For America, Christmas is more than a religious holiday; it’s an entire season dedicated to gift-giving, selling and recieving, eating and spending time with family.

Although most people, including non-believers, embrace this magical occasion of eggnog and bastard fruit cakes, and Christ’s birth, there is a small segment of the population which does not; unfortunately, they also tend to be the loudest.

The majority of this minority makes up the American Civil Liberties Union, the same group who defended the National Man/Boy Love Association and appears to use the freedom of religion as a weapon to ban it from society.

Perhaps the holiday season reminds the ACLU too much of religion, because the organization has constantly attempted to force communities all over America to remove holiday decorations and symbols, including but not limited to Santa, Christmas trees, nativity scenes and even menorahs.

In a lawsuit against a city in Rhode Island last year, the ACLU sued to have a city remove a nativity scene and menorah, claiming that the religious symbols only endorse the holidays of Christianity and Judaism. The lawsuit argued that the display also alienated people whose religions were celebrated during other times in the year.

These arguments go directly against the wishes of the majority of Americans. A recent poll by the Opinion Dynamics Corporation for Fox News found that only 9 percent of Americans don’t think nativity scenes should be allowed on city property.

The ACLU has legions of lawyers on the ready to challenge even the smallest infractions against its secular agenda, from Boy Scouts meeting in parks to crosses in public places. Many communities would rather give up than fight a costly legal battle, even if it means killing the Christmas spirit.

If people don’t have holiday to celebrate during December then they should make their own, like Kwanza. This holiday was created in the ’60s by people who felt left out.

Although you may not see Kwanza in commercials to sell cars or a Snoopy cartoon TV show dedicated to it, people who felt left out in the past now have their own holiday to waste money on.

People who feel angry or left out because their particular religion is not celebrated during the holiday season or given the same prominence as others, should shut up about it. Christmas has been one of America’s biggest holidays and will continue to be, even for non-Christians.

The ACLU, and the corperations, schools and government agencies it influences might be afraid to use the word God and talk about Christmas vacation, but most Americans aren’t.

Next time someone wishes you happy holidays, feel free to wish them a Merry Christmas.