QUESTION
Carles from Catalonia wants to know the difference between the words “merry” and “happy,” and why we use each of these for phrases like “Happy Birthday” and “Merry Christmas.”
ANSWER
Both “merry” and “happy” are used in expressions to wish other people a good holiday or celebration. When we use it in this context (situation), both “merry” and “happy” mean the same thing. However, these two words actually have slightly different meanings.
“Happy” means feeling or showing pleasure and contentment (being satisfied with one’s life or one’s situation). If you get a promotion (better, higher-level job) at work, you may feel happy. If you wake up to a beautiful day with good weather, you may feel happy. If you hear Jeff singing, you might also feel happy.
“Merry” means cheerful and lively (active; full of energy). While happy is used all the time these days, merry is considered an old-fashioned word that is most often found in older literature (books and other writings). If you read Charles Dickens or Louisa May Alcott, for example, you may come across sentences like these:
- “The streets were full of merry people celebrating the new year.”
- “Everyone at the party had a merry time.”
These days, the only time you’ll see or hear “merry” is in the phrase “Merry Christmas.” For most other holidays and celebrations, we use “happy,” such as in: “Happy New Year,” “Happy Halloween,” and “Happy Thanksgiving.”
Thanks, Carles, for the question, and I hope that those of you in the U.S. had a happy Fourth of July this past Sunday.
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