Happy Holidays and the Wassail

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Which do you prefer?

"Merry Christmas"
"Happy Holidays"

How many Christians get upset or otherwise bothered by hearing "Happy Holidays" rather than "Merry Christmas" during the Christmas season?

Is the use of "Happy Holidays" truly a secular saying?

English "holiday" from Old English "haligdæg" for "holy day" with Germanic "g" to English "y".

To be physically "healthy" one was "whole". [flour, flower]
The be spiritually "whole" one was "holy", middle English "hooli".

These "holy days" included all of the twelve days of Christmas.

Matthew 26:5 But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar among the people. [kjv]

ελεγον δε μη εν τη εορτη ινα μη θορυβος γενηται εν τω λαω [gnt]

… freols-daige… folke. [wes]

… haliday… puple. [wy]

… holy daye … people. [ty]

The English "holiday" came from the Old English "haligdæg" for "holy day".

To be physically "healthy" one was "whole".
The be spiritually "whole" one was "holy", middle English "hooli".
German "heilig" ≈ "holy".
Latin "sanctus" ≈ "holy".
Spanish "santo" ≈ "holy".

And these "holy days" included all of the twelve days of Christmas.

Matthew 26:5

All

KJV: But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar among the people.

Greek: ελεγον δε μη εν τη εορτη ινα μη θορυβος γενηται εν τω λαω

Wessex: Hyo cwaeðen witodlice þt hyt ne myhte beon on þam freols-daige. þy-laes þe mycel steriung wurðe on þam folke.

Wycliffe: but thei seiden, Not in the haliday, lest perauenture noyse were maad in the puple.

Tyndale: But they sayd not on the holy daye lest eny vproure aryse amonge the people.

They did not want to take Jesus on a feast day - but that is what happened. Why?

This Old Norse phrase "ves heil" as "be healthy" or "be sound" or "be saved" is the origin of the Christmas (Winter Solstice yule time) custom of the "wassail" bowl (from 1275) that typically contains a spiced ale for the celebration time near Christmas Eve.

Matthew 9:21 For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole. [kjv]

… byo hal … [wes]

… gesund. [lu]

Be healthy. Be holy. Be saved.

Happy Holy Days, Happy Holidays.

Matthew 9:21

All

KJV: For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.

Greek: ελεγεν γαρ εν εαυτη εαν μονον αψωμαι του ιματιου αυτου σωθησομαι

Latin: dicebat enim intra se si tetigero tantum vestimentum eius salva ero

Wessex: hyo cwaeð soðlice on hire mode. for an ich byo hal gyf ich his reafes aet-rine.

Wycliffe: For sche seide with ynne hir self, Yif Y touche oonli the cloth of hym, Y schal be saaf.

Tyndale: For she sayd in her silfe: yf I maye toche but even his vesture only I shalbe safe.

Luther: Denn sie sprach bei sich selbst: Möcht' ich nur sein Kleid anrühren, so würde ich gesund.

Note as highlighted in the Middle English, the word "holiday" comes from "holy day".

Wessex: freois-daige
Tyndale: holy daye
Wycliffe: haliday

The Old English Wessex Gospels used "freois-daige" for the days of goddess Freya or Freo, the goddess of love - corresponding to the Greek Aphrodite.

Matthew 1:21

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KJV: And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

Greek: τεξεται δε υιον και καλεσεις το ονομα αυτου ιησουν αυτος γαρ σωσει τον λαον αυτου απο των αμαρτιων αυτων

Wessex: Witodliche hyo kenð sunu. & þu nemnest his name haelend. he soðlice his folc hal gedeð. fram heora synnen.

Wycliffe: And she shal bere a sone, and thou shalt clepe his name Jhesus; for he schal make his puple saaf fro her synnes.

Tyndale: She shall brynge forthe a sonne and thou shalt call his name Iesus. For he shall save his peple from their synnes.

Luther: Und sie wird einen Sohn gebären, des Namen sollst du Jesus heißen; denn er wird sein Volk selig machen von ihren Sünden.

Russian: родит же Сына, и наречешь Ему имя Иисус, ибо Он спасет людей Своих от грехов их.

The Old English phrase "byo hal" ≈ "be whole, be safe, be saved" is found often in the Wessex Gospels, an several variants.

Matthew 24:13

All

KJV: But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

Greek: ο δε υπομεινας εις τελος ουτος σωθησεται

Wessex: Witodlice seþe þurh-wuneð oð ende se beoð hal.

Wycliffe: but he that schal dwelle stable in to the ende, schal be saaf.

Luther: Wer aber beharret bis ans Ende, der wird selig.

The same words can be a greeting, as in to "hail" someone.

Mark 15:18

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KJV: And began to salute him, Hail, King of the Jews!

Greek: και ηρξαντο ασπαζεσθαι αυτον χαιρε βασιλευ των ιουδαιων

Latin: et coeperunt salutare eum have rex Iudaeorum

Wessex: & on-gunnen hine þus greten. hal beo þu iudea kyning.

Wycliffe: And thei bigunnen to grete hym, and seiden, Heile, thou kyng of Jewis.

Tyndale: and beganne to salute him. Hayle kynge of the Iewes.

One variant is the Old English word "beoð hal" (be whole, be safe, be saved) ≈ "be-oth hail".

The origin of this phase is the Norse expression "ves heil" which became in Anglo-Saxon "waes hael" which became "was hal" which became in Old English "beoth hale" and meant "be safe", "be whole" and later "be saved".

This Norse phrase "ves heil" is the origin of the Christmas (Winter Solstice yule time) custom of the "wassail" bowl that typically contains a spiced ale for the celebration time near Christmas Eve.

Luke 18:26 And they that heard it said, Who then can be saved? [kjv]

… hwa maeg hal beon. [wes]

… Who may be maad saaf? [wy]

When someone tells you "Happy Holidays" you can remind them of the origin of the word by saying "Happy Holy Days to you too", and add, "that is what the word originally meant".

Luke 18:26

All

KJV: And they that heard it said, Who then can be saved?

Greek: ειπον ειπαν δε οι ακουσαντες και τις δυναται σωθηναι

Latin: et dixerunt qui audiebant et quis potest salvus fieri

Wessex: Ða cwaeðen þa þe þis ge-hyrden. & hwa maeg hal beon.

Wycliffe: And thei that herden these thingis seiden, Who may be maad saaf?

Luther: Da sprachen, die das höreten: Wer kann denn selig werden?

Russian: Слышавшие сие сказали: кто же может спастись?