Discussion Groups / English Usage / February 2010

The less boisterous meanings of "merry" have become obsolete.

OED:

   I. That causes pleasure.
   
   1. a. Of an occupation, event, state, or condition: causing pleasure
      or happiness; pleasing, delightful. Obs.
   
      b. With implied impersonal subject and indirect object denoting
      the person characterized by happiness or joy. Cf. sense 4a. Obs.
   
      c. Of music, speech, etc.: pleasing to the ear, pleasant to hear.
      Of a musical instrument: producing a sweet sound; (of a bird)
      having a pleasant song. (In later use passing into sense 5.) Obs.
      d. Of a place or country: pleasant, agreeable in character. Obs.
   
      e. Of weather, climate, a season, a day, etc.: pleasant, fine. Of
      a wind: favourable for sailing. Also fig. Obs.
        The sense is attested earliest as a surname.
   
      f. Of looks or appearance: pleasing to behold, attractive. Obs.
   
      g. Of an odour: pleasant, fragrant. Of a fruit, plant, etc.:
      sweet-smelling, aromatic. Obs.
        All recorded instances of this sense are translations of
        post-classical Latin jocundus in Bartholomaeus Anglicus De
        Proprietatibus Rerum.
   
    2. Of a tale, saying, jest, etc.: amusing, diverting, funny.
     Now only with mixture of sense 5.
   
    3. a. Of sunlight, moonlight, etc.: bright. Obs.
   
       b. Of an article of clothing, an ornament, etc.: fine, handsome,
       brightly coloured. Obs.
   
    II. Characterized by happiness or joy.
   
    4. a. Full of animated enjoyment (in early use chiefly with
       reference to feasting or sporting); full of laughter or
       cheerfulness; joyous. Also of a person's general disposition:
       given to joyousness or mirth.
   
       b. Happy, pleased, content. Obs.
   
       c. Boisterous or cheerful due to alcohol; slightly drunk, tipsy.
       Cf. market-merry adj. at MARKET n. Compounds 2, merry-drunk adj.
       at MERRY adv. Compounds 1.
   
       d. Jocular, humorous, witty. Also with on, upon, with (a
       person). Now only in to make merry at Phrases 1a. Obs.
   
    5. a. Expressive of merriment; characterized by cheerfulness or
       exuberant gaiety; festive, joyful, jolly.
   
       b. Of a season or festival: characterized by celebration and
       rejoicing. Freq. in Merry Christmas! and other seasonal
       greetings.

True Christians should not offended by such trivial things.