Make Spirits Bright

Christmas has long been the favorite time of year for fighting about public religion. We bicker about whether to say “Merry Christmas” or “happy holidays,” about “holiday trees,” public creches, and the singing of sacred carols in schools. Some of these fights are truly exasperating. Still, the Christmas wars do illustrate some real complexities in American culture, which are especially interesting in a time when “Christian nationalism” is a subject of burning controversy.