Christmas 2022: Why Do People Say Merry Christmas and Not Happy Christmas? History and Origin

MERRY CHRISTMAS 2022: ‘Tis the season of happiness and celebrations. The year-end festivities kickstart on December 24, with people decorating their homes, preparing delicious platters and attending parties. December 25 marks the birth of Jesus Christ and is celebrated all over the world with utmost pomp and fervor. As the day nears, poeple start greeting each other with the phrase “Merry Christmas”. But have you ever wondered why we say “Merry” instead of “Happy”?

The reason behind the use of this phrase is that “Happy” is used for birthdays, anniversaries, holidays and new year. But the use of “Merry” for Christmas is because of the traditional saying that has been continued for centuries. There have been many theories as well.

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One of the theories is that “Happy Christmas” became associated with the higher class, as “Merry Christmas” had the rowdiness of those from the humble parts of society. The Royal Family adopted “Happy Christmas” and others followed suit. The late monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, used to wish the citizens a “Happy Christmas” in her annual broadcast. Many believed that she associated “merry” with boisterousness and intoxication.

Historically speaking, in a dated letter from 1534 from bishop John Fisher to Henry VIII’s Chief Minister Thomas Cromwell, the phrase used was Merry Christmas. The popular English Carol, “We wish you a Merry Christmas” was also introduced in the 1500s.

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Furthermore, historians also believed that religious leaders in Great Britain encouraged the Christians to be ‘happy’ instead of “merry”.

The famous English Carol also finds its place in the Charles Dickens novel ‘A Christmas Carol’ in 1843, which popularised the term “Merry Christmas”. During that same time, Christmas cards too started using the same term. Gradually, over the course of time, “merry” became more popular. Now, the mere mention of the word automatically makes us think of Christmas celebrations.

Soon, “Merry Christmas” got widely accepted in the United States of America, while people in the United Kingdom still prefer “Happy Christmas”.

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