 |
| Photo taken in 2020: Sindhustan/Prabhash K Dutta |
Christmas was not a Christian festival when I was a kid in Siwan, Bihar. It was a holiday dedicated to Isa Maseeh. Later, I discovered he was Jesus and the founder of Christianity. Much later, I got to know that there are some who, born in Christian families, challenge the line that Jesus of Nazareth was the founder of Christianity.
History of everything has been re-written so many times that nobody could be sure what actually happened and how. It is mostly an article of faith. To me, I know that people believe to know that Jesus was the source of Christianity. And, Christmas is dedicated to Jesus to mark his birthday, though some argue that December 25 could not have been his real birthday. Article of faith.
Back in Siwan, we said Merry Christmas. It was not the time when we said Happy Diwali or Happy Holi or Happy Eid. Eid 'Mubarak' was told to Muslim friends, some of whom got upset if the words were not told to them for they said Holi Mubarak to others. It was a complex thing. It did not look like that back then. The ways of the world. Many streets criss-crossing with great fluidity constantly.
As an adult, perhaps during my college days, I shifted to Happy Christmas on my volition [omitted 'own' deliberately; if something is mine, do I need to superfluous (using as verb) it with 'own'?].
Many years later, I realised that the British royal message is Happy Christmas and not Merry Christmas. I was told that Merry Christmas is an American thing.
What do you do when you feel you have free time? My guess, you resolve issues that you have left unaddressed in your mind. I did the same once with Merry versus Happy for Christmas. Interesting things popped up.
Though I could not ascertain whether it was Happy or Merry Christmas more than 500-600 years ago. But I found write-ups quoting letters, cards and literature dating this period to indicate how Merry out-competed Happy to accompany Christmas.
But before I plagiarise those write-ups, here is a clarification. I don't remember if I ever looked for 'happy' and 'merry' in dictionaries. My understanding is based on perception that came with these sounds since childhood. Happy is in what we call heart. Merry is more in behaviour. These two words may have the same difference as Sanskrit-Hindi words 'aanand' and 'ullaas'.
The first reference to Merry Christmas is said to have been recorded in a postcard written by an English Catholic Bishop in 1534. His name was John Fisher. He wrote to then chief minister in the royal government of King Henry VIII -- Thomas Cromwell.
John Fisher wrote to Thomas Cromwell: "And this our Lord God send you a mery [merry] Christmas, and a comfortable, to your heart's desire."
A number of references has been made to a 16th century carol popular in England: "God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen".
This carol is said to have originated in South-West England. It was first published in its present form in 1760.
I found similar references hinting that Happy Christmas might have been more common form of expression before Merry made Christmas a mass/low-level celebration. Those making merry were picturised in words as dancing, lustful eating and playing games in a drunken state.
This argument has been extended to 20th century practice of the English royal family. They wish Happy Christmas not Merry Christmas.
Year 1843 appeared in my search as the watershed moment for Merry Christmas as an expression of greetings on Christmas.
Somebody called Sir Henry Cole sent a Christmas card to someone. He wrote on the card: "A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to You."
I don't know how much influence Cole had on English society and colonial people in faraway lands. But another source is certainly influential. He was Charles Dickens. His 'A Christmas Carol' was published in 1843. His characters said 'Merry Christmas' 21 times in the Carol.
Finally, the royal English connection. King George V was the first in the English royalty to put out a Christmas message. The year was 1932. He wished his subjects a “Happy Christmas”. Queen Elizabeth II has continued to wish her subjects "Happy Christmas". Remember merry is for the masses and happy for the classes!
Then came the American influence. America does many a thing that contrast the English. They picked Merry over Happy on Christmas. I found one Australian woman who identified self as Teresa, born in 1944, saying: [please read a little longish quote]
“I have always said ‘Happy Christmas’. Nobody in my family of origin ever said ‘Merry Christmas’. Not my grandparents, uncles and aunts, or cousins either. I was born in Australia in 1944 and I don’t think I ever heard the term ‘Merry Christmas’ until much, much later in my life.”
“I always associated it with Americans - I don’t know if that was a correct assumption or not. These days everyone around me says ‘Merry Christmas’ but I still say ‘Happy Christmas’.”
“My grandchildren think it’s hilarious and a bit weird. ‘Merry Christmas’ makes me think of drunken revellers ‘making merry’ - a not very appealing picture to my mind. Call me old fashioned if you like, but I’m going to continue saying ‘Happy Christmas’.”
Australia was an English colony.
That's all on Merry versus Happy Christmas. But before I put the final full stop here, two more things that I found.
1. Christmas used to be a 12-day festivity of revelry during/till what is called the Middle Ages.
2. Celebrating Christmas was banned in 17th century in many countries. It was not a holiday. Puritans in the UK and America banned it considering licentious and a hangover of the pagan practice not approved by Bible. It made a comeback in the 19th century with Merry Christmas and one-day holiday that launched a series of season's greetings extending up to the New Year day.
So, as one person wrote somewhere: Happy Merry Christmas!
