While most people may be fine with hearing either "Happy Holidays" or "Merry Christmas" as a salutation during the holiday season, one woman working for Salvation Army in Phoenix, Ariz. was assaulted for apparently "saying the wrong thing at the wrong time," ABC15 News reports.
Kristina Vindiola was ringing a bell to collect donations for Salvation Army outside of a Walmart in Phoenix when she says a woman approached her and hit her for saying "Happy Holidays."
"The lady looked at me," said Vindiola. "I thought she was going to put money in the kettle. She came up to me and said, 'Do you believe in God?' And she says, 'You're supposed to say Merry Christmas,' and that's when she hit me."
The woman hit Vindiola on the arm and then walked into the store, and afterwards Vindiola told a manager who in turn called the police. She plans to take legal action against the woman who she says assaulted her. However, while police looked at surveillance video from the alleged incident, they were unable to obtain enough evidence to arrest the woman accused.
"She should've just been happy I said 'Happy Holidays,' but I got hit because I didn't say 'Merry Christmas,'" Vindiola told the local news station.
The Salvation Army doesn't have a policy when it comes to using the more inclusive greeting over the more specific one.
