Why #Merry Christmas (instead of "Happy")? @Ecosia (who helped me find a @ReadersDigest article that explains)
'That word' (below-hyperlinked to the search-engine Ecosia's asking that question to the whole Interwebs) is built on an even-deeper source ... something crucial that firms the foundation upon which our lexicon stands ...
The word “Merry” is built on words that mean “|Short” (that is 'Too Brief,' because "time flies when you're having Agreeable, |Pleasant, |Sweet, |Exciting, |Enjoyable- & Glad-|Feeling |Fun!") #Merrier #Merriest #Merriment #MerryChristmas
The Reader's Digest article on it mentions that 'fleeting time'-meaning, but says that the phrase gained popularity when Charles Dickens used it in 1843's A Christmas Carol (funny, because in England they do say "Happy Christmas" ... because of the 'chaotic connotations' of the word "Merry," the British Royal Family actually declares 'Happy Christmas!')
It's also funny that Reader's Digest doesn't mention 1823's "A Visit from Saint Nicholas (`Twas the Night Before Christmas),"where the beatified elf announces "Merry Christmas to all!" They also don't mention the 16th century carol "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" (although that might actually be the carol to-which Dickens was referring!)
Or am I looking at that wrong (or 'wrongly' 🤓)? Tell
me how-wrong/right I am in the comments below 😁
me how-wrong/right I am in the comments below 😁
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I appreciate your comment, and I'll probably approve it & publish it soon (give me about a week before you try to post it again when it doesn't publish immediately ... thanks)