December 21, 2006
'Merry Christmas' out of Hiding, Back in Fashion
by David Yonke
The Toledo Blade
"Merry Christmas" is making a comeback. The holiday greeting, once as common as snowflakes in a Midwestern winter, had been swept aside in recent years by retailers and concerned citizens who felt the phrase might be politically incorrect or culturally insensitive.
This year, however, Christmas is once again featured in stores and advertisements by such major retail chains as Wal-Mart, Kohl's, Target, and Macy's.
"Retailers in general have found that there are still ways to honor all holidays and all traditions and still use the phrase, 'Merry Christmas,'" said Kathy Grannis, a spokesman for the National Retail Federation. The Washington-based organization represents 1,500 retailers and more than 1.5 million locations nationwide.
"The large majority -- and by large I mean 94 or 95 percent -- of consumers actually do celebrate Christmas, according to our holiday intentions survey," Ms. Grannis said.
Read the complete story (Some news sites require registration)
