Do you think it's offensive for businesses or other organizations to tell the public "happy holidays" as opposed to "merry Christmas/hannukah/kwanza/etc?"

 Why does it matter?

I do feel it's pretty silly to have to change the greeting of the season just because one might feel excluded.  I can see the logic in saying happy holidays only because it's more broad in capturing the spriit of thanksgiving, xmas, and new years all in one greeting!  People should be more lighthearted if they get the wrong seasonal greeting - at least the person tried!  Can you really help what is the majority?

http://www.citizenlink.org/Stoplight/A000005834.cfm

When people start saying "Happy Holidays" in Mid January to capture both President's Day, & Valentine's Day, then that spin will be more acceptable.

When they start calling it a "holiday card" instead of a "Valentine's card" they will have a point.  There are more people with no reason to celebrate Valentine's day than there are people who don't celebrate Christmas, yet I've never seen a single advertiser remove Valentine's Day from their advertising or wording around their products.

I do know that retailers are making BILLIONS selling products for a specific day near the end of the year...not Thanksgiving...and it's not New Year's, so those retailers who refuse to acknowledge the 25th of December even by name, don't get a dime of my money.

Merry Tossmas... 

I don't think it is offensive.

I work with the public and I prefer to say Happy Holidays.  I don't know which specific one my customer may be celebrating, nor do they know which one I am.  It is the Holiday Season.  I think it would be more offensive for me to wish everyone a Merry Christmas, when there is a good chance half of my customers celebrate Hannuka.

For the most part everyone will be celebrating something this time of year.

I do not go into extending a Happy Valentine's Day. That is one day, not a time of year, and probably less rather than more people celebrate.  And whoever does it is between them and whoever they are celebrating with. 

You don't spread Valentine's cheer, or have the Valentine's spirit, it is not a time of year for friends and family.  

Comparing it to Valentines Day is just plain silly.

As a business person, why would you want to offend potential customers?  Saying "Happy Holidays" is all encompassing, no matter what you believe.