‘Merry Christmas’ will not offend most people, research shows

We would like to wish everyone a “Merry Christmas”.

This has nothing to do with the electoral vote, and everything to do with the popular vote.

According to the Pew Research Center, Christmas is not just a Christian holiday.

True, 96 percent of Christians celebrate the holiday. But so do 76 percent of Buddhists, 73 percent of Hindus and 32 percent of jews.

In all, 92 percent of Americans celebrate Christmas, including 81 percent of non-Christians.

Not everyone, of course, celebrates it as a religious holiday, only 51 percent. About 32 percent celebrate it as a cultural holiday. Many Chinese celebrate the more-commercial part of it.

Another good reason to say “Merry Christmas” is because it is so popular to say. In the research, 42 percent said they prefer “Merry Christmas” to 12 percent for “Happy Holidays.”

The best part of Christmas, the research says, is being with family and friends, at 86 percent. But that is down from when those adults were children, 91 percent.

Other traditional parts of Christmas also are on the decline: 69 percent said they went to church as a child, but only 54 percent do now. And Santa Claus is really falling in popularity: only 31 percent teach their children about Santa, compared with 72 percent when those adults were kids.

For those of you still not convinced you should say, “Merry Christmas,” we have another idea. Don’t take the lazy way out and just say, “Happy Holidays,” to encompass all of them. Give each holiday the individual respect they deserve.

Following are a number of other holidays that take place around Christmas.

Dec. 5, Krampusnacht, European alpine countries

Dec. 6, St. Nicholas Day, Christians

Dec. 8, Bodhi Day, Buddhism

Dec. 8, Feast of Immaculate Conception, Catholics

Dec. 12, Fiesta of our Lady of Guadalupe, Mexico

Dec. 12, Eid Milad UnNabi, Islam

Dec. 13, St. Lucia Day, Swedish

Dec. 16-24, Las Posadas, Mexico-Christians

Dec. 17-23, Saturnalia, Pagan

Dec. 21-22, Yule, Pagan

Dec. 21, Winter Solstice, Athiests