In the US, there are multiple holidays people get together for. Halloween (to a lesser degree), Thanksgiving, Christmas (or Hanukkah), New Years. Extended families will often get together multiple times for these and then not see each other again until the next year. Thanksgiving really kicks off the retail season with black Friday, but there’s also a lot of time off during the winter time from school and work.
It really is a season with Christmas at the center of it. A lot of our “Christmas” songs don’t even mention Christmas. It’s just songs about winter.
It’s also somewhat inclusive of Lunar New Year and Diwali. More broadly, it’s a public recognition that not everyone celebrates Christmas to make it clear they’re accepting of diversity.
Maybe it’s the Canadian in me, but I don’t wish anyone a “Merry Christmas” unless maybe if I specifically know they celebrate Christmas; I almost always say “Happy Holidays!”
I think of it like there’s more than just Christmas being celebrated at the end of the year, so to include them all it’s easier to just say the holiday season
In a lot of countries (Northern Hemisphere) Summer is the holiday season, but that has never been my experience in the US. So it might not be as strange from that perspective.
deleted by creator
In the US, there are multiple holidays people get together for. Halloween (to a lesser degree), Thanksgiving, Christmas (or Hanukkah), New Years. Extended families will often get together multiple times for these and then not see each other again until the next year. Thanksgiving really kicks off the retail season with black Friday, but there’s also a lot of time off during the winter time from school and work.
It really is a season with Christmas at the center of it. A lot of our “Christmas” songs don’t even mention Christmas. It’s just songs about winter.
deleted by creator
It’s also somewhat inclusive of Lunar New Year and Diwali. More broadly, it’s a public recognition that not everyone celebrates Christmas to make it clear they’re accepting of diversity.
Maybe it’s the Canadian in me, but I don’t wish anyone a “Merry Christmas” unless maybe if I specifically know they celebrate Christmas; I almost always say “Happy Holidays!”
deleted by creator
When I was a kid, it wasn’t entirely uncommon to get a big gift during a random holiday get-together.
But I think “holidays” is more of a generic retail term used to get people to buy more and feel less limited.
deleted by creator
I had no idea. I think that pretty much explains the confusion then.
I think of it like there’s more than just Christmas being celebrated at the end of the year, so to include them all it’s easier to just say the holiday season
deleted by creator
Where I live we have a bunch of small holidays in the spring. Winter only has the one big one. Spring seems more the season for them
In a lot of countries (Northern Hemisphere) Summer is the holiday season, but that has never been my experience in the US. So it might not be as strange from that perspective.
It is courteous to other religions by not assuming everyone is Christian, and doesn’t hurt me at all, so why not?
deleted by creator