🎙️ Voice is AI-generated. Inconsistencies may occur.
Vice President Kamala Harris faced backlash for her festive message to Americans after she failed to mention the world "Christmas."
On X, formerly Twitter, Harris posted a picture of her and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff dressed smartly in front of a Christmas tree. The caption said: "Wishing everyone a happy holiday season."
The former California senator was met with a number of comments criticizing her choice of words. "Happy Holiday Eve in front of your holiday tree," one user sarcastically wrote.
"Merry Christmas... Fixed it for you," another added.
"Merry Christmas..... it's ok, you can say it.... Fraud!" another person wrote.
"Happy Holidays," or similar phrases, are commonly used as a festive greeting to be inclusive to all faiths as December is a time of celebration for a number of religions.
Harris has used the word "Christmas" over the course of December. "We were grateful for the chance to celebrate the miracle of Christmas," she wrote on X on December 21 following a service at the Washington National Cathedral.
Newsweek has approached the vice president's office for comment via email.
Last year, Harris said that "Christmas is a holiday of hope and joy—a time to come together," and shared a video with Emhoff talking about how they would celebrate Christmas. "We want to wish you all a happy, healthy and merry Christmas," the tweet said.
In contrast to the vice president's tweet this year, President Joe Biden chose to mark the day on social media by posting a Christmas tree with the caption "From our family to yours: Merry Christmas, America."
Another tweet from Christmas Eve showed a video of the decorations throughout the White House while a voiceover from the president and First Lady Jill Biden read "A Visit from St. Nicholas," the poem believed to be by Clement Clarke Moore. Famously, the poem begins with the line "Twas the Night Before Christmas."
Also on Christmas Eve, Biden said: "This Christmas Eve, my wish for you and your family is that you take a few moments of quiet reflection and find that stillness that's at the center of the Christmas story. May you find peace in this silent night. And warmth from those surrounding you."
In a tweet on a separate account, the president added: "Jill and I hope you are able to spend time with your loved ones this holiday season. During this time, we're also thinking of the brave women and men in uniform who defend our nation, many of them away from their families. We wish you joy and happiness this Christmas Eve."
Biden also referred to the "holiday season" in a tweet on December 22.
About the writer
Benjamin Lynch is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. His focus is U.S. politics and national affairs and he ... Read more