It’s not the holiday season. It’s Christmas, dammit!

Federal law (5 U.S.C. 6103) establishes the following public holidays for Federal employees.

New Year’s Day
Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Washington’s Birthday
Memorial Day
Independence Day
Labor Day
Columbus Day
Veterans Day
Thanksgiving Day
Christmas Day

That last entry should grab everyone’s attention. Nowhere in that list is the term “Winter Holiday” or “Holiday Season”. The Federal Government, through law, has recognized Christmas.

What this means is this; if you take offense to the terms “Winter Holiday” or “Holiday Season” used as a substitute for the proper and legal term “Christmas”, you are well within your right to call it out and to express your concern.

Call it what it is; that’s what words are for. We don’t modify “Happy Hanukkah ” to “Happy Candle-lighting” for our Jewish friends.

It’s “Merry Christmas”. Oh, yea, and it ain’t no “Holiday Tree” or “Family Tree” as Lowes wants to call it a couple of years ago. Nice try, Lowes, but as you found out, trying to rename the beloved “Christmas Tree” comes with consequences.

It’s legal to call it “Christmas” or a “Christmas Tree”.

For those still feeling compelled to change it to suit them, why don’t you leave the wording to those who observe the holiday? After all, if you want to rename it, it probably wasn’t your holiday in the first place.

Merry Christmas, everyone!