I love Christmas. I really do. Not necessarily in a religious kind of way, but certainly in a “let’s all reflect on the past year by sitting around a fire with family even though these memories of Christmases past are almost certainly overly romanticized versions of reality” kind of way.

But one thing I don’t like about Christmastime is the tired, lazy “There’s a ‘War on Christmas!’” argument you’ll hear in right-wing media. And while I wrote about this back in 2019 for Media Matters, focusing mostly on the role Fox News played in making people think that every utterance of “Happy Holidays” is an attempt to eliminate December 25th’s significance, there’s so much more I wasn’t able to pack into that piece. The beauty of doing this as a newsletter is that I can now devote as much space as I see as necessary to the topic.

There is no “War on Christmas.”

Despite the annual freakouts, there’s no coordinated effort to wipe Christmas from our collective consciousness. That said, the “War on Christmas,” as it’s been hyped up by politicians and media personalities, has absolutely had an effect on the world around us. This week’s coverage in The Present Age aims to highlight exactly what that means for a country bitterly divided on, well, everything.

A few years back, I decided to have a sweatshirt made that just said: “The War On Christmas Is Not Real.” My wonderful wife Kayla decided to make a few designs and put them up for sale over at her shop, Tiny Werewolves. So if that’s your jam, support a small business and pick something up.

Stay tuned for more coverage on this topic throughout the week! In other winter holiday-related news, I’d like to wish a happy second night of Hanukkah to all who celebrate, and I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving.