Salvation Army Ringer Punched for Saying "Happy Holidays"

An Arizona woman who was serving as a bell ringer for The Salvation Army's Red Kettle campaign says she was assaulted by another woman for saying "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas."

Kristina Vindiola says she was bell ringing outside a Walmart in Phoenix when a shopper hit her for saying "Happy Holidays," ABC affiliate KNXV-TV Phoenix reports.

"I thought she was going to put money in the kettle," Vindiola told the station. "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 reportedly hit Vindiola's arm then went into the store. Vindiola told a store manager, who called the police, though KNXV-TV reports that law enforcement officials did not have enough evidence to arrest the accused woman.

Kathy Lovin, a spokesperson for The Salvation Army's Western Territory, told The Christian Post that bell ringers are asked during training to say "Merry Christmas" when they volunteer, though they aren't required to do so. They are trained, however, to be "gracious at all times."

"The vast majority of their interactions with the public are really positive. But even if they're not, our bell ringers are trained to be gracious and to be good representatives of The Salvation Army," said Lovin.