I came to do that after a few embarrassing moments of "we have divorced 2 months ago, or my son died of aids some weeks ago" and so on and so forth. So until I get a signal that the person still has a spouse or family, I refrain from asking.
Same thing about this time of year. We used to part company with a resounding "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year". Now you say "Happy Holidays" not even Holydays because you never know wether the guy celebrates Noel, Hanukah, Kwanza (that is the latest I became aware of) or some Adah or even nothing.
Merry, Feliz, Buona...............(fill in the dots).
Merry Saturnalia Paul.
RépondreSupprimerSince folks are progressively merging I don’t mind a richer variety of festivals – although I have deep affection for Christmas, ragion per cui: felice Natale dear Paul, à vous et à toute votre famille!
The increase in divorces worries me more and seems to depict a grief-stricken society. Or, I might be outdated in this too and family is becoming something else, although I have doubts là-dessus
Well, at least in Canada, divorce cases are stable at 34%. In Québec, 65% of couples are unmarried, but the married ones have a 54% divorce rate as in the US.
RépondreSupprimerHave a nice celebration of Light.
Gratias tibi ago, Paule.
RépondreSupprimerI'm sticking with Merry Christmas and damn those who get insulted by it.
RépondreSupprimerOr else it's Festivus for the restivus - to borrow a famed 'Seinfeld' holiday.
I guess no one is insulted by Merry Christmas. It's more a question of showing some kind of respect for other beliefs or lack thereof. I also favor Merry Christmas, but leave room for the others.
RépondreSupprimerI did I miss this one? I greet people with Happy Holidays, and not worry about what they are celebrating. In our family, my son married a Buddhist, my daughter married a Jewish man. We send out wine and jams from Oregon to the respective in=laws with Seasons' Greetings attached, and invite them always to come celebrate Christmas with us.
RépondreSupprimerMerry Christmas from my house to yours, Paul.
For friends I know, I wish them the best for their time. For others, I'm more inclined to ask how they're celebrating the year end, so I can make an intelligent comment.
RépondreSupprimerMerry Christmas (I think), Paul.
It is Merry Christmas in our family, no doubt about that.
RépondreSupprimerIn the line of Rosaria's comment, my agnostic son married an agnostic girl from an atheist family...but they all kept an Advent ritual with a candle lighted near an open German ancient Bible and held some sort of private ceremony on each Advent Sunday.
Rob Bear has the same preoccupation that I have about "intelligent comments".
Commentator, if you damn, you get damned back (not by me, of course, amico) and the thing doesn't stop. Nobody is insulted by Christmas, Paul and Rosaria are right. And why Jews should feast Natale? Traditions are many. And tolerance, as far as religions, is important. Do we want to go back to religious wars? Let's not fall into the trap of the fundamentalists, whatever their creed.
RépondreSupprimerWow, Rosaria, I didn't know you had such a various family. I think it can be enriching.
Merry Christmas to everybody, friends!
RépondreSupprimerBuon Natale e buon capo d'anno a tutti. Joyeux Noël et bonne année à tous. Merry Christmas and a happy New Year to all.
RépondreSupprimerPaul, we were about to go on a trip this Christmas, my wife, my two daughters and me, but then all our plan collapsed. So we'll stay in Rome. Not that I mind, but a trip, even to a place close by, once in it is not bad once in a while. I don't know why I am saying this. Maybe I just just asking for comprehension.
RépondreSupprimerA Natale dicono che sono tutti buoni....
....
Ma sarà vero?
Il me semble par contre qu'il sont tous nerveux.
Mais pas vous tous, , non, not the people here. I was talking generally. All this frenesia, frenzy, hysteria.
RépondreSupprimerI'm just back from shopping with la mia carissima. The shopping mall was busy but curiously very quiet. Save for a tired baby once in while nobody spoke loud or behaved in a disturbing manner.
RépondreSupprimerMaybe the Berlusconi events in Milan caused the nervousness you talk about in the Eternal City.