Why Merry Christmas not Happy Christmas

The Late Queen Elizabeth used to say "Happy Christmas or Very Happy Christmas". Many argue that it is a royal tradition in Britain to use happy instead of merry.

Today in America and else where in the world, people mostly say Merry Christmas. One can also use "A blessed Christmas".

A lot of people prefer Happy Holidays in order to be more inclusive, because not everybody observes Christmas. And also, starting with November 23, Thanksgiving in America, until January 7, Orthodox Christmas, there are many days of observance and bank holidays in different countries and paths of faith. Hence the happy holidays.

Queen Victoria's Christmas Greetings (1900) was probably the first broadcasted Christmas message in history when she preferred "A Joyous Christmas"

In fact, Christmas festivities and traditions were revamped during 64 years of Victorian era. Her beloved husband Albert was probably the first person to bring a Christmas tree to the Buckingham Palace. He was born in Germany, where Christmas tree tradition was as old as the times of Martin Luther, the reformist of 16th century.

Queen Victoria sent the first Christmas Card in history. The Penny Post opened during her reign and people began sending millions of card and letters just for one penny. The first Christmas Card in England featured a quote from Dickens, "We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year".

Charles Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol' was published in 1843. In his book, Dickens persistently used Merry Christmas / Happy New Year. Christmas was a frequent theme in the publications of Dickens. He probably re-invented Christmas in Britain after the end of Puritanism. Puritans, among others, refused 'so-called' pagan traditions in Christianity, including Christmas festivities. They even argued that it was just a continuation of the Roman Saturnalia carnivals.

Indeed, medieval Christmas festivities were about getting drunk and wild, just like the Romans had. That was merry-making for them.

The Spanish were the first to celebrate Christmas in America, which was more a Christ-mass, a religious ceremony. After the American Revolution, Christmas was seen as a British tradition and was banned. Decades later, Washington Irving re-invented Christmas after returning from his trip to England in 1815. He published many stories with Christmas theme featuring Santa Claus as the patron of Dutch Sailors who guided them to settle in Manhattan. The way Irving depicted Christmas reshaped the traditions as Christmas gradually became a family gathering, a period of peace, sharing and happiness, and for many, a spiritual necessity.

In Spanish (Feliz Navidad), Italian (Buon Natale) or Portuguese (Feliz Natal), the controversy of happy versus merry probably never existed.

Language is a living thing, meaning, usage and association of words evolve in time.

Happiness is broader. It is about joy, satisfaction, fulfilment. People have both positive and negative emotions. And when one says I am happy, it usually refers to having more positive feelings or things in life.

Happiness is a desire, an overarching desire when most if not all of other desires are fulfilled, one feels happy.

Happiness is an attitude, a strength that people can preserve even in difficult times.

For a Christian, true happiness can only be found in God.

'Happy Christmas' refers to all of the above as one celebrates the birthday of Christ.

Merry means happy and cheerful. It also means slightly drunk.

Before Merry Christmas, the Brits had Merry England (Merrie England). It was nostalgic, praising peasant life and old English traditions against the destructive and degrading effects of industrialization on the society, especially on the poor.

In the medieval times, merry-making belonged with the people.

After Dickens and Irving, and millions of newspapers and postcards, merry-making gained a God given meaning.

Today when we hear "Merry", we think of Christmas.

It is about gathering, exchanging gifts, sharing fun.

As customs are re-invented, so are the words. Perhaps the royals also change. King Charles just released his Merry Christmas video with a stunning line-up of actors.

Merry Christmas dear friends, and Happy New Year.