Why Do The British Say Happy Christmas

Monday, April 13, 2020

Why Do The British Say Happy Christmas

Queen elizabeth ii is said to prefer happy christmas for this reason. When one is speaking of a happy or merry christmas the adjectives are lowercase.

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Merry christmas began as a saying in the 1500s.

Why do the british say happy christmas. And what could be more simple and cheerful than those two words. Queen elizabeth ii is said to prefer happy christmas for this reason. Happy christmas if you grew up or spent a fair amount of time in the u k chances are you either used or received the greeting happy christmas on a routine basis around the holidays.

It was solidified as a capitalized greeting by charles dickens in his great work a christmas carol. Moore s i mean not nikolai gogol s ends with the words a happy christmas to all and to all a good night queen elizabeth ii wishes british subjects a. I speak now from my home and from my heart to you all.

The phrase happy christmas is a british expression and in other parts of the english speaking world it is merry christmas. Because happy was the royally approved choice it stuck and that s why british still use the term happy christmas instead of merry christmas. The night before christmas clement c.

One reason may be the alternative meaning still current there of merry as tipsy or drunk. For starters it s important to note that happy christmas hasn t faded completely it s still widely used in england. In either case the sentiment is to wish the other person an.

In her annual christmas messages to the commonwealth queen elizabeth has used happy christmas far more often than merry christmas. Some language commentators have attributed the british preference for happy christmas to the use of the expression by the royal family in annual christmas broadcasts. King george v began the practice in his 1932 christmas radio message written by rudyard kipling.

This is believed to be because happy took on a higher class connotation than merry which was associated with the rowdiness of the lower classes. It was recorded in a letter as a wish that god would send the recipient a mery christmas. The alternative happy christmas gained wide usage in the late 19th century and is still common in the united kingdom and ireland.

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