“Scrooges”, “Grinches” and “Nice” organizations featured in List of Corporations regarding their position toward real Christmas tradition.

Washington D.C., Dec 8, 2005 / 22:00 pm

Intervening in the heated debate about the mention of Christmas on the public square, Concerned Women for America (CWA) presented a first Christmas list showing which businesses are honouring the Reason for the Season (the birth of Jesus), which ones are not, and which have mixed records.

It first lists the corporation ‘Nice’ or friendly to the Original Christmas tradition.  This year Macy's joins the NICE list because it has returned the explicit mention of Christmas and Merry Christmas to its stores and its ads. L.L. Bean, on the other hand, just barely escapes the Grinch list and gets a middle rating because, while its first seasonal catalogue says Christmas 2005, all subsequent catalogues say Holiday 2005, culminating in the Best of Holiday 2005 (surrounded by Christmas items).

"More and more retailers are realizing, too late, that Christian consumers now understand that the constant use of 'happy holidays' and 'holiday' is grating and insulting," said Robert Knight, director of CWA's Culture & Family Institute. "It's an act of cultural cowardice and even an overt attack on Christmas and ultimately the Christian faith.

"When something is clearly about Christmas itself, it is dishonest to ban the very mention of Christmas on the grounds that it might offend a handful of people. This is a nation where surveys show 96 percent of the population celebrates Christmas. There is no survey showing that people of other faiths are insulted when the majority celebrate Christmas or wish anyone a 'Merry Christmas.'

"The tyranny of a tiny minority of Grinches to veto any mention of Christmas must stop," Knight concluded. "We are very encouraged that some major retailers like Macy's are starting to get it and hope that more will join them."

Following is a highlight of the whole list, set into three categories: ‘Nice’, ‘Somewhat Nice, somewhat naughty’and ‘Scrooges.’

NICE

 Macy’s, Chick-fil-A,Kroger, IHOP, Saks Off Fifth Avenue, Kay Jewelers, Capital One, Hobby Lobby, In-N-Out Burger

SOMEWHAT NICE, SOMEWHAT NAUGHTY

Walgreens, Wal-Mart, L.L. Bean, Sears, Lowe’s

 SCROOGES

Target, Office Max, Kmart, Staples, Home Depot, Best Buy, Kohlâs, BJ's, SC Johnson, Verizon, Radio Shack, Zales, Outback, Lexus, Old Navy, Cingular, Reckitt Benckiser, Pier 1, Red Lobster, Office Depot, Gillette, Applebee’s, Burlington Coat, Dell, Milton-Bradley, U.S. Postal Service, Costco

Concerned Women for America (CWA) is the nation's largest public policy women's organization.