The one thing that O'Reilly said in that interview that I agree with is that stores could hang banners with every conceivable message: Merry Christmas! Happy Hanukah! Happy Holidays! Happy Kwanzaa! Worship the Buck! Spend until it Hurts! GIVE until it Hurts! Remember The Kids Who Have Less! Whatever message they're trying to get across. I have no problem with any family, any nationality, any culture, going public with their celebrations.

Yes, George, the 'average' person and family still says Merry Christmas and not only is there a Christmas tree, many people decorate live trees on their lawans right alongside the Nativitiy scene with Santa and his reindeer skittering across the rooftop. (Santa and Jesus- good friends, you know.) It is only on the public and governmental level that it is frowned upon. The reason, of course, is that many, many people don't ascribe to the sentiment

I remember when I was a kid I was bemused at and envious of the 'normal' community's response to Christmas. Within our family we drew names for a gift exchange and we had a holiday dinner but we never had a Christmas tree nor did we decorate for the season. Sad to say, I even remember when I suspected that there really *was* a Santa Claus but that my family just didn't know it.

I, of course, went on to teach my daughter the usual fibs. When she was about 5, my daughter came to me solemnly and said, Mommy, I know about Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny- but there IS a Tooth Fairy, isn't there?

Knowing that I couldn't lie to her outright, I hedged. I said, Well, what do YOU think? Mournfully, she said, Oh, no.