If you do any shopping in the month of December, there's a good chance that most people on the other side of the counter will wish you "Happy Holidays". Here are a few reasons why they didn't just say "Merry Christmas".
- Christmas is a religious holiday and not everyone practices a religion where that day is recognized as being monumental. Not everyone practices religion.
- A week after Christmas is another holiday, New Years Day. In essence, they're killing two birds with one stone. After all, they may not see you in between Christmas and New Years Day.
- The employee does not know you, your lifestyle, your religion and likely, not even your name. It's best to keep their good-natured wishes on a politically correct level.
Why?
I have respect for people that may not do the same things as me. There is only one me and there is a whole planet of other people. I'm outnumbered. To think that there is another single soul out there who does everything just like me and believes in all the same things is not only preposterous, it's scary.
In closing, when someone hands you a receipt and wishes you a happy holiday season, just return the sentiment and go about your life.
It's the most wonderful time of the year, so don't be a dick.
When I was in retail I used to enjoy wishing people a Happy Holiday (or reciprocate whatever they would say, like Merry Christmas etc) and then turn to a coworker while they were still in earshot and say something like "These Earth customs are so quaint, don't you think?" or "Human's are so strange, amirite 7684325?" But I also used to make women perform tricks for coupons when I was in retail. So I'm probably a bad example.
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I wrote this long set of rules last year. Damn I'm insufferable.
ReplyDeleteNow that we are in December, I expect to see some posts wishing me happiness in regards to various holidays. Thank you on advance. This month is often referred to as a holiday season because there are lots of holidays in it. This is not a slight against the holiday or holidays that you prefer.
Any expression of good will is a message that assumes both a speaker and a recipient/listener. A few guidelines:
1. A speaker can wish good tidings or happiness as related to the speaker's preferred holiday regardless of what holiday the recipient participates in because it is nice to wish happiness and peace to others.
2. A speaker can wish good tidings or happiness to the listener's preferred holiday regardless of what holiday the speaker participates in because it is nice to recognize the traditions of friends, family, co-workers, etc.
3. A speaker can wish happy holidays to anyone they want because a) only the most boring among us don't celebrate at least two holidays during this season and b) this in no way is a slight to the single preferred holiday that a listener may practice but the speaker may have no way of knowing about you.
4. A listener can accept the benevolence of the speaker wishing them happiness or peace in regards to the speakers holiday because the speaker is being nice (unless they are clearly trying to assert cultural superiority in which case the listen should thank them, be a bigger person and quietly mull over in their mind what makes a bitter person culturally superior?)
5. A listener can accept the benevolence of a speaker wishing the listener happiness in regards to the listener's preferred holiday because clearly the speaker went out of his or her way to know about the listener. This is nice.
6. A listener can accept the benevolence of any speaker wishing them happy holidays because there are a lot of holidays in this month. This is particularly important to note if this happens on a day that is not in fact your holiday and the speaker doesn't know you but merely is involved in a commercial transaction that you initiated.