person’s mood more during the Christmas season than at other times of the year.

If you believe that you or someone you care about are depressed, please seek out counseling. Group therapy, individual counseling, and sometimes medication can help. Providing a shoulder to lean on and getting a friend or family member out of the house to do non-holiday-related activities can also help during the Christmas season.