"Merry Christmas"

[Arnold M. Zwicky]

On Dec 25, 2004, at 11:47 AM, Barbara Need wrote:

> ... I was recently rereading an Agatha Christie in which someone wishes
> another person "Merry Christmas", so the question may be, when the
> British start saying "Happy Christmas"?

americans said it too: recall the final line of the famous poem of
12/23/1823:

Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night.

arnold