Christmas controversy refers to publicized controversy surrounding public acknowledgment or celebration of the Christmas holiday in media, advertising, government, and various secular environments. Modern-day controversy usually occurs due to the holiday's large annual role in Western economy in conjunction with its applied connotations with a specific religion, Christianity. The term "War on Christmas" is often used to address recent controversy.^[1][2] Image File history File links Gnome-globe. ... For other uses, see Christmas (disambiguation). ... In the Northern Hemisphere, the Christmas season[1][2] or winter holiday season is the designation of a varying number of holidays during late autumn and/or early winter. ... Occident redirects here. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Christianity is...

In present-day Western society, it is often suggested that during the months leading up to December 25, public, corporate, and government mention of the actual term "Christmas" is being strenuously avoided and replaced with a generic term — usually "holiday" or "winter" — and that popular non-religious aspects of Christmas such as Santa Claus, secular Christmas carols, and decorated pine trees are still being prominently showcased and recognized, but are shown as being associated with non-specified "holidays", rather than with Christmas.^[3] Supporters of this effort often claim that the goal of this altered presentation is to be politically correct and to avoid possibly causing unintentional offense to non-Christians by associating these festivities and traditions with the term "Christmas". However, since 96 percent of Americans celebrate Christmas and many of them are non-Christian,^[4] opponents feel that this presentation is actually a concerted effort to cleanse any connotations with Christianity or Jesus (by avoiding the term "Christmas"), while simultaneously attempting to relate to celebrants of Christmas to secure the huge monetary profit associated with Christmas gift purchasing (by showcasing secular Christmas traditions). For other uses, see Society (disambiguation). ... is the 359th day of the year (360th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Look up Generic in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This article concerns secularity, that is, being secular, in various senses. ... A typical depiction of Santa Claus. ... Christmas Songs is a 2005 (see 2005 in music) album by Diana Krall performed with the Clayton/Hamilton Jazz Orchestra. ... A Christmas tree from 1900. ... Political correctness is the alteration of language to redress real or alleged injustices and discrimination or to avoid offense. ... This article is about Jesus of Nazareth. ... This page is about the title, office or what is known in Christian theology as the Divine Person. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

In past centuries, Christmas-related controversy was mainly restricted to concerns of a public focus on secular Christmas themes such as Santa Claus and gift giving rather than what was glorified as the "reason for the season"—the birth of Jesus. A symbolic issue from these past controversies was usage of the term "Xmas", which many allege is a conscious attempt at removing the term "Christ" from Christmas. The abbreviation originated from the use of the Greek letter chi, Χ, as an abbreviation of Christ (Χριστός).^[5] A typical depiction of Santa Claus. ... Love gift Man presents a cut of meat to a youth with a hoop. ... The Nativity by Caravaggio, 1609. ... This 1922 Ladies Home Journal advertisement uses Xmas. Xmas and X-mas are common abbreviations of the word Christmas. They are sometimes pronounced eksmas, but they, and variants such as Xtemass, originated as handwriting abbreviations for the pronunciation Christmas. The -mas part came from the Anglo-Saxon for festival, religious... This page is about the title, office or what is known in Christian theology as the Divine Person. ... Technical note: Due to technical limitations, some web browsers may not display some special characters in this article. ... Look up Χ, χ in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Present-day controversy

Since 1999, various people of differing backgrounds and positions have been claiming that there is an ongoing censorship, or "war" on the term `Christmas`, and on the celebration of the holiday itself in public Western society, particularly in the United States. Contrary to popular belief, those campaigning against the "censorship" of Christmas not only include Christians, but include atheists^[3], Muslims,^[6] and Jews.^[7][8] Many of these people claim that there is a concerted effort to remove any mention of Christmas in public advertising, government, public schools, as well as in general conversation with strangers at Christmastime. Some also claim that this "war" also extends to Easter and Good Friday, where euphemisms are sometimes used to avoid mentioning these holidays by name. For other uses, see Censor. ... Occident redirects here. ... This article is about the religous people known as Christians. ... For information about the band, see Atheist (band). ... For people named Islam, see Islam (name). ... Students in Rome, Italy. ... Easter/Good Friday controversy refers to modern controversy surrounding the public acknowledgement and celebration of Easter and Good Friday, especially in the United States. ...

Government-related controversies

Although Christmas Day is officially designated as December's only federal holiday by the United States government,^[9] there are many who claim that government-funded displays of Christmas imagery and traditions violate the U.S. constitution, and defy separation of church and state. The battle over whether such displays and traditions should be displayed and celebrated within public schools, courthouses and other government buildings, has become very heated in recent years. Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Joseph and Mary with baby Jesus, at the first Christmas Christmas (literally, the Mass of Christ) is a holiday in the Christian calendar, usually observed on December 25, which celebrates the birth of Jesus. ... In the United States, a Federal holiday is a holiday recognized by the United States Government. ... The government of the United States, established by the United States Constitution, is a federal republic of 50 states, a few territories and some protectorates. ... Page I of the Constitution of the United States of America Page II of the United States Constitution Page III of the United States Constitution Page IV of the United States Constitution The Syng inkstand, with which the Constitution was signed The Constitution of the United States is the supreme... Constantines Conversion, depicting the conversion of Emperor Constantine the Great to Christianity, by Peter Paul Rubens. ... The term public school has two contrary meanings: In England, one of a small number of prestigious historic schools open to the public which normally charge fees and are financed by bodies other than the state, commonly as private charitable trusts; here the word public is used much as in...

A heated controversy of such relation arose in 2002, when the New York City public school system banned the display of nativity scenes, but allowed religious symbols of Hanukkah and Ramadan to be displayed.^[10] Defenders of the policy justified it in claiming that the symbols in question, the Hanukkah menorah and Muslim Star and crescent, were cultural, but that the nativity scene was religious, thus not allowed. Such a policy angered many, including commentator Bill O'Reilly, who in 2006 was noted as saying that such a policy was "anti-Christian". New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... A traditional nativity scene from Naples, Italy A nativity scene, also called a crib or crèche (meaning crib or manger in French) generally refers to any depiction of the birth or birthplace of Jesus. ... Grand Rabbi Israel Abraham Portugal of Skulen Hasidism lighting Hanukkah lights Hanukkah (‎, also spelled Chanukah), also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday beginning on the 25th day of the month of Kislev, which may fall anytime from late November to late December. ... This article is about Islamic religious observances in the month of Ramadan. ... A coin issued by Mattathias Antigonus, c. ... A typical presentation of the star and crescent The star and crescent is a symbol consisting of a crescent with a star at the concave side. ... For other uses, see Culture (disambiguation). ... Various Religious symbols, including (first row) Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Bahai, (second row) Islamic, tribal, Taoist, Shinto (third row) Buddhist, Sikh, Hindu, Jain, (fourth row) Ayyavazhi, Triple Goddess, Maltese cross, pre-Christian Slavonic Religion is the adherence to codified beliefs and rituals that generally involve a faith in a spiritual... It has been suggested that Bill OReilly political beliefs and points of view be merged into this article or section. ...

'Holiday tree' controversies

Since the late 1990s and early 2000s, there have been several instances in the U.S. and Canada where official public mention and reference to a Christmas tree has been renamed to "holiday tree" for various reasons, mostly for enforcement of separation of church and state or applications of political correctness. Many were outraged at these renamings,^[11] while others supported them as being inclusive, or as being factually correct because of claims that Christmas trees have pagan origins. For the band, see 1990s (band). ... The 2000s are the current decade, spanning from 2000 to 2009. ... A Christmas tree from 1900. ... Constantines Conversion, depicting the conversion of Emperor Constantine the Great to Christianity, by Peter Paul Rubens. ... Political correctness is the alteration of language to redress real or alleged injustices and discrimination or to avoid offense. ... Look up Inclusive in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Pagan may refer to: A believer in Paganism or Neopaganism Bagan, a city in Myanmar also known as Pagan Pagan (album), the 6th album by Celtic metal band Cruachan Pagan Island, of the Northern Mariana Islands Pagan Lorn, a metal band from Luxembourg, Europe (1994-1998) Pagans Mind, is...

One of the bigger holiday tree controversies came in 2005, when the city of Boston, United States, called their official decorated tree a holiday tree, and the subsequent response from the Nova Scotian tree farmer who donated the tree was that he would rather have put the tree in a wood chipper than have it named a "holiday" tree.^[12] Donnie Hatt, the donor, was also quoted as saying "Ever since I was born, a tree was put up for Christmas, not for holidays, because if you're going to do that you might as well put a tree up for Easter".^[13] Nickname: City on the Hill, Beantown, The Hub (of the Universe)1, Athens of America, The Cradle of Revolution, Puritan City, Americas Walking City Location in Massachusetts, USA Counties Suffolk County Mayor Thomas M. Menino(D) Area    - City 232. ... Motto: Munit Haec et Altera Vincit(Latin) One defends and the other conquers Capital Halifax Largest city Halifax Regional Municipality Official languages English, Canadian Gaelic Government - Lieutenant-Governor Mayann E. Francis - Premier Rodney MacDonald (PC) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament - House seats 11 - Senate seats 10 Confederation July 1, 1867... A tree chipper (sometimes, wood chipper) is a machine used for reducing wood (generally tree limbs or trunks) to chips. ... For other uses, see Holiday (disambiguation). ... This article is about the Christian festival. ...

Another 2005 controversial instance was with American hardware giant Lowe's, and their signs that said "Holiday trees" in English, but read "Christmas trees" in Spanish. Some claim that this proves that political correctness is solely a phenomenon of the English language. For other uses, see Hardware (disambiguation). ... “Lowes” redirects here. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Political correctness is the alteration of language to redress real or alleged injustices and discrimination or to avoid offense. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ...

Retailer controversies

Since approximately 2004, many Christian or secular non-profit organizations in the United States have petitioned for boycotts of various large secular organizations, particularly retail giants, demanding that they use the term "Christmas" rather than "holiday" in their print, TV, online, and in-store marketing. Although a great many retailers were criticized for adhering to such policies, there have been quite a few notable instances in which many retailers were feature prominently in the mainstream media for their "no `Christmas`" policy. Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Look up Boycott in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A drawing of a self-service store Retailing consists of the sale of goods/merchandise for personal or household consumption either from a fixed location such as a department store or kiosk, or away from a fixed location and related subordinated services (Definition of the WTO (last page). ... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... In commerce, a retailer buys goods or products in large quantities from manufacturers or importers, either directly or through a wholesaler, and then sells individual items or small quantities to the general public or end user customers, usually in a shop, also called store. ... Mass media is the term used to denote, as a class, that section of the media specifically conceived and designed to reach a very large audience (typically at least as large as the whole population of a nation state). ...

2005

• After threats of boycotting, the Sears Holdings Corporation (which owns Sears and Kmart) altered their marketing policies from using the term "holiday" to using the term "Christmas." The change of policy included the distribution of "Merry Christmas" signs to stores nationwide, and the changing of all instances of the term "holiday" to "Christmas" on their website and in stores. Sears also included a "very Merry Christmas" greeting at their website from December 8 through December 26, 2005. Kmart opened the 2006 Christmas season with their slogan "Where Christmas comes together", and several commercials acknowledging Christmas, including one with the tune to "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing". As of 2007, Sears still avoid using the word "Christmas" in their print materials, including the "Wish Book".

• In 2005, Wal-Mart was criticized by the Catholic League for avoiding the word "Christmas" in any of their marketing efforts."^[14] The company had downplayed the term, "Christmas," in much of its advertising for several years.^[15] This caused some backlash among the public, prompting some groups to pass around petitions and threaten boycotts against the company, as well as several other prominent retailers that practiced similar downgrading of the holiday.^[14] In 2006, in response to the public outcry, Wal-Mart announced that they were amending their policy and would be using "Christmas" rather than "holiday". Among the changes, they noted that the former "Holiday Shop" would become the "Christmas Shop", and that there would be a "countin' down the days to Christmas" feature.^[14].

Target's 2006 Christmas logo.

• In 2005, Target Corporation was criticized by the American Family Association for their nonusage of the term "Christmas" in any of their in-store, online, or print advertising.^[16] The AFA initiated a nation-wide boycott of the Target Corporation,^[17] resulting in over 700,000 petition signatures, all of which were individually sent to Target customer service. Within a week of initiating the boycott, the AFA received an official letter from Target which indicated that they would begin incorporating the term "Christmas" in their advertising: "Over the course of the next few weeks, our advertising, marketing and merchandising will become more specific to the holiday that is approaching – referring directly to holidays like Christmas and Hanukkah. For example, you will see reference to Christmas in select television commercials, circulars and in-store signage.".^[18] In a 2007 interview with Chief Executive Magazine, the CEO of Target, Bob Ulrich, stated that Target's usage of "holiday" instead of "Christmas" was a mistake. "Frankly, we screwed up", he said.^[19]

Sears Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ: SHLD) is the fourth largest retailer in the United States, behind Wal-Mart, The Home Depot, and Kroger. ... Sears, Roebuck and Company is an American mid-range chain of international department stores, founded by Richard Sears and Alvah Roebuck in the late 19th century. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Merry Christmas is a spoken greeting traditionally used on or around the Christmas holiday on December 25 of every year. ... For other uses, see Christmas (disambiguation). ... Wikisource has original text related to this article: Hark! the Herald Angels Sing Hark! The Herald Angels Sing is a Christmas hymn or carol written by Charles Wesley, the brother of John Wesley. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. ... Throughout history there have been many alliances and organizations known as the Catholic League, including: Catholic League (USA) - Civil rights group in the United States. ... Look up Petition in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Look up Boycott in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Image File history File links Xmas2006. ... Image File history File links Xmas2006. ... This article is about the United States retail company. ... The American Family Association (AFA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that promotes conservative Christian values. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Grand Rabbi Israel Abraham Portugal of Skulen Hasidism lighting Hanukkah lights Hanukkah (‎, also spelled Chanukah), also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday beginning on the 25th day of the month of Kislev, which may fall anytime from late November to late December. ... For other persons named Robert Ulrich, see Robert Ulrich (disambiguation). ...

2006

• When it was revealed in November 2006 that Wal-Mart would be using the term "Christmas" in their advertising campaign, an article about the issue initiated by USA Today pointed out that Best Buy Corporation would be among the retailers that would not be using "Christmas" at all in their advertising that year. Dawn Bryant, a Best Buy spokeswoman, stated: "We are going to continue to use the term holiday because there are several holidays throughout that time period, and we certainly need to be respectful of all of them."^[20] The American Family Association launched a campaign against Best Buy's policy.^[21] In reaction to the same policy, the Catholic League placed Best Buy on its 2006 Christmas Watch List.^[22] As of October 2007, it is unknown as to whether Best Buy will use "Christmas", "holiday", or both during the upcoming season.

• Around the same time that Best Buy Corporation was noted for having avoided using "Christmas" in their 2006 advertising, Gap, Incorporated (which owns Gap, Old Navy, and Banana Republic) was also criticized for avoiding use of the term.^[23] An unnamed Old Navy manager was quoted as saying: "We have a lot of Christmas gifts in our stores, but the word Christmas is not used here. Everything is holiday."^[23] After mounting criticism about the issue, Gap, Inc. set up an option within their corporate telephone answering line that was specific to "holiday advertising questions". As of 2007, it is unknown as to whether Gap will incorporate the word "Christmas" into their 2007 ad campaign.

USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. ... For the defunct chain of catalog showrooms, see Best Products. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... 2007 is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Gap. ... Old Navy is a brand of clothing and chain of stores owned by Gap Inc. ... For other uses, see Banana republic (disambiguation). ...

Historical controversy

Puritan era

The first documented Christmas controversy was Christian-led, and began during the English Interregnum, when Britain was ruled by a Puritan Parliament. ^[24] Puritans (including those who fled to America) sought to remove the remaining pagan elements of Christmas (listed below). During this period, the English Parliament banned the celebration of Christmas entirely, considering it a popish festival with no biblical justification, and a time of wasteful and immoral behavior.^[25] The English Interregnum was the period of parliamentary and military rule in the land occupied by modern-day England and Wales after the English Civil War. ... For the record label, see Puritan Records. ... A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modelled after that of the United Kingdom. ... The Puritans were members of a group of radical Protestants which developed in England after the Reformation. ... Type Bicameral Houses House of Commons House of Lords Speaker of the House of Commons Michael Martin MP Lord Speaker Hélène Hayman, PC Members 1377 (646 Commons, 731 Peers) Political groups Labour Party Conservative Party Liberal Democrats Scottish National Party Plaid Cymru Democratic Unionist Party Sinn Féin...

Protestantism

Prior to the Victorian era, Christmas in the United States was primarily a religious holiday observed by Episcopalians, Roman Catholics, and Lutherans. Its importance was often considered secondary to Epiphany and Easter. Queen Victoria (shown here on the morning of her accession to the Throne, 20 June 1837) gave her name to the historic era The Victorian era of the United Kingdom marked the height of the British Industrial Revolution and the apex of the British Empire. ... The Wise Men (Magi) adoring the infant Jesus. ... This article is about the Christian festival. ...

As was the case with other Christian holidays, Christmas borrowed elements from pagan peoples, including the Advent period, gift giving, yule logs, decorations such as candles, holly, and mistletoe. Christmas trees were also sometimes seen as pagan in origin. Cited as proof is Jeremiah, 10:3-4, which states, "For the customs of the peoples are false: a tree from the forest is cut down, and worked with an ax by the hands of an artisan people deck it with silver and gold they fasten it with hammer and nails so that it cannot move." Advent (from the Latin Adventus, implicitly coupled with Redemptoris, the coming of the Saviour) is a holy season of the Christian church, the period of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of Christ, also known as the season of Christmas. ... Yule is the winter solstice celebration of the Scandinavian Norse mythology and Germanic pagans. ... For other uses, see Candle (disambiguation). ... Species Ilex ambigua—Sand Holly Ilex amelanchier—Swamp Holly Ilex aquifolium—European Holly Ilex bioritsensis Ilex buergeri Ilex canariensis—Small-leaved Holly Ilex cassine—Dahoon Holly Ilex centrochinensis Ilex ciliospinosa Ilex colchica Ilex collina Ilex corallina Ilex coriacea—Gallberry Ilex cornuta—Chinese Holly Ilex crenata—Japanese Holly Ilex cyrtura Ilex... Families Santalaceae (Viscaceae) Loranthaceae Misodendraceae Mistletoe Viscum album is a plant parasitic on the branches of a tree or shrub. ... A Christmas tree from 1900. ... For other uses, see Jeremiah (disambiguation). ...

During the various Protestant reformations, these (real or supposed) paganizing elements were a source of controversy. Some sects, such as the Puritans, rejected Christmas as an entirely pagan holiday. Others rejected certain aspects of Christmas as paganizing, but wanted to retain the "essence" of the holiday as a celebration of the Christ's birth. This tension put in motion an ongoing debate about the proper observance of Christmas.^[26] Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... The Puritans were members of a group of radical Protestants which developed in England after the Reformation. ...

According to Kelly Wittmann, "In ancient Babylon, the feast of the Son of Isis (Goddess of Nature) was celebrated on December 25. Raucous partying, gluttonous eating and drinking, and gift-giving were traditions of this feast." Also, "In Rome, the Winter Solstice was celebrated many years before the birth of Christ. The Romans called their winter holiday Saturnalia, honoring Saturn, the God of Agriculture...It is in ancient Rome that the tradition of the Mummers was born. The Mummers were groups of costumed singers and dancers who traveled from house to house entertaining their neighbors. From this, the Christmas tradition of caroling was born."^[27]

19th century

According to historian Ronald Hutton, the current state of observance of Christmas is largely the result of a mid-Victorian revival of the holiday spearheaded by Charles Dickens. In A Christmas Carol, Hutton argues, Dickens sought to construct Christmas as a family-centered festival of generosity, in contrast to the community-based and church-centered observations, the observance of which had dwindled during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. The holiday, remade as a family-centered rather than community-centered festival, carried its own set of contradictions: the practice of gift-giving created the possibility of commercialization, and the shift from community to familial focus further eroded the traditions of communal religious observance.^[28] Ronald Hutton is Professor of History at the University of Bristol and is an occasional commentator on British television and radio on the history of paganism in the British Isles. ... “Dickens” redirects here. ... A Christmas Carol in Prose, Being a Ghost Story of Christmas (commonly known as A Christmas Carol ) is what Charles Dickens described as his little Christmas Book and was first published on December 19, 1843 with illustrations by John Leech. ...

Modern celebrations of Christmas include more commercial activity, compared to the more religous celebrations of the past.

Historian Stephen Nissenbaum contends that the modern celebration in the United States was developed in New York State from existing Dutch traditions in order to re-focus the holiday from one where groups of young men went from house to house demanding alcohol and food into one that was focused on the happiness of children. He notes that there was deliberate effort to prevent the children from becoming greedy in response. ^[29] Image File history File linksMetadata Gifts_xmas. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Gifts_xmas. ...

Early 20th century

In the early twentieth century, Christian writers such as C. S. Lewis had already noted a distinct split between the religious and secular observance of Christmas. In Xmas and Christmas: A Lost Chapter from Herodotus, Lewis gives a satire of the observance of two simultaneous holidays in "Niatirb" (Britain backwards) from the supposed view of the Greek historian and traveller. One, "Exmas", is observed by a flurry of compulsory commercial activity and expensive indulgence in alcoholic beverages. The other, "Crissmas," is observed in Niatirb's temples. Lewis's narrator asks a priest "why they kept Crissmas on the same day as Exmas?" He receives the reply: Clive Staples Jack Lewis (29 November 1898 – 22 November 1963), commonly referred to as C. S. Lewis, was an Irish author and scholar. ... Herodotus of Halicarnassus (Greek: HÄ“rodotos Halikarnāsseus) was a Greek historian from Ionia who lived in the 5th century BC (ca. ... 1867 edition of the satirical magazine Punch, a British satirical magazine, ground-breaking on popular literature satire. ... Alcoholic beverages An alcoholic beverage (also known as booze in slang term) is a drink containing ethanol, commonly known as alcohol, although in chemistry the definition of alcohol includes many other compounds. ... This article is about religious workers. ...

"It is not lawful, O Stranger, for us to change the date of Crissmas, but would that Zeus would put it into the minds of the Niatirbians to keep Exmas at some other time or not to keep it at all. For Exmas and the Rush distract the minds even of the few from sacred things. And we indeed are glad that men should make merry at Crissmas; but in Exmas there is no merriment left." And when I asked him why they endured the Rush, he replied, "It is, O Stranger, a racket. . . "^[30]

The December 1957 News and Views published by the Church League of America, an organization co-founded in 1937 by George Washington Robnett^[31] attacked the use of Xmas in an article titled "X=The Unknown Quantity." The claims were picked up later by Gerald L. K. Smith who in December 1966 claimed that Xmas was a "blasphemous omission of the name of Christ" and that "'X' is referred to as being symbolical of the unknown quantity." Smith further argued that Jews introduced Santa Claus to suppress the New Testament accounts of Jesus, and that the United Nations at the behest of "world Jewry" had "outlawed the name of Christ."^[32] Such claims are made in the face of documented centuries-long history of use of Χ (actually a chi) as an abbreviation for "Christ" (Χριστός). This 1922 Ladies Home Journal advertisement uses Xmas. Xmas and X-mas are common abbreviations of the word Christmas. They are sometimes pronounced eksmas, but they, and variants such as Xtemass, originated as handwriting abbreviations for the pronunciation Christmas. The -mas part came from the Anglo-Saxon for festival, religious... Gerald Lyman Kenneth Smith (February 27, 1898–April 15, 1976) was a leader of the Share Our Wealth movement and founder of the America First Party (1944). ... A typical depiction of Santa Claus. ... UN and U.N. redirect here. ... Look up Χ, χ in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Christmas observances (at least the overtly religious kinds) were banned in the Soviet Union and under certain other Communist regimes, and played down in all of them. Certain religions, such as the Jehovah's Witnesses and some fundamentalist churches, continued to reject the holiday as well, citing its pagan and/or Roman Catholic origins. In the Soviet Union, most customs associated with Christmas (like decorated trees, presents, and Ded Moroz) were later reinstated, but tied to New Year's Day instead; this tradition remains as of the present day. This article is about communism as a form of society and as a political movement. ... Look up fundamentalism in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... In the culture of the eastern Slavs the traditional character Ded Moroz (Russian: ) plays a role similar to that of Santa Claus. ... This article is about January 1 in the Gregorian calendar. ...

See also

• Easter/Good Friday controversy
• Christian Right
• Christmas
• Hanukkah
• Holiday greetings
• Christmas/winter holiday season
• Political correctness
• Santa Claus for entry on the Christian opposition to Santa Claus
• American Civil Liberties Union
• American Family Association, led a boycott of Target stores in December 2005.
• Persecution complex
• Separation of Church and state
• Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights
• Center for Reclaiming America, led by D. James Kennedy and Gary Cass.
• Friend or Foe Christmas Campaign, hosted by Liberty Counsel

Easter/Good Friday controversy refers to modern controversy surrounding the public acknowledgement and celebration of Easter and Good Friday, especially in the United States. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      The Christian... For other uses, see Christmas (disambiguation). ... Grand Rabbi Israel Abraham Portugal of Skulen Hasidism lighting Hanukkah lights Hanukkah (‎, also spelled Chanukah), also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday beginning on the 25th day of the month of Kislev, which may fall anytime from late November to late December. ... “Merry Christmas” redirects here. ... In the Northern Hemisphere, the Christmas season[1][2] or winter holiday season is the designation of a varying number of holidays during late autumn and/or early winter. ... Political correctness is the alteration of language to redress real or alleged injustices and discrimination or to avoid offense. ... A typical depiction of Santa Claus. ... The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is the common name for an American organization consisting of two separate entities. ... The American Family Association (AFA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that promotes conservative Christian values. ... This article is about the United States retail company. ... A persecution complex is a term given to an array of psychologically complex behaviours, that specifically deals with the perception of being persecuted, for various possible reasons. ... Constantines Conversion, depicting the conversion of Emperor Constantine the Great to Christianity, by Peter Paul Rubens. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Dennis James Kennedy, Ph. ... Liberty Counsel is a legal organization dedicated to advancing its organizers conceptions of religious freedom the sanctity of human life and the traditional family. ...

References

// The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois and owned by the Tribune Company. ... is the 328th day of the year (329th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 339th day of the year (340th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For the news website, see MSNBC.com. ... is the 319th day of the year (320th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 339th day of the year (340th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 319th day of the year (320th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 28th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 314th day of the year (315th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 314th day of the year (315th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... is the 328th day of the year (329th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 362nd day of the year (363rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Ronald Hutton is Professor of History at the University of Bristol and is an occasional commentator on British television and radio on the history of paganism in the British Isles. ... Clive Staples Jack Lewis (29 November 1898 – 22 November 1963), commonly referred to as C. S. Lewis, was an Irish author and scholar. ... Morris Kominsky (September 28, 1901 — April 1975) was the author of The Hoaxers: Plain Liars, Fancy Liars and Damned Liars (1970). ...

External links

• Christmas - an untold story The United Church of God arguments against current manner of celebrating Christmas.