Merry Christmas vs. Happy Holidays, Round 2,016

The ruckus around whether to say “Merry Christmas” or “Happy holidays” usually starts at the end of Thanksgiving, as retailers take down the turkeys with pilgrim hats and hang wreaths instead. Most of the time, it’s confined to the letters section of the local newspaper.

But Christmas came early this year. President-elect Donald Trump and many times since: “Boy, do I mean it—we’re going to be saying ‘Merry Christmas,’ ” he told a group of evangelical leaders in New York.  (He after the coffee chain abandoned its traditional holiday cup design.)