Christmas comeback

Culture | Around the country, the American "Scroogocracy" shows signs of warming up to the traditional Christian holiday | Lynn Vincent

Pssst: Don't tell the American Civil Liberties Union, but the word Christmas this year is busting out all over:

  • In New York, Macy's holiday theme for 2005 is "Christmas in the City." And ads for Dillard's department stores say "Discover Christmas. Discover Dillard's."
  • In Jackson County, Ga., public-school officials have lifted their moratorium on "Christmas" parties and are allowing teachers to wear Christmas-themed jewelry again.
  • In Encinitas, Calif., Mayor Dan Dalager, citing both American cultural and spiritual tradition, changed the name of the city's annual December processional from "Holiday Parade" back to "Christmas Parade."

Whether Christ- or Santa-centered, more than nine in 10 Americans celebrate Christmas on Dec. 25. But the ACLU and other litigious foot soldiers of political correctness have over the past decade largely succeeded in chiseling the word Christmas out of the public square, creating in the process an American Scroogocracy made up of cities, major retailers, and public schools. This year, though, conservative opposition, consumer pique, and the ludicrous renaming of the "Christmas tree" have combined to convince some folks to declare the anti-Christmas emperors naked—and call the holiday by its right name.