The e-mail, which Wal-Mart spokesman Dan Fogleman said was genuine, said Wal-Mart had to act as a global organization in a world with many different practices. "The colors associated with Christmas red and white are actually a representation of the aminita mascera (sic) mushroom. Santa is also borrowed from the Caucuses (sic), mistletoe from the Celts, yule log from the Goths, the time from the Visigoth and the tree from the worship of Baal. It is a wide wide world," said the e-mail, from a customer service worker identified only as Kirby. Fogleman said Thursday that Kirby no longer worked for the company. [emphasis added]

Kirby may have gotten some of the details wrong (for example, I'm almost certain Santa Claus is German), but the basic message that the American Christmas celebration has been influenced by many other cultures is absolutely correct. One of my favorite history books (and I read a lot of them) is Stephen Nissenbaum's The Battle for Christmas. It outlines the story of many invented Christmas traditions that we still practice today. Bottom line: Kirby told the truth and Wal-Mart caved in to the religious right by firing him for it.

I think it's hilarious that the leader of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights is demanding more concessions:

"We want a) an apology for insulting Christians by effectively banning Christmas and b) a withdrawal of its insane statement regarding the origins of Christmas and c) a revision on its website," Catholic League President Bill Donohue said on the group's Web site. In an interview, Donohue dismissed Wal-Mart's statement that it was respecting multiple beliefs as "corporate arrogance." "If Wal-Mart, which is the family-friendly institution, gets away with this, then all the other department stores will just fall into line," he told The Associated Press on Thursday.

Wal-Mart is getting exactly what it deserves from this direction. Continually cater to the whims of the religious right and they will think they own you in no time. But what about the left? I smell an educational moment here. This could be the historical version of the argument over Intelligent Design. I want to see Kirby and Stephen Nissenbaum on CNN explaining to Christian conservatives everywhere their own history. Let's see them try to deny the evidence when they have to confront irrefutable historical facts.

JR