I would not feel offended in any way if I lived in a Jewish country and they said "Happy Hanukah" a lot. It would be the culturally appropriate thing to do.
The United States is a melting pot of many different ethnicities, but mostly Christian ones. Does anyone know the percentage of people who celebrate Christmas in the United States? I would bet it's pretty high. Therefore it is not insensitive for retailers to say "Merry Christmas" especially when they are benefitting from this holiday.
* * *
Mary Christmas!
Jesus Joseph and Mary Christmas!!

Sigh! Read the above comments before posting. You've already been refuted.

http://www.essortment.com/all/christmaspagan_rece.htm
christmas trees were symbols of light and growth in the house at the darkest night of the year, the winter solstice. it was originally a pagan tradition that the church campaigned hard against. Nowadays the church has adopted it, and I just think theyre beautiful and smell good, not something to get all fussed about.

In my previous post I made a mistake. I wrote "a blasphemous mockery of Christianity by a Christian...". "A blasphemous mockery of Christianity by a non Christian..." is what I wanted to write.

I´m tired of us Christians being told how we should be tolerant and inclusive. How about others being tolerant to Christianity for a change?
Appologists of the "Happy Holidays" say that switching from Crhistmass to "holiday" is a way of being inclusive of other cultures. But there is not an "inclusive" festivity called Holiday in late December which gathers people of all creeds. Instead, Christians gather with other Chrstians to celebrate Christmass; Jews celebrate Hanukah with other Jews; heathens celebrate winter solstice, or Saturnalia, or whatever, with other heathens; and atheists stay home by themselves feeling sorry for themselves. However, it is only Christians who are deemed exclusive and intolerant for having a cellebration of their own.
"T" says that by substituting Christmass for holiday, retailers are just aknowlledging that there are other celebrations in the same time of the year in which Christmass happens. But it would be more precise to say that retailers aknowlledge every other cellebration but Christmass. They can still sell Hanukah and Kwanzaa stuff without tagging everything Christmass "holiday".
I´m afraid this "holiday" deal is more about an intolerant hatred towards Christianity than about being inclusive. If a Christian was to be offended because a Jew says "Happy Hanukah", he would be called intolerant. But if a Jew or more likely, an atheist, felt offended because a Christian says "Merry Christmass", the Christian would be called intolerant. A blaspehmous mockery of Christianity by a Christian would be called freedom of expression if not art; criticism by a Christian of a non Christian religon would be called intolerant, if not condemned as a hate crime.

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Thanks for letting us know that you didn't understand a thing that you read above.
Or maybe you just didn't want to.

While Jesus is the reason for the season where Christians are concerned, what's wrong with also recognizing other people's celebrations?
So Hanukkah isn't a super-important holiday on the Jewish calendar. Jews still celebrate it in December. Why not wish them good tidings?
Neo-pagans celebrate the solstice at almost the exact same time as Christmas. Maybe you don't approve of their religion, but maybe they don't like yours, either. We're all just people. Why not wish them a happy holiday too?
Kwanzaa is an ethnic celebration for African Americans. It might not be a religious holiday, but it's still a legitimate and cheerful celebration for those who choose to take part in it. Why not wish them well?
Listing every holiday that takes place in the winter would make for expensive signs. These businesses are just trying to be inclusive of more people. No one is taking Christ out of Christmas. They're just acknowledging that there are other celebrations this time of year, too. No one is taking anything out of anything. They're adding something. It's called diversity and it's a big part of what makes this country great. Are we so intolerant that we would ask a retailer to pick one holiday to the exclusion of all others?
The weather is cold enough. Let's show a little warmth.

I agree with you. I am black and even though I don't speak for all black people, to me Kwanzaa means nothing. Christmas represent my faith. If everyone is so against it then don't get the two weeks off. I feel that they shouldn't market it. I also feel that it gets worst every year... more people trying to purchase happiness and worth when it all doesn't matter in the end. Every Christmas my heart hardens even more. It almost makes me ashamed that I enjoyed and anticipated gifts as a child.. but I was a child. If I ever decide to have children we are going to give for Christmas... This Christmas I am going to bless someone, just as Christ has blessed us all with His life and His grace. I hope that the world will change its ways and seek the only person who can give you eternal life JESUS!!!! GOD BLESS AND MERRY CHRISTMAS... JESUS WILL ALWAYS BE THE REASON FOR THE SEASON!!

Nobody is taking Jesus out of the holidays, they're just including other holidays as well - it's not as if anybody is denying that Christmas is the largest holiday celebrated during the season.
I have a bridge you might be interested in.

Hmm. I'm not quite sure why you're all so worked up about this. Nobody is taking Jesus out of the holidays, they're just including other holidays as well - it's not as if anybody is denying that Christmas is the largest holiday celebrated during the season. It's true that one should be able to wish a merry Christmas on behalf of a company without getting in trouble, but that's not really the fault of the companies - rather people that are ready to sue at the drop of a pin, which is a problem that extends far beyond this situation and into all parts of culture via forced political correctness. Other than that, I see no reason why 'happy holidays' should be offensive - it includes Christmas just as it includes other holidays of the season.
And I'm not sure what your problem is with Kwanzaa - you're saying it presents being black as a religion? No more than black history month! It's not a religious holiday, just a celebration of heritage! Just because it occurs around the same time as some other religious holidays, does not mean it is one as well...I know many people who celebrate both Kwanzaa and another religious holiday of whatever religion they belong to.

Then be clear as to which part of the post you want me to 'back up'.
As for the tone, I was in a particularly bad mood last night, for which I apologize.
BUT, however, different history books disagree over the facts concerning the era of Yeshua's lifetime, and the motivations for the events therein.
What it has to do with Christmas, I stated in the first post, that everyone (myself included, looks like) gets to worked up in the whole debate, and it's not just companies telling people not to say "Merry Christmas", its also the companies DEMANDING you say "Merry Christmas" regardless of one's own religious beliefs.
Quote: "I don't object to someone wishing me Merry Christmas, despite the fact that it's the wrong time of the year, what I object to is some middle-management type telling me I HAVE to say it."
Even if I was still a practicing Baptist,I still would get pretty irked at that, because no-one in corporate America should be able to tell someone what their religious practices or observances should be. The problem goes both ways, folks.

Barry B: Please re-read Jimmy's original post and the above comments. You will find a refutation of your claims as to why the Church celebrates Christmas in December.
What the heck the rest of your rant has to do with Christmas I can't figure out.

Well, for the last 3,000+ years, the Jewish calendar has remained stable, unlike the Anno Domini calendar, which even the Catholic church admits is probably off by +/- 6 years. The Roman occupational government of Judea kept the Judean tax schedule, which was approximately one week after Passover. Why do you think there was no room at the infamous inn? Everyone was in Bethlehem paying or attesting to the tax officials.
The church moved the celebration to December because when the Roman missionaries went north into Europe, those horrible pagans just wouldn't give up their Yule celebrations.
As for my grandmother, I don't think I should have to back up anything about her, but hey, if you want to ask her, get a shovel, she passed on about four years ago.
As for Falwell, come on, the man started his career preaching against desegregation and anything else that threatened the pre-sixties status quo, then in the 80's railed at congress for placing sanctions against South Africa's Apartheid regime.During th Cuban Missile Crisis, he called for a mass conversion to Christianity, otherwise, he claimed, the "Godless Reds" would conquer America. Then when Jim Bakker had his scandal, he was one of the first in line to denounce Bakker, then bought out the PTL Club and the 700 Club shows, using them to bolster his own political power-base, which has been documented multiple times of funding various PAC's of jack Abramoff.
And to back up the final paragraph of my previous post, I'll let a far better man than me say it:
"Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God; that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship; that the legislative powers of the government reach actions only, and not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should `make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof," Thomas Jefferson, 1802.

Barry B: Would you care to try to back up *anything* that you posted?

My problem with it has always been its historical inaccuracy. Yeshua ben Ioseph (Jesus)wasn't born in December, he was born during tax-time, near passover. That is and always has been March, folks. So sorry that y'all feel oh-so persecuted for ignoring historical correctness, but c'mon, you practically OWN this country. Christianity in this country once meant a general live-and-let-live feeling, until way too many preachers began getting political aspirations, like the late Rev. Falwell and certain others. It wasn't until folks like him who wanted to completely tear-down the Freedom of Religion part of the Bill of Rights and make this country into a 'Christian' version of the Taliban that Christianity began getting a bad name here. My Grandmother was the prototypical real Christian, loving me despite our differences of faith. I don't object to someone wishing me Merry Christmas, despite the fact that it's the wrong time of the year, what I object to is some middle-management type telling me I HAVE to say it.
And I think this is the problem. We're ALL too caught up in this, so what was once a friendly holiday greeting has become a mini Holy War right here in the USA. This is supposed to be ONE NATION, but certain individuals have hoodwinked us into petty arguments about under whose God it should be. Folks whose real goals are temporal, worldly, political power, rather than spiritual empowerment. Because as long as we keep squabling amongst ourselves over minor stuff like this, we won't be watching them with thier hands in the political cookie-jar. It's supposed to be "Love thine enemy", not "hate the gays/jews/liberals" or whatever the televangelists are spewing this week. And as for Christmas itself? Me, I feel closer to my Creator near Easter, anyway.
Do I believe in Jesus Christ? That's no-one's business but mine. And it's none of my business if you do or don't. But if Yeshua was the messiah, I bet he's looking down at all of us, shaking his heads at this whole mess.

I've long thought that the Saudis, the Talaban, and all like them must believe that Islam is a very weak religion that can't stand up against other religions on a level playing field, which would be impossible for a religion that came from God, as they claim to believe that Islam does.

Whilst employed at a Saudi university, I and the rest of the staff, whether infidel or Moslem Arab, received an official circular forbidding us to wish anybody "Merry Christmas". This was on top of there being a universal prohibition on the sale of Christmas cakes with the word "Christmas" written on them in icing and the non-availability of greetings cards with the legend "Christmas greetings" and the like. Once I even had to teach on Christmas Day, which happened to fall on a Sunday to boot (Friday being the holy day in "God's own country/ the Golden Cage").
I become increasingly irked that Western countries, mainly Christian by culture if not always by conviction, are now masochistically compounding this outrageous intolerance by acting in similar fashion. In a way this is worse, because at least the Saudis do it out of faith, whether sincerely held or socially coerced, whereas the Western intolerance stems from pathologically exaggerated political correctness at best or grabbing commercialism at worst.
I should add in all fairness that few other Islamic countries behave in this fascist manner, and in some places in the Middle East, Christmas trees even appear in television studios, and Santa Claus (who really does not have much religious significance anyway) distributes goodies to eager young Arabs. I should also point out that some of my less hide-bound Saudi colleagues (shhh!)ignored the ban and did wish us "Merry Christmas" in any case.
I suppose I should really consider myself lucky, because, had we been in Afghanistan, the Taliban might have shot us for saying "Merry Christmas" in public.

Sorry, forgot the URL to Mark's post.
http://www.markshea.blogspot.com/2006_12_01_markshea_archive.html#116611119750997638
Sheesh.

Here is a recent post from Mark Shea's blog (actually an excerpt from one of his books) regarding Sol Invictus.
Guess what? Christians got there first. December 25th is a date related much more to the traditional Jewish method of dating the birth of prophets than to any pagan considerations.
Whodathunkit?

We discussed above the idea that the early Church "baptised" pagan feasts. As Jimmy pointed out, there is no contemporary source stating that that was going on, and that the early Fathers of the Church had a horror of paganism and would have been apoplectic if that were going on.

For further information on the Origins of Christmas:
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03724b.htm

Natalis Invicti. The well-known solar feast, however, of Natalis Invicti, celebrated on 25 December, has a strong claim on the responsibility for our December date. For the history of the solar cult, its position in the Roman Empire, and syncretism with Mithraism, see Cumont's epoch-making "Textes et Monuments" etc., I, ii, 4, 6, p. 355. Mommsen (Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum, 12, p. 338) has collected the evidence for the feast, which reached its climax of popularity under Aurelian in 274. Filippo del Torre in 1700 first saw its importance; it is marked, as has been said, without addition in Philocalus' Calendar. It would be impossible here even to outline the history of solar symbolism and language as applied to God, the Messiah, and Christ in Jewish or Chrisian canonical, patristic, or devotional works. Hymns and Christmas offices abound in instances; the texts are well arranged by Cumont (op. cit., addit. Note C, p. 355).
The earliest rapprochement of the births of Christ and the sun is in Cypr., "De pasch. Comp.", xix, "O quam præclare providentia ut illo die quo natus est Sol . . . nasceretur Christus." - "O, how wonderfully acted Providence that on that day on which that Sun was born . . . Christ should be born." - In the fourth century, Chrysostom, "del Solst. Et Æquin." (II, p. 118, ed. 1588), says: "Sed et dominus noster nascitur mense decembris . . . VIII Kal. Ian. . . . Sed et Invicti Natalem appelant. Quis utique tam invictus nisi dominus noster? . . . Vel quod dicant Solis esse natalem, ipse est Sol iustitiæ." - "But Our Lord, too, is born in the month of December . . . the eight before the calends of January [25 December] . . ., But they call it the 'Birthday of the Unconquered'. Who indeed is so unconquered as Our Lord . . .? Or, if they say that it is the birthday of the Sun, He is the Sun of Justice." Already Tertullian (Apol., 16; cf. Ad. Nat., I, 13; Orig. c. Cels., VIII, 67, etc) had to assert that Sol was not the Christians' God; Augustine (Tract xxxiv, in Joan. In P. L., XXXV, 1652) denounces the heretical indentification of Christ with Sol. Pope Leo I (Serm. xxxvii in nat. dom., VII, 4; xxii, II, 6 in P. L., LIV, 218 and 198) bitterly reproves solar survivals -- Christians, on the very doorstep of the Apostles' basilica, turn to adore the rising sun. Sun-worship has bequeathed features to modern popular worship in Armenia, where Chistians had once temporarily and externally conformed to the cult of the material sun (Cumont, op. cit., p. 356).
But even should a deliberate and legitimate "baptism" of a pagan feast be seen here no more than the transference of the date need be supposed. The "mountain-birth" of Mithra and Christ's in the "grotto" have nothing in common: Mithra's adoring shepherds (Cumont, op. cit., I, ii, 4, p. 304 sqq.) are rather borrowed from Christian sources than vice versa.

What about the linking of Christmas and the celebration of the soldier's god Mithras as Solis Invicti?
Unfortunately I cannot locate my 1903 English translation of Franz Cuzmont's
book - I'll keep looking - seem to recall Tertullian having something to say regarding the followers of Jesus and those of Mithras, plus other interesting quotes...
Sorry I can't be more informative - perhaps someone else has some info about this..
Who's not been returning those borrowed books??? Yikes!!!!!!!!!!!!
The lending library will now require a finger for every book taken out...once the book is returned, so will be the finger.

Sandrita: The whole point of Jimmy's post and many of the comments is the LACK of emphasis on JESUS, and the @#$%&* y-- attitude many secularists have for Him and His followers.

Real Christians would discourage the shop till you drop mania that consumes people this time of the year. Why aren't you advocating a boycott of all merchants?
Thank you for providing us with your definition of what a true Christian actually is!
Too bad most of the essential things I need in life requires the participation of merchants!

This whole battle of "Merry Christmas vrs. Happy Holidays" seems to be saying that if the merchants simply say the phrase "Merry Christmas", they'll get a stamp of approval so that Christians will shop in their stores. This is a sanctioning of MATERIALISM, which is the real religion of America. All one has to do is observe media-newspapers, tv, radio, internet, etc-to see what really matters in this country. There's no mention of spiritual matters in the ads and commercials. It's buy me, buy me, what are you going to give me? If people really believed in Christianity, they wouldn't need to fill themselves up with THINGS!!! Commercialism/Materialism is American's religion-a false religion that's leaving Americans empty and depressed. Real Christians would discourage the shop till you drop mania that consumes people this time of the year. Why aren't you advocating a boycott of all merchants?

I can see it now: Built. Lord. Tough.

Peter Is The Rock!!!!!!
Just like the Bob Seger's song in the Chevy truck commercials, "Like A Rock!"

Peter Is The Rock!!!!!!
I couldn't resist, mate.

Perhaps he has multiple personalities.

Excuse me, why are Mr. Jimmy D's posts multiple?

JESUS ROCKS!!!!!!

JESUS ROCKS!!!!!!

JESUS ROCKS!!!!!!

JESUS ROCKS!!!!!!

"...the date of Christmas seems to have been designed to replace these holidays." JRS, please look at Jimmy's above post on May 4, 2005 9:05AM: "Please cite some patristic sources saying this is what was going on." And: "These kinds of references simply aren't there. The early Church Fathers were rabidly anti-pagan and would have been apoplectic at the suggestion that they adopt pagan trappings in this manner."

Interesting story Esau.
Regarding "Jesus is the reason for the season", we have to admit that pagan solstice-related holidays (Saturnalia, Yule, etc.) preceded Christmas and the date of Christmas seems to have been designed to replace these holidays. Many of the customs surrounding Christmas and I think the general "Christmas spirit" come from these pre-Christian holidays. Other religions like Hinduism also have holidays around this time. In a way then you could say that the sun is the reason for the season.
On the other hand most of these traditions became specifically connected to Christianity before they were transfered to Jews celebrating Hanukah (which should be a very minor holiday for them) or stupid pagans trying to revive pre-Christian European religions.
Of course we Christians could say that the presence of such holidays in other religions and even the sybolism of the returning sun all point to Christ, but this is not a practical arguement to give to non-Christians.
Because of these complications I prefer the "keep Christ in Christmas" slogan to "Jesus is the reason for the season." Only a bigot would object to "Merry Christmas" being said in a predominantly Christian culture, but I can understand not liking people telling you Jesus is the reason for your winter holiday.

IT'S AMAZING THAT MUSLIMS MAKE FOR BETTER CATHOLICS THAN CATHOLICS THEMSELVES!
Benedict Groeschel: You and I were talking and you told me an anecdote about when they took the crucifixes down from the classroom walls at Boston College. I think this anecdote is a little bit long, but I think our audience would be very interested to hear it.
Peter Kreeft: Well, I was teaching comparative religions, and during the long break, there was a Jewish student and a Muslim student in the front row. The Jewish student noticed a faint cross painted on the wall behind me, so he asked me, "Is that supposed to be a cross?"
I started to explain that that's where the crucifix used to be, and another student, a Catholic, said "Oh, we took the crucifixes down last year."
"Why did you do take them down?"
"Oh, well, we didn't want to offend people."
"When did you take them down?"
"Well, let's see. 1979."
"Aha," said the Jewish student. "It was the Bundy money."
No one understood that, so he explained that President Carter's secretary of state, McGeorge Bundy, had brokered a deal by which federal money could go to private schools if and only if those schools were not sectarian, divisive, discriminatory... something like that. And - by coincidence - all 21 Jesuit colleges took down their crucifixes from their classrooms in the year following that decision. So when he explained that to the students, the students were rather scandalized, and one said, "Oh, no, we wouldn't do that for money."
And he said, "Of course you wouldn't, but I hope you got more than thirty pieces of silver this time." Rather wicked... some of them were so biblically illiterate that he had to explain to them that Judas Iscariot was the first Catholic bishop to accept a government grant.
But then the student said, "No, we did that to be ecumenical."
And then the Muslim chimed in.
"What is ecumenical?"
So the student said, "Oh, ecumenical means we think we're all equal, and we didn't want to discriminate against others, and offend outsiders."
And the Muslim said, "You mean people like me, and my friend the Jew?"
"Well, yes."
"Well, I am highly insulted."
"Why?"
"Well, you're treating me like a bigot."
"No, we hate bigotry."
"Let me explain. Suppose you came to my country. You enrolled in a Muslim university. Now we don't have pictures or images; we think that's idolatry, but when you are in a Muslim university, you know you are in a Muslim university. Who would object to a Muslim symbol in a Muslim university, except a bigot? Now you expect me to be offended by a Catholic symbol - the crucifix - in a Catholic university, so you are treating me like a bigot."
Everyone was thinking.
He didn't stop. He said to the students, "How many of you believe that Jesus is the Son of God?"
And most of them raised their hand.
He said, "Well, we Muslims don't believe that; the Koran says that's blasphemy, that's ridiculous, but we have a great devotion to Jesus. We hardly ever mention his name without saying, 'Blessed be he' or 'Blessed be his name' and we think he's one of the greatest men who ever lived, and he is a great prophet, and we love him and his mother Mary. And if we had pictures of him, we would never take them down, not for any money in the world. In fact," he said, and he was now waxing eloquent, "what if some soldiers came into our classroom and said, 'We demand that you take down this offensive picture of the prophet Jesus'? Every good Muslim would go in front of that picture and say, 'You will take down this picture of our beloved prophet Jesus over our dead bodies. We would be glad to be martyrs for him.' So I think we are better Christians than you are."

Right, Tim. I can't imagine anyone other than an anti-Christian bigot being offended by the words "Merry Christmas". It seems to me that the retailers who wish their customers "Happy Holidays" are afraid of offending the bigots. That offends me.

That is just so backward. It was the crass commercialism and overindulgence of the secular celebrations of Christmas that led some to remind people that "Jesus is the Reason for the Season". It was an attempt to call people back to a deeper appreciation of the holiday (that's "holy day").
Christmas is one thing, solstice or whatever is another. Jesus is THE reason for Christmas.
Merry Christmas has fallen out of favor in some circles out of sheer wrong-headed political correctness and religious intolerance

Do these "boycott the retailers" Christians realize that it their claim "Jesus is the Reason for the Season" message that has led to the avoidance of the greeting "Merry Christmas"?
Jesus is not the ONLY reason for the "SEASON"
Jesus may be the reason for YOUR celebrations, but Christians do NOT have a copyright on the season. The more you push the idea that the winter celebrations are reserved for Christians, the more secular pushback you are going to get.
Love you neighbors, support your retailers, and if you really need to support Christian retailers, find one...or open your own market.
Whether birth of the SON or birth of the SUN...the universal reasons for the season are:
*A celebration of NEW LIFE
*A turning point
*A time for introspection
*A time to rejoice for new beginnings
*A time to celebrate family and community
This season has been celebrated in many ways throughout history, in feast, festivities, charitable acts, shared by ALL. Why can't we keep it that way? We've never had ONE reason for the season, we don't need one.

As a Christian, my faith, including holidays, is neither created nor determined by businesses. I think it best to leave proclaiming Christ up to the Christians and proclaiming sales up to the retailers.

Went to a Sears store last night. Saw a "Happy Holidays" sign. Started to roll my eyes and say, "Here we go again", when I saw a "Feliz Navidad" sign next to it, then a "Merry Christmas" sign. We're making progress.

Are they still airing Sabrina the Teenaged Witch? [Shudder]
Anon,
Yes, Vegie Tales is simplistic and silly, but remember these are young children who are watching. You don't need to give them systematic theology. Yes, there are aspects of the faith that you won't find in Vegie Tales that should be taught to children, like the Eucharist for instance. That is because this is designed so that all Christians can benefit from it. It should not be the primary mode of catechesis, but it is excelent Christian children's entertainment.
I admit the Christmas special was disappointing. Probably the fact that it was designed to be broadcast on TV is to blame for that too. The movie about Jonah was much better, like their videos. Some videos are biblical reenactment, others teach moral lessons like how it is bad to lie, even when it seems like the "white lie" is insignificant.
Best of all they are written so that adults can enjoy them too, if they aren't too serious at least. My family still often to Walmart as Stuff-mart.

Anon: Veggie Tales usually retells Biblical stories, always quotes a Bible verse, and always ends each show with "God made you special and He loves you very much." Now that is simplistic, but you'll never see them telling kids that "God makes people homosexual and you need to accept that proclivity" like Touched by an Angel did. And, it's a good starting point to get kids thinking in terms of "Sunday morning values," as the show's motto states.
I don't like the fact that NBC has editted out God from these shows either, but the thing to keep in mind is that it's still better to show kids this stuff than say, Sabrina the teenaged witch. In the culture war, you have to start somewhere. At least the Big Idea people are trying to get a foothold.

Dude, if anyone's wishing you a "Special Solsticetime," you MAY have bigger problems than secularists. That would be a neo-pagan greeting (usually).
Also, I don't see answering a "happy holidays" greeting with a "and a Merry Christmas to you" as being some kind of assault, as alluded to earlier. Most people to whom I've responded to in this way and usually very happy to receive such an answer and, smiling, ususally respond, "Ah, Merry Christmas." And if there offended by His feastday, well, you can just remember that He still wants to be their Savior, too. They just don't know it ... yet.

>"I think irony might have been bill's point."
And it's a point well taken, either way.
Again, "Happy Holidays" and "Season's Greetings" are traditional Christian greetings and can, if not should, charitably be accepted as such without going into conniptions.
I could see getting annoyed at some conspicuously secularized contrivance, such as "Wonderful Winterfest" or "Special Solsticetime," but "Happy Holidays"?
I should have such problems.