Merry Christmas -- would be offensive?

[murmurs]

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I just found I added holiday greetings "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year" in the letters to some faculty and PDs before the holiday season. Would it be offensive if he/she is not-Christan? For me, it was just holiday greeting, I was not thinking too much at that time. Now I rethink everything, I am wondering if it would cause me some trouble or I just thought too much. Is it now standard to say "Happy holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year"?

 

[mlw03]

well, I'm Jewish and whenever people say "Merry Christmas" to me I assume they're trying to make me convert and telling me, through subliminal messages, that if I don't I'll be burning in the fiery pits of Hades for all of eternity. I also assume whoever says such things is a raging anti-Semite.

i'm obviously kidding with the above. only severely oversensitive people would be offended by such a remark. we are too PC these days. your greeting we well-intentioned and will neither hurt nor help you. I really am Jewish and I've never met one of us who's offended by that. We usually just say, "thanks, you too" when people wish us "Merry Christmas" because it's not worth explaining and we know most people say it because they're trying to be nice. I strongly doubt that your holiday cards are going to hurt you because you added "Merry Christmas" to it - at the same time I don't think holiday cards help applicants anyway.

 

[murmurs]

Thanks for your reply, mlw03.

However, I am still wondering if the PDs may think I am not sensitive about religions therefore I may casue trouble when I communicate with patients. Am I thinking too much?

 

[Xandie]

Am I thinking too much?

Yes.

I'm with mlw, also Jewish, and I don't think it matters at all. It's not like you wished them a happy Jesus' birthday. Christmas has become a secular and national holiday (according to the postal service, at least), so I think you're fine.

 

[murmurs]

Thanks, Xandie.

I need to stop having second thought of everything related to Match.

 

[Winged Scapula]

You are lucky if the PDs give your letters more than a cursory glance, honestly.

Stop and take a deep breath, relax and *try* to forget about it. As others have said, only the very very sensitive types would even think that what you wrote was offensive.

 

[murmurs]

Thanks, Dr. Cox! Your words and other posts really help me to relax. 🙂

 

[koma]

Thanks for your reply, mlw03.

However, I am still wondering if the PDs may think I am not sensitive about religions therefore I may casue trouble when I communicate with patients. Am I thinking too much?

I don't think so...When I was buying stamps for my thank you notes, I had a choice between a really ugly Yoda stamp and a prettier holy family/Christmas stamp. I chose the latter and now I regret it.

 

[Shalom77]

Is it now standard to say "Happy holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year"?

I limited myself to Happy New Year - that seemed the safest to me. (Chanukah was long over by the time I sent out my thank yous. 😉 )

That said don't stress. I'm pretty when I was a resident my chair/PD wished me Merry Christmas even knowing that I'm Jewish. The vast majority of people either a) won't notice b) think Merry Christmas is a "secular" greeting (don't get me started on this...) or c) won't be bothered. I think there is some geographical variation in the sensitivity of this (Midwest definitely less sensitive than the large eastern cities with a large Jewish population) - but I agree with Kimberli most if not all PDs/faculty will probably give the note a quick glance with no further thought.

I'm 100% sure that the stamp doesn't matter.

 

[mlw03]

I don't think so...When I was buying stamps for my thank you notes, I had a choice between a really ugly Yoda stamp and a prettier holy family/Christmas stamp. I chose the latter and now I regret it.

if your regret is for any reason other than the fact that yoda is uber-cool, then you're overthinking. someone could send me a letter with a swastika stamp and there's a 90% chance i wouldn't even notice. seriously, who looks at a stamp?! inhale deeply, hold for 5 second, exhale slowly... repeat q day until March 20th.

 

[justwondering]

yes, happy holidays is better, but dont worry about it. ur PD's wont likely care regardless of religion because they hear it from everyone aroudn that time of the year.