I had an elderly aunt who was a very devote Christian. She was a lovely woman, but she loved to watch TV preachers, virtually all of whom were pushing the war on Christmas meme. She had herself all primed to give anyone in her retirement home both barrels if they wished her Happy Holidays, instead of Merry Christmas, and bemoaned the recent secular assault on Christ.

I agreed with her, and told her I had to run -- I needed to hurry home to destroy my recording of Bing Crosby singing Happy Holliday from 1942.

Bet her response was nothing more than a "harumph"

And then it sunk in that people have been saying Happy Holidays for a whole lot longer than the last couple of years no matter what Pat Robertson or Bill O'Reilly were pushing.