There is often much controversy this time of the year around the phrase, "Merry Christmas." Some people love the phrase, while others appear to despise it.
Whatever a person's preference may be, the origin of the phrase is loaded with spiritual meaning.
First of all, one of the earliest records of the phrase comes from St. John Fisher, who wrote it in a letter to Thomas Cromwell in 1534.
Often today the word "merry" is used to denote a general feeling of merriment. Yet, this doesn't appear to be the case for St. John Fisher.
Francis Xavier Weiser explains the origin of this phrase in his book Handbook of Christian Feasts and Customs.
This revelation makes the phrase, "Merry Christmas," even more spiritual (and possibly more controversial).
If you want to wish someone a spiritually joyful Christmas, go right ahead and say to them, "Merry Christmas!"
