My Take on "Happy Holidays"

I don't get this consternation over the use of the term "Happy Holidays." First off, it's not a slighting of Christmas. It's an acknowledgment that two holidays fall within a week of each other: Christmas and New Year's. It's faster than saying, "Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year" each time you greet someone.

Second, I'm a Jew, and we Jews say to each other "Good Yumtif" on our holidays. What does "Good Yumtif" mean? Well, yumtif is a Yiddishization of the Hebrew yom tov, which means "good day." So, yes, we're saying "Good Good Day," but in this case "good day" = "holiday." We're basically saying "Happy Holiday" to each other, whether it's the sacred and solemn fast of Yom Kippur or the minor festival of Hannukah. And I don't think I've ever encountered an offended co-religionist when I have greeted him or her with a "Good Yumtif." No one says, "How dare you say that! This is a war against Tisha B'av!"