I happened to get a quick bite of lunch at our local McDonald’s this afternoon, and the lady at the drive thru window handed me my bag and wished me a Merry Christmas. And do you know what I, a secular, liberal, godless heathen said? I wished her a Merry Christmas right back, just like I always do.
I’m still waiting for the crack investigative reporting team from Fox News to show up and investigate this mysterious cultural anomaly.
Turns out it doesn’t count unless you weaponize the greeting by prefacing it with, “I’m going to be politically incorrect and say…”.
I wished her a Merry Christmas right back, just like I always do.
My usual holiday strategy is to say “BACK ATCHA!” in response to pretty much anything.
“God bless you!” BACK ATCHA
“May Cthulhu eat you first!” BACK ATCHA
“Happy holidays” BACK ATCHA
“May the zen woo woo fluffle woo recycle you soon!” BACK ATCHA!
“Hey you want some pizza?” BACK ATCHA
Ok there are a few places it fails, like when talking to a cop, “Do you have any idea how fast you were driving?” BACK ATCHA!!!
I have no problem with wishing people a merry christmas.
It’s just a phatic expression.
I’ll happily wish someone a merry christmas if I know they celebrate christmas. I’m basically wishing them a fun time – whatever they want to call it.
I’m the family atheist, and I’m giving the deeply religious members of my man’s family yummy things in lovely manger-scene gift boxes because I know they’ll like that. I don’t have a problem with it. I know that axial tilt is the reason for the season 😉
It’s the reindeer meat they put in the burgers at this time of year that makes it all merry. That, and the fries made in rendered reindeer fat. Just don’t ask about where those rib-thingies come from.
Now, let’s all go and spread some Christmas Cheer like Mr Garrison does…