Do You Say Thank You When Someone Says Merry Christmas?

When you visit a store or restaurant throughout the year, you grow accustomed to hearing people say have a nice day when your transaction is complete. When you visit people, they usually say something like see you next time or take it easy when you depart. But at the end of the year, those well-wishes begin to change.

It is not uncommon to hear many employees wish you a merry Christmas instead of something more generic during the holidays. Wishes for you to have a pleasant Christmas season begin to come from everywhere. If you grow weary of the same canned responses, you can change them. You can also say thank you when someone says Merry Christmas.

Do You Say Thank You When Someone Says Merry Christmas?

Thank you may be the most simple Merry Christmas answer that there is. Whether you celebrate the holiday or have some other festivities you take part in, saying thank you is a polite acknowledgment. It is inoffensive, easy, and all-inclusive. 

Your response to Merry Christmas can depend on a lot of things. Do you celebrate Christmas? Are you a religious person? Do you belong to a religion that celebrates something completely different this time of year? 

The best thing to remember is that your Merry Christmas reply should be respectful. Whether or not you celebrate the holiday, you should remember that the person wishing you well does not mean any offense by what they are saying. They are simply not looking at the holiday and the population as a whole to see how many different kinds of people there are around them.

How To Respond to Merry Christmas Eve

If you celebrate Christmas, if someone wishes you a Merry Christmas Eve, a simple acknowledgment of what they said and saying “Merry Christmas” or “a Merry Christmas Eve to you as well” will be adequate. 

The days of sending Christmas cards to our friends and family may have fallen away since emails and text messages came along. Many people like to put together an email to send out their family holiday pictures. You could also receive a text message with a holiday greeting from someone you haven’t heard from in a while.

If you get these types of greetings and ask yourself, “How do I respond to Merry Christmas”, you should remember that they took time out of their busy schedule to send it to you. If you do not celebrate Christmas, it would still be rude not to respond.

How to respond to a Merry Christmas text is up to you, as long as you respond with the same kindness it was given. A simple “Merry Christmas to you as well” is sufficient. If you want to point out that they are forgetting your beliefs you could send something like this:

“Happy Holidays to you as well. We don’t celebrate Christmas because we are Jewish, but I sincerely hope you have a wonderful season.”

With a message like that, they will realize that they made a judgment error and will try not to do it again so as not to insult anyone. They will also be appreciative that you were kind about it, and did not choose to embarrass them.

Your Response for Merry Christmas Wishes: Why Is It So Important?

Christmas is a time of year for goodwill and cheer. People who wish you a blessing during the holiday are not trying to insult you if you do not celebrate or if you belong to another religion. Here are some ideas of what you can say in response to a Christmas wish.

Responses for Family And Friends

If you have family and friends who send you messages or cards at Christmas, here are a few ideas to respond with to keep your greetings fresh.

“Happy Christmas”

Some people feel silly saying the word “merry” since we only use it today during Christmas. Merry is another word for happy, so feel free to wish people a happy Christmas.

“Ho Ho Ho”

It might feel silly to respond to a stranger by laughing like Santa. Many people will appreciate the levity, and enjoy the smiles that it brings.

“Have a Blessed Christmas”

Many people celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday. This greeting has the undertones of religion they may appreciate. Telling someone to have a blessed Christmas implies you are inviting a higher power to grant their blessing on the day on that person’s behalf.

Responses If You Aren’t Religious

If you aren’t religious, you may not celebrate Christmas at all. You might celebrate aspects of the holiday but prefer to leave some church-related aspects out of your observances. Here is how to respond when someone says Merry Christmas if you do not practice their religion.

“Happy Holidays”

Happy Holidays is one of the most popular responses this time of year. It is very inclusive of all the celebrations recognized this time of the year whether you are Christian, Jewish, or even Pagan. 

“Same To You”

It may sound somewhat dismissive to some, but it is still a polite response. It lets the person know that you heard their greeting and that you return the sentiment.

“Thank You”

Once again, you can not go wrong with a simple “thank you”. They know they were heard and that you are appreciative of the greeting. Thanking a person who wished you well lets them know you were pleased to be noticed.

Responses If You Practice Another Religion

If you belong to a religion other than Christianity, you can be inundated with religious imagery this time of year. Some people choose to get offended and lash out. However, once you realize there is no bad reason for someone to say “Merry Christmas” to you, there can be some opportunities for you to show the patience and compassion your faith teaches.

Be Kind

Most religions teach about kindness. This is no time for you to forget that lesson. While they may have mistakenly not been inclusive, it is a chance for you to show the best of what your religion is. Smile and respond with as much kindness as you can muster.

“Happy Holidays”

As said before, “happy holidays” is an inclusive greeting that means something different to many people. If you are Jewish or Muslim, the words Merry Christmas hold no meaning. However, wishing someone a happy holiday means you acknowledge they have a celebration that means something to them and hope they enjoy it.

Respond With Your Greeting

Some people like to let it be known that other holidays are celebrated, and they have the right to do so. Sometimes, what to say when someone says “Merry Christmas” is to respond by wishing them a greeting from your religion. You could respond with “Happy Chanukah”, which might create tension. But it could also open a discussion where they may learn about the differences in the people around them.

Just Be Gracious

As before, the person wishing you a Merry Christmas has no ill intentions behind it. Responding with a smile or saying “Thank You” is a polite way to respond.

How To Choose the Perfect Merry Christmas Answer for the Occasion

There really is no wrong answer to what to say when someone tells you Merry Christmas. A simple “thank you” is more than enough, but returning the wish by responding with “merry Christmas” is also acceptable. The truth is that as long as you aren’t a Scrooge and try to ruin someone’s holiday with your response, anything you say will be fine.

Key Takeaways

When someone wishes you a Merry Christmas, they do it out of the spirit of the season as they see it. They may get caught up in seeing Santa in every store and hearing the songs on the radio every day and forget that not everyone celebrates the way they do. 

However, hearing a “Merry Christmas” now and again should not insult us since we can respond with a “thank you” or use it as a teachable moment.

The next time you wonder what to say when someone tells you “Merry Christmas,” just say “thank you”.