Well, my Christmas-loving friends, I come to you today with a somber message, one that could well put a damper on this most festive time of year because, you see, war has been declared.

We find ourselves in a time of war. But you didn't need me to tell

you that, did you? Just look at how Starbucks gave out plain red paper cups during Christmas

of 2015 instead of festively decorated ones. Just listen to all those people wishing you

happy holidays or season's greetings instead of

Merry Christmas. Or what about those ambiguously wintry candle or snowflake decorations in

place of wreaths or angels? Yes, it's plain to see everywhere you look. There is a war on Christmas.

A battle between religious liberty and political correctness,

between family values and crass commercialism, a battle fought through boycotts and memes on

social media and talking heads on cable news. And if you think this is something you've been hearing

about only in the last several

years, then you may be surprised to find out that this actually goes back to the 60s. The, um, 15, 60s.

But the war on Christmas back then, and the ones that followed looked a little different

from the one we're fighting today. So prepare to have your righteous indignation stoked one way or the other

as we travel from the 16th century to present day

and look at the history of the war on Christmas.

I'm Brian Earle. This is Christmas Past.

In its own way, it's become a Christmas tradition in its own right, for some people

anyway, and it goes a little something like this. Shortly after Thanksgiving, certain cable news

and talk radio pundits remind you that it's time, once again, to be outraged. Sinister forces are working to take Christmas away from you, for some reason.

It depends on which pundit you want to believe.

Maybe it's political correctness run amok.

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