For years, the Fox News Channel and other conservative media outlets insisted there was a “war on Christmas.” The claim was nonsense, of course – there was no such thing. But Fox used the imaginary war to boost viewership and stir up Christian Nationalists.
Polls showed that an uncomfortably high number of Americans, around 40%, believed in the war on Christmas. That figure held steady for some time, but a new poll by YouGov shows a steep drop in the number of Americans who believe there’s a war on Christmas. It’s now down to 23% (with 46% saying they disagree there’s a war on Christmas, and 31% saying they’re not sure).
So, what was the “war of Christmas” really all about? Two trends drove the claims. One was efforts by Americans United and its allies to ensure that public schools and other government institutions respected all beliefs and non-beliefs and refrained from pressuring anyone to take part in religious activities.
We reminded public school officials that they can’t celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday. As AU has observed, “Public schools may have holiday celebrations, but they cannot be religious celebrations. Only the nonreligious aspects of a holiday may be celebrated by the school. One common example is that courts generally view things like Santa Claus and his reindeer as a nonreligious element of the Christmas holiday, while Jesus, the manger, and the three wise men would be considered religious aspects of that holiday. A school may provide factual information about the religious aspects of a holiday as part of a lesson, as mentioned above in the curriculum section, but must not require or encourage students to participate in religious activities or sponsor those activities.”
AU also advised government officials at all levels that if they allow Christian groups access to public spaces to display symbols like nativity scenes, other groups must also be permitted to display their symbols.
This is not a “war on Christmas”; it’s an attempt to enforce church-state separation and make certain that the government doesn’t play favorites when it comes to religion. Obviously, none of these actions prevented people from celebrating Christmas in ways that were meaningful for them in their homes or houses of worship.
The second factor is more cultural than legal: Some Americans celebrate Christmas in ways the Christian Nationalist “Christmas police” don’t approve of. They may emphasize the holiday’s secular aspects, blend in elements from other faith traditions or create their own experiences. Some people, of course, celebrate other holidays at this time of year or don’t celebrate anything.
That’s to be expected in a country that emphasizes religious freedom. It’s a sign of our diversity and should be welcomed. Thanks to the separation of church and state, you can choose what experiences you want to have at this time of year. That may infuriate Christian Nationalists, but it’s the mark of a free society.
Claims of a war on Christmas are as stale as an old fruitcake. Here’s hoping we’ve seen the last of them.
To those who celebrate, we at Americans United say a hearty “Happy Holidays!”
