Woman claims 'Merry Christmas' got her fired

Thank you!!! Couldn't have said it any better.

Who says Jesus was born in Summer?  Were you there?  Sorry, but I know they do not have snow over there, but Summer?  Why do you say he was born in the Summer?

Margaret-

Because the calendar that was used in that time was completely different from the one we use now and anthropologists, scientists, and geologists have studied the calendars and dated the birth of Jesus back to the summer. I believe that the correct month is actually August.

Where is your evidence that he was born in December? It is not stated in the Bible what month he was born in. Just as it was not stated that Easter happened in March or April whichever Sunday the calendar puts it on.

Very well said!

Who says Jesus was born in Summer?  Were you there?

Margaret ... actually, the Bible gives a very good clue that Jesus wasn't born in December.  It would have been too cold at that time of year for shepherds to have been in the fields at night.

Actually the easiest way to figure this out is to figure out when the people all had to travel to their home province to pay their taxes.  You know, the reason Mary and Joseph were going to Bethlehem in the first place.   And actually this time was around April. 

The reason Christmas is celebrated on December 25th is because early Christians were heavily persecuted for their beliefs, so they chose to celebrate the birth of Christ on the same day as a pagan Holiday that was already in existence so that their celebrations would not be noticed.   The holiday they picked was the winter solstice. 

The $0.50 SAT word for what you're all describing is "synchretism"-- basically a "mix and match" attempt to reconcile separate belief systems. In language, the same process is called "creolization".

More than just the time of the holidays and the particular traditional customs (the tree, the Yule log, carolling) were adopted by early Christianity-- Bob noted in the seed post the similarities between Christian doctrine and the Mithra cult, and a lot of the philosophical basis was adopted from Greek philosophy-- Augustine was a Neoplatonist, and Thomas Aquinas heavily influenced by Aristotle, for example. Some local deities were also adopted as "saints"--Brigid, in some interpretations, is an adoption of the Celtic goddess of the same name, an Irish goddess of poetry, fire and ironwork.

To the topic at hand-- I generally say "Happy Holidays" to people on the street, and wish "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Hannukah" or whichever (heck, even "Happy Festivus") if I know the person celebrates in a particular mode. In a professional situation, I leave it to company policy.

I agree with Abby. Personally I'm muslim. But I don't take offense with someone wishing me Happy Holidays. I have friends who are Christian, and guess what? I wish them a Merry Christmas. Not because I celebrate it, but because THEY do. So I want their holiday to be merry. Just like when Ramadan comes around. They invite me to their home to break my fast. Why? Not because they celebrate Ramadan, but because they care about me and are kind enough to think of me. If she was refusing to say Happy Holidays and be considerate of others, not to mention comply with company policy then she deserves to get fired!

Bob ... where are we in disagreement?  My comment was non-controversial.  I didn't indicate when or how Christmas came to be celebrated.

Barry, please do some research into the matter.  Christianity is an evolved religion, i.e. it has changed over time to work out most of the kinks.  There wasn't even a consensus that Jesus was divine until 325 A.D., when the council at Niceaea brought together early Christian leaders and a host of documents.  Basically a bunch of men sat around and decided what went into the Bible and what got thrown out, and took a democratic vote on what was "true" or "false".  Last time a I checked, truth is not a consensus matter.  :D  As far as Christmas goes, northern Europe was one of the last areas to Christianize, and there was a lot of flow-back and concessions made in order to complete the job.  In other words, its easier to re-interpret pagan holidays on paper than beat change into the barbarians.

All of this is irrelevant to the celebration of Christmas.

Exactly.  What about the employers rights, what about the customers rights?  

When someone says Merry Christmas to you, what right are you being deprived of?

Her boss asked her to say "Happy Holidays." If you fail to do what you are asked to do at work it is a case of insubordination. Plain and simple. You are paid to play by their rules. You don't like their rules, work elsewhere.

i agree, mystery. no matter your personal faith or belief, if you're being paid to do a job, do it right. if you have a problem with it, there are thousands of people willing to take your place.

smokified....dude, lighten up. it's xmas eve. happy holidays.

Smokified-

Christmas is the not the only holiday happening around the same time that is why people who are respectful of tohers say Happy Holidays. There is holidays and religious celebrations such as Kwanzaa and Hannuka (spelled that wrong) that are being celebrated at the same time. The only reason you should say Merry Christmas if ever at work is on Christmas or else in fact there is no need to say it since every other day is not that holiday.

It all boils down to if you do not answer the phone how you are asked then you are in fact asking to get fired.

SMOKIFIED4EVER:

Happy Yule!

No offense, just making a point.  Do you get it yet?

Seriously, though, since you identified your faith, Merry Christmas.

Because the actual holiday is called Christmas, why shouldn't anyone that wants to be able to say merry Christmas.

Sorry... WRONG.  The actual "holiday" since the beginning of Mankind was the Winter Solstice. It was celebrated by pagans and religious worldwide. In fact there are HUNDREDS of so-called deities who had "gods" who said to have been born of virgins (Virgo whose sign is a variant on the letter M which began the name of EVERY ONE of the so-called "virgins" INCLUDING Mary) on the 25th of Dec. Thing is... ALL of these "gods".. INCLUDING the Xtian Jesus were all mythical gods based on the Astrological Calendar.  The "son of god" is actually the SUN of god, the 12 "disciples" are actually the 12 Zodiacs of the astrological calendar, the 3 "wise men" are actually the 3 stars of Orion's Belt which Point to the "Star in the East"... SIRIUS...which directs the location of the NEW BIRTH... ie SUNRISE  of the new "son".. ie SUN that rises anew 3 days ( hence the myth of the being dead 3 days and then being resurrected ) after the beginning of the Solstice marking the DEATH  or END of the year and the BEGINNING of a new year.

That said....Xtians literally HIJACKED the holiday and have tried their damnedest to exclude everyone else from a holiday or celebration that belongs to EVERYONE.

Don't believe me ??   This will explain everything as clear as day.  Only an idiot would deny that the Jesus Myth is exclusive and "true" in any sense of the word when it is stolen/plagerized  in EVERY detail from HUNDREDS of identical stories which precede it by as many as 3-4 THOUSAND years. Make sure you watch all 3 parts.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjGkRFFBd0A

Why so much hostility Keep YOUR Religion out of MY Gov't ?

Keep your religion...

Sorry... WRONG.  The actual "holiday" since the beginning of Mankind was the Winter Solstice. It was celebrated by pagans and religious worldwide.

Who cares what it was then... it is Christmas today... so TODAY the holiday is Christmas... why would anyone be offended by having someone say Merry Christmas to them? It is a holiday... are you offended when someone says Happy Presidents Day?

Sorry... WRONG.  The actual "holiday" since the beginning of Mankind was the Winter Solstice. It was celebrated by pagans and religious worldwide.

Who cares what it was then... it is Christmas today... so TODAY the holiday is Christmas... why would anyone be offended by having someone say Merry Christmas to them?

As others have pointed out, Christians co-opted the holiday from the Pagans.  It seems hypocritical that they should be offended that the holiday is changing.

That said....Xtians literally HIJACKED the holiday and have tried their damnedest to exclude everyone else from a holiday or celebration that belongs to EVERYONE.

Don't believe me ??   This will explain everything as clear as day.  Only an idiot would deny that the Jesus Myth is exclusive and "true" in any sense of the word when it is stolen/plagerized  

 The above comment is childish and utterly ridiculous. In the modern world, Dec.25 is celebrated as the day of the birth of Christ. It wouldn't matter if Jesus was born on Mars and the winter holiday originated amongst the religions of Atlantis, in OUR world Christmas, Dec 25th, is a Christian holiday, as celebrated by Christians. 

People who do not wish to celebrate Christmas certainly shouldn't be forced to, but neither should Christians be forced to tolerate the incredibly childish and mean spirited insults of some atheists.

So, John, what do you say to someone you know isn't Christian and isn't atheist?  Those aren't the only 2 categories of faith, and some of the others you didn't mention have celebrations that include December 25th.  If you still say "Merry Christmas" and they're offended, what do you say to them then?

I say Happy Hannakuh. For Kwanzaa, I say "get serious". Kwanzaa was created as a specifically anti- western 'holiday' by a black nationalist racist Ron Karenga and is not a legitimate holiday.

but why do people have to get so offended if someone says happy holidays to them, geez you cant say anything these days

Those that don't want to celebrate Christmas doesn't have to, but it is called Christmas, so why shouldn't those that want to celebrate it as such be denied that right.

Whoa Trusty, wake up. This doesn't have anything to do with the right to celebrate a holiday and no one was denied the right to celebrate anything. It's about what greeting is appropriate for a business at Christmas time.

Erica- 96% of the US population celebrates Christmas, 77% identify themselves as Christian. so there is only 4% of the population that doesn't celebrate Christmas. Around this time of year Christmas is the main holiday that's happening, they are CHRISTMAS tree, not a holiday tree. I wish people a Merry Chirstmas, if they don't then i wish them a happy holidays (i only know of one person who doesn't celebrate Christmas)or Happy Hanukkah (the Jewish people i know also celebrate Christmas). But since the 4% of the population doesn't celebrate Christmas why should we oppress all the people who do celebrate it for those who don't? It's CHRISTMAS TIME, that's what a lot of charities set up for this time of year, so people can have a nice Christmas and other holidays.

Why can't we say Christmas? i still do, it's Christmas time and we're out of school and work for Christmas. I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas.

Whoa clare;  if the company that declared it was a Christian company and then fired her for saying merry Christmas, where is their justification for doing so?

Must have been their Political Correctness.

It's not about political corectness, it's about mutual respect.  As a Christian, it bothers me that any Christian feels it necessary to assume or demand anyone else listen to thier expression of personal religious choice.  I celebrate my faith with my church community, family and others with whom I share my common beliefs.  There is no need for me to spread my Christian beliefs at work or any public forum.  Whether this was the real cause for termination or not, it is wrong for her to bring it into the professional domain.

if the company that declared it was a Christian company and then fired her for saying merry Christmas, where is their justification for doing so?

The justification lies with its clients.

Patrick, thank you for this.

As a Christian, it bothers me that any Christian feels it necessary to assume or demand anyone else listen to thier expression of personal religious choice.  I celebrate my faith with my church community, family and others with whom I share my common beliefs.  There is no need for me to spread my Christian beliefs at work or any public forum.  Whether this was the real cause for termination or not, it is wrong for her to bring it into the professional domain.

Thank you Patrick. As a muslim I appreciate this. I have no issue wishing someone a Merry Christmas, it's their religion, their holiday, why shouldn't it be merry? But to have someone trying to impose it on me...that I don't like. I am grateful for those friends who wish me a Happy Ramadan, but don't expect it. nor do i try to inpose my views on them

Patrick...

As a Christian myself... I take no offense in happy holidays and I expect anyone I say Merry Christmas to, to also take no offense. They are both wishes of happiness. At the same time my calender says that tomorrow is Christmas not Holiday... so I will say Merry Christmas and I would expect that this expression can be taken by intelligent mature persons to be what it is which is a wish of happiness and not an imposition of my views. Are you kidding me... by saying Merry Christmas I am forcing my views on you... grow up!

happy kwansa......how is that you moron

Thisguy-

Actually if you are answering the phone at a business you do not have the right to answer it how you like, you answer the phone how the owner and managers want you to answer it. Just as at a business you cannot scream and yell at someone because you feel like it, you have to conduct yourself in accordance with the policies that have been established. If the policy says that you must answer the phone in a certain way you must obey it or risk being terminated. As long as the business is not asking you do something unlawful or harmful you must abide by it or risk your job. That is the difference between answering the phone at a business and at home

"Constitutional rights" apply to the actions of governments.  Her rights as an employee depend on applicable laws, if any. 

I think that a company has the right to determine how its employees answer company phone calls.  Forbidding her to say "Merry Christmas" is no more an infringement of her rights that preventing her from answering with, for instance, "we're more expensive that our competitors."

Not if you're on somebody else's clock! Then you greet people AS YOU'RE TOLD TO DO BY THE BOSS!

No, she does not have the right to answer the phone anyway she pleases. She has to do as her employer tells her to do not as she pleases. If the employer thinks that saying Happy Holidays is a more inclusive way of acknowledging the holidays, then she should follow his instructions or lose her job.

"This is America and we do have freedom of speech which is protected by the constitution. If this company did fire her because of her choice of words they broke here constitutional rights as an American citizen."

This is an example of how people misunderstand the constitutional right of free speech.
It simply means that the GOVERNMENT can't interfere with our free soeech and/or punish us for what we say; it has absolutely nothing to do with this situation.

Moxie, You don't work for someone else do you? Constitutional rights are not in the work place. Rember the people fired for having Obama bumper stickers. The company said "Your on our property, good bye". I would hope you were sticking up for the constitution then too!

At my work I have to sign a contract that I will not discuss, politics, regilion, or anything with a sexual conotation, or agism because I could offend a co-worker and create a hostile work enviroment for that other person. My work is very serious about it.

Moxie - When you are WORKING for someone else and they are PAYING you to do a JOB then you do what you are told to do. If this is not reasonable for this lady that got fired she can FIND ANOTHER JOB. Perhaps she should have thought about her family and her loss of income BEFORE she insisted on saying what she wants.

What we need is a mandatory "Know Your Constitution" short film to be played at the beginning of every movie in every theater all over this country from now until eternity. Maybe then the uneducated masses can understand what "freedom of speech" and "freedom of religion" really are.

I totally agree!  We are living in a very "close" and diverse country.  Obama has a web site and asks for suggestions; I suggested he spend some time on the internet talking to us all about our Constitution (since he taught it, he certainly is qualified!) and how it applies to us all, especially, when some of the issues that we are so divided on keep everyone upset and divided.  I am in my 60's and just took two law classes, one which was in Constitutional Law; I highly recommend people take a class or head for the library.  People are no longer living out on farms, etc. we are living closer together now, and we have just got to learn to have some respect for one another and obey the laws so that we can all live in peace and be safe. 

Anybody musically inclined?  I believe that if someone were to put the constitution and/or bill of rights to music, then it would surely be easier to remember.  How many lyrics to songs do you know?

Yes you are right, she does have the right to answer the phone however she would like IN HER HOME. But at work, she has to follow her employers innstructions, which were to answer the phone a certain way. They are not asking her to break the law, so she must follow instructions or get fired. A job is following your employers instructions. You dont follow, you dont have a job. Simple

mtpromises - I believe School House Rock did a series on the Constitution. Or am I just so old that I remember these things. :)

I can still remember the one on how a bill becomes law...

I'm just a bill,

Yes, I'm only a bill,

And i'm sitting here on Capitol Hill....

She was a telemarketer--thus she had "sold" her time and allegiance to the company for which she worked.  If she didn't want to follow their script, she should have resigned.  (The dateline is wrong--It's Panama City, Florida.  I watched the "breaking" story, and the woman is after her 15-minutes of fame--AND a few bucks from her former employer.)  Instead of resigning, however, she refused to do what she was hired to do (insubordination) and went running to a group of attorneys who contacted the employer with an offer to "make the lawsuit go away" for $25,000.  Read about it at Newsherald.com (the Panama City News Herald).

Many Christians claim to be the victim of something. It could be cloudy outside and the extreme Christians are offended.

abby-271462 as well as muslims, jews and so forth.  Why are they all persecuted?  There is no difference.  It is because of there religious beliefs, which should be allowed. 

But by only acknowledging one holiday then the same people are saying that others are not valid and not worthy of respect. So those people in fact are being disrespectful and crying foul.

Kgarcia - It's call a job you moron. If as your employer I want you to hop around on one leg, then you hop. Otherwise you don't get the money for your service. Don't like hopping for a living? Then find another job you idiot. I am amazed that there are people out there with IQs too low to understand such a simple precept of business. No one cares if your pathetic, nut job, religious sensibilities are offended. Here's the job, here's the pay, now just do it and shut the F up.

As a customer who is not a Christian, I am offended when you people push your Jesus crap off on me. I do not celebrate Christmas, and when you provide me with customer service I have the right to not have you throw it in my face. So keep it out of the workplace, chief.

I do not feel sorry for a Christian who is offended by having to say Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas.  Egad, they may actually have to acknowledge that this country is made up of more than just Christian.  Eeek, what a concept!

And God forbid that the non-christians should have to acknowledge that this country was founded by and based on Judaic/Christian beliefs and laws. Why should I change to make you fit in. If you don't like it go someplace else. I am sick and tired of being told I cannot practice as I believe because it may offend someone. If you are offended though, I'm offended by you too. If you want to do as your culture does fine, but either go back to where you came from or learn to live with other cultures, don't tell me I can't because you don't like it. I do not celebrate Hanukkah but I don't say you can't. I don't fast for Ramadan but if you do go ahead. I do keep Christmas and do not stop you from profitting off of it. So learn tolerance or go away.

It wasn't founded on Judeo-Christian beliefs and laws. It was founded to FREE PEOPLE FROM those things through a secular government.

*shakes head*

You can celebrate whatever religion you want to, on your own time. Nobody cares, and the government - THE GOVERNMENT - cannot make a law telling you what to believe, where to worship, etc. Your boss, however, can tell you how to answer the phone. You are free to get a job somewhere else if you don't like what they want you to say. Your boss isn't required to tailor your telephone greeting to your religious preference.

I am a Christian who is very tired of hearing other Christians speaking on behalf of Christians ... Kgarcia, it's not just "non-christian" groups that are offended, it is this Christian, too.  Religion does not belong in the workplace. Period.

I agree Patrick. 

So many Christians try to force the issue, as if to make those of other faiths acknowledge the superiority of the Christian religion.  You bring others into your faith by the way you act and behave, not by insulting them and belittling their faith by refusing to acknowledge it. 

I have been bothered for most of my life with the motto "In God We Trust" on our money.  It has only been put on our money since 1864.  It is not referred to in the Bible as "filthy lucre" for nothing, and Jesus told us to "give to Caesar what is Caesar's (money) and give to God what is God's(our souls)".  

As far as I am concerned putting God on our money is a sacrilege.  I feel obligated to wash my hands whenever I am required to handle coins or currency. 

just a point against people who say religion should not be in the work place at all then how come people cant say merry christmas but other relgigious groups can wear their relgious clothes even when the work place rules say smart casual and they can take extra time off that others cant to pray, as usual its one rule for one and another for the rest. basically i think you are stupid if you are going to get offended by someone ending a conversation with merry christmas, get over it, if someone said happy hunnaka (dont know spelling), or happy kwansa?? or anything else i would not be offended, get over it people.

Because headscarf(muslim woman), or kippah (for jewish men), is REQUIRED in the religion. As a Christian, you are NOT REQUIRED by your religion to wish a Merry Christmas to everyone.

Work and church like church and state should be separate. If religion is a twenty-four hour requirement then they should not expect to be hired or retained if they bring their religion onto the workplace after being hired. Time off should not be given for prayer. Unless, everyone in the workplace is given that same amount of time to do whatever it is they want to do. To do other wise is favortism. Special considerations should not be given for ones religion.

Margaret - the ESO would actually laugh you out of the office. Draw pay, do what da boss say....

radagast...

So this case isn't really about religion, it is about working well with others and being a team player.  Those are things you can be fired for being bad at. 

Spot on... she is just using religion to try and make a buck or to justify her inability to follow what her boss said to do. She should have been fired and that seems plain and clear to me.

Only if you are working at a company that has "at will employment" if your company does not function under "at will employment" as reason has to be given and a process has to be followed. The definition of "at will employment" is that the employee or employer can end the working relationship at any time without reason or explaination.

Abby, that is not true where I live.  If they give you a reason you are lucky to get one, and if they DO give you a reason, it is probably not the one for which you were really fired. 

Margaret-

As I stated "at will employment" means that they do not have to give you a reason for ending your employment. Just as you do not have to give a reason for leaving a job.

Only if you entered into an employment contract where you and your employer signed a contract that states you are guaranteed employment for a certain amount of time do they have to give a reason and then they also have to pay you the rest or a designated portion of your pay in accordance with the length of your contract.

So again as I stated before.."at will employment" means the employer can end your time at the company at any time without reasoning.

Otto,

Trying to work up some sympathy for you..........nope, it's not working.

Hdy, folks, looks like we caught one in the shallow pond already!

it is newsvine, Otto. ;)

And fwiw, I agree with you.

otto...

What are you doing fishing in the shallow pond... parents won't let you go to the adult pond? There is no reason one cannot insist on saying Merry Christmas... this lady can insist on it all day long but at work she needed to follow the rules. To call into question the depth of ones religion based on their strong desire to say Merry Christmas is nothing more than a red herring to cast doubt across the religious spectrum. Lame! I say Merry Christmas. I take no offense to someone saying Happy Holidays to me and I expect the same in return when I say Merry Christmas.

1: Your employer has to give reason for firing, your case for unemploment  benefits depends on it.

2: Interested to know how you think the Lord would have us to celebrate his birth. I personaly believe we give to express our love as He gave to express his.

3: Might want to ask the employer why they "insist" on "happy holidays" instead of Merry Christmas.

4: My calendar says Dec.25th is Christmas Day.  Not sure how many years left before society will not allow the celebration. So "Merry Christmas"

If she has to ask her employer why Happy Holidays is more appropriate, I'm not sure she is qualified to work. It's just plain common sense.

soupmom...

She must surely know why an employer would prefer Happy Holidays. She must also know that when you do not do what your boss tells you, you can be fired. If she didn't know these too things, why in the hell did they hire her?

Margaret-

Once again you seem to not be able to read...I said that "at will employment" means that the employer does not have to give a reason for termination. At will means that it can ended at any time for any reason. Look it up in labor laws.

Also, there are several holidays being celebrated at the exact same time of year. Kwannza and Hannuka (spelled that wrong) and if we are going to have a real logical fuss over saying "Merry Christmas" then the woman should only being saying it on the exact day. Seems from the story that she was saying it days before.

The Christian thing to do is to respect others and part of that respect is to acknowledge that others celebrate different holidays. Since many businesses like to make sure their customers are not offended they take on the "Happy Holidays" if any religious acknowledgement at all.

This woman is at work and just as with any job you have to follow what the employer says unless it is harmful or illegal. You are to follow policy. Insubordination is usually listed in every employee handbook and listed as being grounds for termination. This woman deserved to lose her job. One warning and continued insubordination means termination in any business that sticks to its policies.

Also any business that worries about respecting others makes sure that employees cannot harrass others, some people might take religious wishes as harrassment. That is a lawsuit waiting to happen from someone. If imposing religion on someone is ok then why isn't whistling at a co-workers ok?

Joe-

Actually the employer does not have to give YOU a reason, if the employee does file for unemployment the employer has to tell unemployment why he/she was terminated. When the terminated employee is interviewed for unemployment benefit termination they tell their account of what happened. Unemployment services then makes a decisions based on both statements.

Why should the employee ask why the employer wants her to answer the phone in a specific way? If that is what the employer insists on then follow it.

Would you ask why you answer the phone "Bob's Fish Hut, how may I help you?" instead of "Yo what's up, what do you want?"

Would you ask why you answer the phone "Bob's Fish Hut, how may I help you?" instead of "Yo what's up, what do you want?"

Great example!

Because not everyone that they might come in contact IS Christian?

Businesses typically do better by not displaying a particular religious belief, unless they are selling some paraphernalia that is used by a particular religious sect. I seriously doubt that a resort property management company is catering only to southern baptists or methodists or catholics. They probably would like anyone who has money to spend to become their customers.

It's just plain common sense. We need to get a little more of that here in the USA.

LOL!! Very well said, krebbs.

It was a pagan celebration well before it was ever a Christian holiday. I know you hate hearing that, but it's true.

 Kind of hard for some to wrap their minds around, like that Jesus would have celebrated Hanukkah as a child because, you know, he was a Jew.  Sad that some would be intollerant of the Jewish faith, especially if Christians are since we are so closely tied.

syd2008 question? Why are you telling someone to have a Merry christmas when they dont celebrate it? It's like saying enjoy your steak when they are eating lobster. Im muslim, and yes I wish someone a Merry Christmas if they are Christian, Happy Hannukah if they are jewish, Ramadan Mubarak if they are muslim. It's not about what you believe. It's what others believe, and being respectful of those beliefs. Believe me, if you truly have faith in God and your beliefs, being respectful of others beliefs doesn't take away from your faith in God. Only makes it stronger.

God Bless You......God Bless America

Merry Christmas to All

You TOLERATE African Kwanzaa, or Jewish Hanukkah?  You are the reason why these stories are written.  The INTOLERANCE of people like you to others who are different than you.  You are right.  This country was founded upon religious freedom.  That means ALL RELIGIONS!  And if you don't like that then I suggest you move somewhere else because the holidays like the AFRICAN KWANZAA and JEWISH HANUKKAH and even, dare I say, PAGAN YULE will continue to be and will be celebrated along with CHRISTIAN CHRISTMAS.

Ummm "under God" was added in 1952 not 1776.. but I will tolerate your error because I am tolerant of the mentally challanged.

HAPPY FESTIVUS!!!

And now for the airing of grievances...

Many businesses these days are competing in a global market.  I googled Religious rankings world wide.  The top four are Christianity 33%, Islam 21%, Agnostic 16% and Hinduism 14%.  While I'm not sure of the accuracy of the site, It would seem to me that if Islam, Agnostics and Hinduism taken collectively make up a larger percentage than Christianity, a business competing in a global market would be more inclusive by encouraging employess to say Happy Holidays.