The Etymology of "Happy Holidays"

In recent years, I've become an almost violent opponent of the use of the term "Happy Holidays" as a grab-all, nonthreatening substitute for "Merry Christmas". But I learned something interesting today in a post by John Hood over at NRO's The Corner, In Defense Of "Happy Holidays":

Having read and heard several times today the usual complaint about the greeting “Happy Holidays,” I feel compelled to offer a defense. It was not originally intended to devalue Christmas and its meaning to Christians. The phrase was made popular by Irving Berlin’s original 1942 song, used in the film Holiday Inn. There was no mention of Jewish, Islamic, or synthetic African holidays. The song to “merry bells” and was clearly intended to refer to the holiday season between Christmas Eve and New Year’s. The phrase was used for many years by Americans and Canadians to refer to this holiday season, sometimes extending all the way through the 12 days of Christmas to Epiphany.

Only comparatively recently have some seculars sought to expropriate the term. Fie on them, but the phrase is a fine and useful one, particularly when visiting with friends or family on, say, Dec. 27.

Happy Holidays to you!

That doesn't change my feeling towards those who attempt to take the Christ out of Christmas, but it does make me feel better about the occasional "Happy Holidays" that inevitably slips from my lips this time of year.