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I heard that Hebrew Nation (hot dog maker) and the Mogen David winery both REFUSE to advertise with the word Christmas, instead opting for to just advertise for Hanukkah. Add them to the list!!

In all seriousness, I believe in promoting businesses that promote Christmas and avoid stores that have a policy of banning Christmas, HOWEVER, we shouldn't jump to conclusions and be rabid boycotters. The choice of the words, happy or holiday does not mean the store is actively excluding Christmas or Christians. Be careful in assigning motivation when one isn't known. Innocent businesses or people could be hurt.

You're right; no need to become a fascist about Christmas. But the big chain stores that have plenty of opportunity to show a sign of Christmas here or there, that are trying to snuff it out wherever it appears, deserve a rap on the financial knuckles.

Just got back from taking 5-yr-old daughter help ring the Salvation Army bells in front of local Wal*Mart. Asked the little brass band there if they were from Salvation Army also and one said, "no, we're local community musicians." And there was a big whiteboard schedule showing local the community groups that were "manning" the Salvation Army pot for the next several days. So, it is indeed a broad community effort, and mostly but not explicitly Christian. From the standpoint of keeping the SA effort alive and representative of the community, maybe how it's being done is not a bad thing. Merry Christmas all.

Yes, I understand (thanks for your levelling comments), but, there is (also) nothing inherently WRONG with saying or putting in print, "Merry Christmas" or even "Christmas" as a word, a concept, a celebration along with all associated symbols and stories and such.

Retailers who have insisted on the "no mention of the word, 'Christmas'" policy are displaying a high degree of shame and negativity about the Season, the word itself...and that's what's disturbing to my view as a consumer.

They plaster "Halloween" all over the place, for example, and yet recoil if/when someone says "Merry Christmas" and the like.

It indicates some other policy, unstated but obvious, that is not at all minor.

So, because of that, I think it's important for Christians and those who do not feel shame at the mention of Christmas to act accordingly. This is one effort to respond by refusing to patronize that I support.

Now, if I could only find an alternative to COSTCO...

There was a most clear and definite collusion amongst some retailers to drop the Merry Christmas and religious acknowledgement of Christmas - THIS was the year where they thought they could do it. I mean, what are the odds that all these companies would attempt to do it in the same year?

I suspect some of these progressive-leaning retailers wanted to do it for awhile now. They figured the time was right this year and did not expect much public backlash. Meanwhile another category of retailers, who perhaps caught wind of their plans, decided to implement the same policies so they wern't left out as the only ones doing it (you know, ACLU intimidation related)