Cathy Grossman over at USA Today isn’t so sure about the pre-eminence of that greeting.  

We’re heading for December when zealous guardians of the “Say-‘Merry Christmas’-or-you’ll-be-sorry” movement will be in their glory, defending Christianity from a fictional “War on Christmas.”  Among the early blasts of “MC-Only” wrath for 2009, is one directed at Best Buy. The electronics superstores, in a horrifying burst of inclusivity, printed “‘Happy Eid Al-Adha” in their Thanksgiving Day sale circular. This year, the Eid dates, which shift with the lunar calendar followed by Islam, coincide with the Christmas and Hanukkah shopping stampede.  Best Buy is standing by these best wishes despite a drubbing from the American Family Association, which treats “Happy Holidays” or “Season’s Greetings” with the outrage normally reserved for profanity, flag burning or flogging puppies.

Hmm…I usually agree with Cathy, but I think I may be approaching zealotry on this and another Christmas-related topic: the way advertisers use faux-faith messages to flog their wares.  My own latest irk is Macy’s ad campaign, “A Million Reasons to Believe.”  Really?  In what?  I doubt it’s the Incarnation.

The Rev. James Martin, S.J., is a Jesuit priest, author, editor at large at America and founder of Outreach.