Why do people say "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas" in December when the holiday the vast majority of people celebrate is Christmas during the month, in the United States?

Happy Holidays is a phrase written on public billboards and in the media. Most people say Merry Christmas in conversations with familiar and strange people alike, without actually knowing if you even celebrate it.

Whichever. If someone gets offended because you're using certain words to convey a sentiment of well wishes, that's their problem.

Simply stated, the more general greeting of "Happy Holidays" is used by persons who might observe of one particular December holiday (Christmas or otherwise) out of respect for those who might not specifically celebrate that same holiday (even if in the minority).    That being said, however, the use of "Happy Holidays" seems more common than "Merry Christmas" only in certain areas of the United States (mostly high-population urban areas or areas particularly multicultural), with "Merry Christmas" still being more widely used overall (especially in smaller cities and rural communities).    Personally, I use both, separately or together, as the situation warrants.  (-:

It's aliterative, for one thing. For me, that's reason enough. And the only people who really object to it, in my opinion should a: get bad service (Since they hate Boxing Day) and should have a lousy new year (Since they hate New Years). There are countless other holidays and observances you hate when you "hate" Happy Holidays. Actually hating Epiphany is a bit ironic, since it celebrates Jesus coming to save the gentiles (which may be the second dumbest thing he did).

They are interchangeable. Christmas is the Christian Holy Day. Happy Holidays is someone wishing you joy on whatever your Holy Day is. If that offends you, you are the problem. Same thing if you get offended that people profess their joy for their Holy Day. It does not affect you in any way, you affect yourself.

The American Constitution forbids an official religion. Americans make a point of acknowledging key points of our national secularism, as do France, Turkey, and Mexico in their own ways. Britain may be more secular than the US in many ways, but is less officially secularist.

The greeting we choose to give should be the most respectful of the person to whom we are giving it. Relationships are built on trust and respect.  I do not dishonor myself by wishing someone the appropriate holiday greeting. If you do not know them well, then offer the greeting which feels most natural and comfortable. For instance, usIng a different example,  I am not Hindu, but I have no issue wishing my Hindu friends Happy Diwali. This demonstrates an open mind and heart. The greeting is to honor the other person and not ourselves.

People say "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas" because our campaign to secularize Xmas is effective and making great progress. We've been quite good at adding Santa songs to the holiday canon, displacing more faith-based choral numbers. Gift giving and shopping for gifts has been an effective distraction from more dogmatic rituals like advent calendars. We even managed to borrow wild, lascivious, and drunken celebrations from Saturnalia  and for "xmas" office parties. Movies and television are effectively reprogrammed, from morality plays that end in soulful redemption to romantic comedies that end in dates, kisses, weddings, and the promise of erotic pleasure. The travel and telecom industries play their part so effectively that those who cannot be with or talk to family suffer from anxiety, depression and other affective disorders, often leading to suicide or murder. Frankly, there's only so much attention and cognition a person can devote to any given topic. We've worked hard to push activities and memes that shift this celebration from the miraculous human embodiment of an abstract god tied to religious institutions to a generally heartwarming, sickly sweet, and occasionally erotic celebration grounded in social interaction, commerce and content-free traditions. Thank you for your support. And a Happy Holidays to one and all.

According to my thoughts, people use "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas" because so many festivals occurs in this month, such as Hanukkah, Solstices, Yule, Christmas, New Years Day, Boxing Day and others. So, it is not practical to ask someone which festival are you going to celebrate? Instead of this, many people greet by saying just "Happy Holidays" to express his feelings for all the festivals occurs in the month of December. Source: http://christmasbhai.com/info/people-say-happy-holidays-instead-of-merry-christmas-in-december-in-the-united-states/