Modern-day controversy occurs mainly in western countries such as the United States, Canada, and to a lesser extent the United Kingdom and Ireland, and usually stems from a contrast between the holiday's significant social and economic role in these countries and its strong association with Christianity in an increasingly multiculturally sensitive and religiously diversifying society. In recent decades, public, corporate, and government mention of the term "Christmas" during the Christmas and holiday season has declined[citation needed] and been replaced with a generic term— usually "holiday(s)" or "winter"— to avoid referencing the holiday by name[citation needed]. In addition, popular non-religious aspects of Christmas, such as Christmas carols and Christmas trees, are still prominently showcased and recognized, but are vaguely associated with unspecified "holidays" rather than with Christmas. Also, many retailers are asked to greet their customers with "Happy Holidays" or "Season's Greetings" than with the traditional "Merry Christmas".
Supporters of using terms such as "holidays" in place of "Christmas" argue that many of the symbols and behaviors that western societies have come to associate with Christmas were originally syncretized from pre-Christian pagan traditions and festivals that predate Jesus, and thus need not be directly associated with Christmas. Specifically, symbols and behaviors such as caroling, Christmas trees, mistletoe, holly wreaths and yule logs, have pre-Christian origins. It has also been further argued that as western society continues to diversify culturally and religiously, public recognition of a potentially sectarian holiday, such as Christmas, may be seen as non-inclusive or offensive to non-Christians or non-celebrants in general[citation needed].
The expression war on Christmas has often been used to denote Christmas-related controversy in the media. The term gained notability thanks in part to its use by conservative commentators such as Peter Brimelow and Bill O'Reilly beginning in the early 2000s.
The claim among Brimelow, O'Reilly, and some other prominent media figures and personalities was that any specific mention of the term "Christmas" or its religious aspects was being increasingly censored, avoided, or discouraged by a number of advertisers, retailers, government (prominently schools), and other public and secular organizations.
Christmas Day is recognized as an official federal holiday by the United States government, and few have raised objections to this designation; however, many groups, such as the American Civil Liberties Union and Americans United for Separation of Church and State, argue that government-funded displays of Christmas imagery and traditions violate the U.S. Constitution—specifically the First Amendment, which prohibits the establishment by Congress of a national religion. The battle over whether religious displays should be placed within public schools, courthouses, and other government buildings, has been heated in recent years.
Supreme Court rulings starting with Lynch v. Donnelly in 1984 have permitted religious themes in government-funded Christmas displays that had "legitimate secular purposes." Since these rulings have been splintered and have left governments uncertain of their limits, many such displays have included secular elements such as reindeer, snowmen and elves along with the religious elements. Other recent court cases have brought up additional issues such as the inclusion of Christmas carols in public school performances, but none of these cases have reached the US Supreme Court.
A controversy regarding these issues arose in 2002, when the New York City public school system banned the display of Nativity scenes, but allowed the display of supposedly less overtly religious symbols such as Christmas trees, Hanukkah menorahs, and the Muslim star and crescent. The school system successfully defended its policy in Skoros v. City of New York (2006).
In December 2007, a controversy arose when a public school in Ottawa, Canada planned to have the children in its primary choir sing a version of the song "Silver Bells" with the word "Christmas" replaced by "festive"; the concert also included the songs Candles of Christmas and It's Christmas with the original lyrics. Also, in 2011, in Embrun, Ontario, near Ottawa, one school has barred the Christmas pageant and replaced it with a craft sale and winter concert scheduled for February, 2012. (Ottawa Citizen, December 2, 2011).
In the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland there have been some minor controversies, one of the most famous being the temporary promotion of an extended winter holiday period including not just the normal Christmas festivities but other celebrations (in one year Halloween and the Chinese New Year) as Winterval by Birmingham City Council in the late 1990s. This remains a controversial example of "Christmas controversy" due to its prominent promotion of Christmas, as a religious event clearly called Christmas, as a part of the programme of Winterval events. A City council spokesman observed that:
"...there was a banner saying Merry Christmas across the front of the council house, Christmas lights, Christmas trees in the main civil squares, regular carol-singing sessions by school choirs, and the Lord Mayor sent a Christmas card with a traditional Christmas scene wishing everyone a Merry Christmas"
In November 2009 the city counsel of Dundee was accused of banning Christmas because it promoted its celebrations as the Winter Night Light festival, initially with no specific references to Christianity. Local church leaders were invited to participate in the event, and they did.
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