<P> A selection of goodwill greetings are often used around the world to address strangers , family , colleagues or friends during the season . Some greetings are more prevalent than others , depending on culture and location . Traditionally , the predominant greetings of the season have been `` Merry Christmas '' , `` Happy Christmas '' , and `` Happy New Year '' . In the mid-to - late 20th century in the United States , more generic greetings such as `` Happy Holidays '' and `` Season 's Greetings '' began to rise in cultural prominence , and this would later spread to other Western countries including Canada , Australia and to a lesser extent some European countries . A 2012 poll by Rasmussen Reports indicated that 68 % of Americans prefer the use of `` Merry Christmas '' , while 23 % preferred `` Happy Holidays '' . A similarly - timed Canadian poll conducted by Ipsos - Reid indicated that 72 % of Canadians preferred `` Merry Christmas '' . </P>
<P> A selection of goodwill greetings are often used around the world to address strangers , family , colleagues or friends during the season . Some greetings are more prevalent than others , depending on culture and location . Traditionally , the predominant greetings of the season have been `` Merry Christmas '' , `` Happy Christmas '' , and `` Happy New Year '' . In the mid-to - late 20th century in the United States , more generic greetings such as `` Happy Holidays '' and `` Season 's Greetings '' began to rise in cultural prominence , and this would later spread to other Western countries including Canada , Australia and to a lesser extent some European countries . A 2012 poll by Rasmussen Reports indicated that 68 % of Americans prefer the use of `` Merry Christmas '' , while 23 % preferred `` Happy Holidays '' . A similarly - timed Canadian poll conducted by Ipsos - Reid indicated that 72 % of Canadians preferred `` Merry Christmas '' . </P>
when was the term happy holidays first used
when was the term happy holidays first used
mid-to - late 20th century
mid-to - late 20th century