Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays: What will entrepreneurs celebrate this December?

As the magical view of snow whites and silver set about, many Christian and non-Christian businessmen are wondering how to greet their customers this Christmas eve. With the growing number of people who denounce any kind of religious affiliations; it is rather difficult to come up with the perfect greeting. Especially now as it’s not just a matter of following the trends for entrepreneurs; they might seriously offend some of their client by offering religious greetings.

‘Holy’ Or ‘Commercial’ – Does it matter?

It clearly does now. How popular brands treat their customers to boost sales matters a lot to their business. The Public Religion Research Institute recently conducted a survey in collaboration with Religion News Service which reveals that a large number of Americans prefer to be greeted with a “Happy Holidays” or “Season’s Greetings” this winter than a “Merry Christmas”. They may enjoy the Christmas festivities but in essence they are more attracted to the commercial aspect of shopping then anything religious. For every one in four American adults, December 25 is just another cultural holiday and not a religious holy day.

Robert Jones, CEO of the institute, certainly see a growing tendency in that direction. For him, the change is of significant nature as the percentage of people who agree with Bible’s Christmas story has reduced about 17 per cent since a survey reported by Newsweek in 2004. Still, almost half of the people who do celebrate Christmas believe in the accuracy of virgin birth.

The ever-evolving religious and cultural landscapes in America require a term as generic as season’s greetings to be used by the sales personnel. For a nation celebrating a variety of holidays in a month; such as, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, etc. it is more like bigotry to wish Christmas only.

Your Preference!

As nearly half of the Americans from the 44% who showed a preference of a non-religious December greeting in 2010; we can only show appreciation to them by accepting their views to respect people of all faiths.

The gradual shift to a secular Christmas is the need of the time. It’s the only way people of all faiths can get along during this holiday season. So what’s your take on the matter? Give us your feedback in the comments below.