The term Christmas owes its origin in the Middle English Christemasse and Old English cristes maesse. Christmas is also called as Christmas Day or Christmastide. The twenty fifth day of the month of December is celebrated as the birthday of Lord Jesus, known as the Christmas day. Thus the birthday of Lord Jesus is celebrated with honor as well as joy. On this holy day all the Christian population in the world prays to Lord Jesus for the betterment of human beings and to retain peace in the world.
Everybody decides early about what to wear, what special dish to be prepared, where to go, how to decorate the home, what special items to be gifted to the kids, family members, relatives and friends, how to send gifts to the dear ones living far away, what would be the Christmas wish list, how would be the Christmas cake, and many more.
The phrase Merry Christmas is usually used to greet anyone celebrating Christmas. The word Merry has been derived from the old English myrige. It means pleasant and not joyous or jolly. The word had been used for the first time by an English admiral in the year 1699. He wrote merry Christmas and a happy new year in an informal letter. However, this greeting was also used in the first Christmas card made in England in the year 1843.
This phrase received much more focus in ‘A Christmas carol’ authored by Charles Dickens (1843) as well as a very common secular Carol ‘We wish you a merry Christmas.’ The phrase became widespread among the people of United Kingdom and Ireland from the late nineteenth century onwards.
The phrase Merry Christmas is usually used to greet to a Christian or to those who celebrate Christmas. But in a secular Christian world respect for the non-Christian population has increased to a great extent. Thus, at present, the phrase is also used to wish the non-Christian population of the society.