By Ann Marie Foley - 17 December, 2015
Half of Americans, including Christians, think shops and other businesses should replace ‘Merry Christmas’ with more secular greetings such as ‘Happy Holidays’ or ‘Season’s Greetings’ so they will not offend people, a study has shown.
According to the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) in America, 50% of Catholics favour the secular greetings and 44% want to keep the religious greeting.
White Evangelical Protestants were the largest grouping with 62% insisting that the religious element to the Christmas greeting be retained and 29% were against.
Using data from an earlier study in 2013, the PRRI also found that 90% of Americans celebrate Christmas, though 42% do so in a strongly religious way.
Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) in America
Some 59% say they will attend a religious service on Christmas Eve or Day.
When it comes to reading the Christmas story in the Bible this season, 36% of Americans will do so. However, for white Evangelical Protestants, the figure rises to 68%.
The issue came to the fore earlier in the year when Starbucks revealed this year’s Christmas cup was to be plain red and make no reference to Christmas or display any of the typical symbols of Christmas.
In the UK, Conservative MPs said that this was “political correctness gone mad”.
Sir David Amess told Brietbart London, “What is Christmas about? It’s CHRIST-Mass.”
In previous years, Starbucks created designs that featured snowmen, stars, and other symbols.
The global coffee company used to herald Christmas by changing the cup from white colour to red and used it as a marketing occasion.
Commentators such as Raheem Kassam, Brietbart London, stated that the stars in 2009 were very distinctly Christmas but the company has since then slowly moved away from Christmas and Christian iconography.
In response to the many comments about its plain red cup, Starbucks stated that their stores have “become a place of sanctuary during the holidays” and they are “embracing the simplicity and the quietness of it, and the move is a “more open way to usher in the holiday.”
Starbucks is not the only company or public body to shun Christmas symbols.
Joanna Piacenza of PRRI wrote that the issue comes up every year and has now become known as the “War on Christmas” debate.
She highlighted how it has been reported that the University of Tennessee has caused a storm after it issued a warning to students not to host Christmas parties as they might cause offence to non-Christians.
In a university circular to staff and students they were advised to use “holiday” parties and celebrations to celebrate and build upon workplace relationships and team morale with “no emphasis on religion or culture”.
They were urged to have New Year’s party instead with décor and food from multiple religions and cultures and to use the party as opportunity to “reinvigorate individuals for the New Year’s goals and priorities.”
After a storm of protest the circular was withdrawn.
