Holiday Humbug: Merry Christmas, Donald Wildmon - And Happy Halloween, Too!
Rob Boston printable version print page     Bookmark and Share
Tue Oct 21, 2008 at 01:14:14 PM EST
My 10-year-old son and I spent last night at a Halloween pumpkin carving contest. We had about half an hour to come up with a design, and despite our less-than-stellar knife skills, managed to win a ribbon for "Most Unusual Nose." (Based on the number of ribbons I saw, I suspect this was one of those contests where everyone got a prize.)

As I stood there arms deep in pumpkin goo, it was hard to think of anything but candy corn, trick or treaters and "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown." I know Christmas is coming in two months - but c'mon. Can't we take the holidays one at a time?

Not according to the Rev. Donald Wildmon. In what is becoming a yearly tradition, the dour founder of the American Family Association has once again, two weeks before Halloween, started complaining about the failure of people to use the phrase "Merry Christmas."

"It's OK To Say Merry Christmas," blare new buttons and stickers being hawked on the AFA Web site. A pack of 10 buttons goes for a "suggested donation" of nine dollars, but the "semi-permanent adhesive, glossy finish stickers" run high at 10 for $24 (with free shipping!)  

"It's hard to believe that there are companies and individuals who want to ban `Merry Christmas' and replace it with `Holiday Greetings' because, they