Here is something I wrote on December 21, 2011 to encourage kindness and holiday goodwill with polite greetings and farewells.
To Christians who celebrate December 25, enjoy the holiday of Christmas.
Etiquette to Winter Holiday Greetings and Farewells
Smile and …
Say "Happy Holidays" to random strangers;
Say "Happy Hanukkah" to people and friends you know are Jewish;
Say "Merry Christmas" to people and friends you know are Christian;
Say "Happy New Year" to any friends who are atheists;
Say "Have a pleasant few days" to any friends who are Jehovah Witnesses;
Say "Oh, please, have a free tract. Would you like to make a donation to cover photocopying and distribution costs?" to the Jehovah Witnesses at your door in December;
Say "The best to you and your family" to any friends who are Muslims;
Say "Happy Kwanzaa" to friends you know celebrate it;
Say "Wassail and Good Yule" to any friends who are Wiccans;
Say "Io Saturnalis" to any friends who are ancient Roman recontructionists;
Say "Gud Jul" to any friends who are Norse reconstructionists;
Say "Happy whatever" to sundry Neo-Pagan friends with a sense of humor;
Say "Happy Solstice" to friends who are Pantheists;
Say "May your God bless you" to friends who are Hindu;
To any individual who gives you any of the above greetings or farewell, smile warmly and say "And the same to you";
To any individual who bites your head off for trying to be courteous, smile wider and say "Well, thank Goodness, we live in a great country that has freedom of religions and philosophical ideologies. It makes me proud to be an American citizen. Bless us one and all!"
Celebrate that holiday with all the glitz, glitter, presents, food, fun, and religious joy as you can muster. Decorate your Christmas tree. Hang your Christmas lights at your home. Shop 'til you drop for your Christmas gifts. Mail your Christmas cards. Burn those pine-scented Christmas candles. Hang those Christmas stockings. Drink Christmas cocoa and hot cider. Watch "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and every other TV Christmas special. Go to the Christmas Eve church service/Christmas Midnight Mass/Christmas morning service. Listen to Christmas music at the mall, on the radio, and on your favorite Christmas CD's. Set up that Christmas nativity scene in your yard. Decorate your table with Christmas poinsettas or advent wreath. Feast on Christmas goose, turkey or ham. Eat mincemeat pie. Eat your Christmas candy canes. Hold your Christmas candlelight prayer service. Volunteer at or donate to your favorite Christian charity. Give thanks to your God and celebrate his message to you of salvation. Like the old 17th century English carol: "On Christmas night all Christians sing,/To hear the news the angels bring;...News of great joy, news of great mirth,/Good tidings of the Saviour's birth." Do ALL of it! Christians go CELEBRATE your HOLIDAY. Embrace this holy day of yours.
Wish me "Merry Christmas" and I will politely return, "The same to you."
Just remember...I will be puting up my Yule decorations: my evergreen wreath, my mistletoe, my Yule lights, my Solstice candle, and other Yule candles. I will purchase my Yule gifts while humming "Neo-Pagan Yule songs." I'll attend Yule parties and Winter Solstice rituals. I'll deck my home altar with holly, fir, bay laurel, ivy, and pinecones. I'll bake Yule cookies and cook meatballs, sweet cream porridge, risotto, rum cake, and pies. I'll enjoy drinking hot mulled wine, spiced wassail, and cocoa. I'll decorate a Yule tree with gold and red. I'll nibble on holiday chocolates. I'll eat sunny Florida oranges. I'll donate to or volunteer for charities. I'll mail out cards to family and friends. I will celebrate with my Gods and be grateful for all that I have, including that I am fortunate enough to live in the 21st century in a country that has Constitutionally protected freedom of religion.
Please enjoy your holiday as much as I enjoy mine. Joy to you!
If you have more questions, please see FAQ: The Annual Holiday Debate: Is it Christian Christmas or Neo-Pagan Yule?
Laurie Junkins, The War On Christmas: Myth or Reality?, December 12, 2011.