> as lemmas

1577 S. Robson Courte of Ciuill Courtesie To Rdr. sig. Aii R. I. the Printer hereof, wisheth an happie New Yeere present, and many.

1664 ‘Philomathes’ New Prognostication sig. A8 God give us all a merrie Christmas, and a happy New-Year.

1707 F. Shaftoe Narrative 22 I wish you a happy Christmas and New Year.

1798 Universal Mag. Sept. 161/1 Lord Robert Bertie drank to him a happy new year.

1838 C. Ives in Serm. Several Occasions & Charges 142 A happy Christmas and new year to you all.

1880 Churchman 27 Mar. 359/2 And if you could peep into the study on any Easter morning, very early, you would be sure to see the children's mother twisting a wreath of vines and fragrant flowers about this picture, and hear the children say, ‘Good-morning, Hans and Gretchen. A happy Easter to you’.

1918 E. Landman Kindergarten Man. Jewish Relig. Schools App. 145 They leave synagog for home, greeting each other with ‘Good Shabbos,’ ‘Good Yom Tov,’ ‘L'shanah Tovah,’ ‘Happy Hanukkah,’ ‘Merry Purim,’ etc.

1963 J. Lennon in Beatles Fan Club Recording in New Musical Express 6 Dec. 10/2 Garry Crimble to you, Garry Crimble to you, Garry Bable, Dear Christmas, Happy Birthday, me too!

1978 Chicago Tribune 26 Dec. i. 6/1 ‘Happy Christmas to each and every human being,’ the Polish-born Pope said in his ‘Urbi et Orbi’ message.

1994 Lewiscraft CraftLines Nov. 4/2 Add glitter for extra sparkle. Tie with raffia and tag with Happy Holidays 1994.

2007 N. Palta Preparing for Call Center Interviews iii. 97 In the US, when Christmas is explicitly mentioned in a greeting, the universal phrasing is Merry Christmas. The British alternative, Happy Christmas, is entirely unknown in America, and while its meaning is obvious, it might still garner the speaker some odd looks.