I confess I missed the “War on Christmas” last year. I work in retail and it is obviously our busiest time. I didn’t notice many skirmishes but we did have a few customers who seemed reluctant to say “Merry Christmas” and one who insisted on wishing me felicitations of the holy day in a way that suggested she was not happy nor did she care if I had a jolly time or not. So after last season’s furor over holiday greetings and decorations, I had hoped we’d come to some sort of understanding about the winter holidays but, alas, I was wrong.



One of the world’s largest retailers has bowed to the will of its demographic and has returned “Merry Christmas” to the lips of its employees and the plastic signs of its sale bins. Lest I be buried with a stake of holly through my heart for not saying “Merry Christmas,” I’d like to offer an olive branch — or more appropriately a mistletoe bough — in this pernicious little skirmish so that I and you may get on with celebrating our holidays this year. ...