Typically, a greeting consists of the word "Happy" followed by the holiday, such as "Happy Hanukkah" or "Happy New Year", although the phrase "Merry Christmas" is a notable exception. In the United States, the collective phrase "Happy Holidays" is often used as a simple way to refer to all of the winter holidays, or to the three major American holidays of Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day. Some controversy has arisen regarding the phrase "Happy Holidays" as an alleged attempt to diminish Christmas although its use promotes other holidays commonly celebrated in the United States.
