“For some people, ‘Happy Holidays’ versus ‘Merry Christmas’ is an important symbolic issue,” said Dan Cassino, a professor of political science and an analyst for the poll. “But as with a lot of cultural issues, it just doesn’t seem to have relevance for younger residents.”
On the Merry Christmas vs. Happy Holidays debate, the poll found:
* 67 percent of residents prefer to say Merry Christmas, while 18 percent pick Happy Holidays. Fifteen percent say they’re indifferent or would rather people not say anything.
* 30 percent of residents under 30 say they’d rather hear a more neutral greeting, compared to 15 percent in older age categories. Seventy-one percent of people over 45 prefer Merry Christmas.
