Business 101: Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays?
Posted on December 2nd, 2008
Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock these past couple of weeks, you’ve surely noticed that all kinds of holiday decorations are being put up just about everywhere. Whether you’re going out to Starbucks for a coffee or looking to grab a book at Chapters, you’ll be inundated with all sorts of garland, decorated trees, and other adornments. I’d imagine that if you have your own business, you may feel inclined to get in the festive spirit as well.
And this is where political correctness could run you into a bit of a snag. Generally speaking, most companies err on the side of caution and avoid any mention of any “religious” or culture-specific references. Instead of images of Santa Claus, they may just go with reindeer and snowflakes. These are much more neutral and much more universal. Even if you don’t go so far as to erect a nativity scene, there are some people out there who may be offended by other Christmas imagery. Should you be concerned? How far should this go?
Going to most stores in the mall, you’ll find signage that say things like “Happy Holidays” and “Seasons Greetings”, rather than “Merry Christmas.” In general, culture-specific shops can get away with culture-specific phrases. For example, a food store that specializes in kosher foods can probably put up Happy Hanukkah signs without a hitch, but a culture-neutral store like Future Shop may avoid that.
The issue of “Christmas” will continue to spark debate for many generations to come, because there really is no “right” answer. What are your thoughts? Do you decorate your business with “Christmas” adornments or just “holiday” or “festive” themed ones? You can probably guess BlueFur’s stance on this matter, based on our creation and support of XmasRadio.ca.
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2 Comments
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I think people are too PC these days. The term Merry Christmas has morphed over the years too mean basically Happy Holidays and Season’s Greetings. As a child I remember Merry Christmas was the norm, I don’t know if that is still the case in schools today.
It is definitely a hot button item for businesses as they don’t want to offend anyone. So for purely business purposes I guess Happy Holidays is more inclusive.
To me it doesn’t matter, I celebrate Festivus lol.
Have you taken out the aluminum pole yet? Any thoughts regarding the Airing of Grievances?