As the holiday season continues, so does the battle between festive messages: Merry Christmas vs. Happy Holidays.

On a daily basis, we see many different people that we may not know, and we see even more during the holiday season. Whether your outside for a seasonal event, doing some shopping for you family and friends, or just going through your daily routine, you will see so many new people. You will say hello to these people, and say goodbye, but the question remains: How should you say goodbye to people during a festive time of year?

Many people will say a simple Merry Christmas. It is a nice way to say goodbye and leave them with holiday spirit. The problem is, many people do not celebrate Christmas. This problem may seem unsolvable, but amazingly it is not.

The one simple solution is saying Happy Holidays.

Now, you may be asking “Is Happy Holidays truly the best way to go?” Of course the answer to this question is yes.

It is an inclusive saying.

Happy Holidays is an inclusive festive greeting, as there are many people who do not spend their December celebrating Christmas. According to Pew Research, there are about 2.3 billion Christians in the world, or roughly 31.2 percent. This is not even ⅓ of the world’s population, leaving 68.8 percent of people excluded from your holiday message.

There are many different holidays celebrated in November and December. When you wish someone a Merry Christmas, you are leaving out all of the other holidays they may be celebrating. The United Planet lists some holidays people may celebrate across the world including Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Diwali and more. Wishing someone a Happy Holidays includes all of the religious holidays a person may celebrate.

There are also 16 percent of people who are unaffiliated with religion, and may not celebrate any of these holidays during the holiday season. Wishing them a Happy Holidays will also wish them a happy winter solstice, a happy national ice cream day, or a happy Taylor Swift’s birthday, which National Today lists as a December Holiday.

It is easy.

Saying Happy Holidays does not cause you any harm. You will not be in physical danger, nor will you waste much time in saying it. Happy Holidays has one more syllable than Merry Christmas, but the time difference it takes to say it is almost undetectable.

Switching to a new greeting may require you to think a bit more about what you say, but it is worth it!

Many different stores and advertisements are switching to saying Happy Holidays in order to draw more people, as they do not see it as any more difficult. According to the Chicago Tribune, John Boiler, the chief executive of a Los Angeles ad agency, says, “To say that you’re only going to recognize one segment of your audience to the exclusion of others is not only bad socially and culturally, it is bad economically.” Stores are making the switch to Happy Holidays, because it is not only just as easy as saying Merry Christmas, it is better for business.

It can be used all season.

Even if the person you are talking to does celebrate Christmas, saying Happy Holidays may still be the best choice. It can wish them both a happy Thanksgiving and a Merry Christmas. If you might not see this person for a while, it also includes a Happy New Year.

Is it that awkward time when Thanksgiving is over but it is not yet Christmas? Say Happy Holidays!

Do you not know if your going to see this person for over a month, but still hope they have a good new year? Say Happy Holidays!

Want to be inclusive of anything this person may be celebrating soon? Say Happy Holidays!

There are some people who may not enjoy hearing Happy Holidays, as they would rather be wished a Merry Christmas. According to Battle of the Holidays by Josie Musico, many Christians do not appreciate a secular greeting and would rather be told to have a Merry Christmas.

Of course, if you have someone in your life like this, you can wish them a Merry Christmas. The goal of a festive message is to spread holiday cheer to the person, not to offend them or make them unhappy. There may also be people who say it is wrong to say happy holidays, because you are going against their religion; however, it is more important to be inclusive of everyone. Though it may have less of an emphasis on Christmas, Happy Holidays excludes no one. If you come across someone who finds it offensive, remind them that it is in good spirit, not to offend anyone. Of course, if it does make you or them uncomfortable, it is okay to say Merry Christmas.

People may also say that Happy Holidays does not sound personal, and maybe does not have a warm feeling. One of the best parts about holiday greetings is you can make them you own, and you can make them more personal. Saying something like “Have a wonderful holiday season,” may be a better way for you. Have fun with your greetings, it will make everyone feel festive!

Happy Holidays is always the best thing to say, as it is inclusive, easy and works all season long. If you want to spread some Christmas cheer this December, I advise you to take a lesson from NSYNC and say a “Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.”

During a busy season of the year, you will encounter many people while in the outside world. When you see them, try to say Happy Holidays, and share some inclusive festive joy.