“Christmas Wars” a pseudo-trend?

My gut instinct is that the so-called “Christmas Wars” – i.e. the spate of news stories about Christians fighting secular forces in order to keep Christ in Christmas – are an artifact. They are the result of a journalistic need to write sensationalist stories that deliver eyeballs to advertisers. The stories work because they respond to a deep seated concern over culture wars. Click here for my previous postings on this.

A bit of historical perspective will help us to see if this is a real trend or just a newspaper editor's search for an audience. This morning’s NYT gives some historical perspective on how changes in the economy have affected the way we celebrate Christmas

William B. Waits writes
In the first decade of the 20th century, people and organizations began to criticize this new pattern of gift-giving that had emerged in America's cities. Given the poor quality of the gimcracks and the considerable time that it took to purchase, wrap and deliver them, no wonder Progressive Era reformers looked for alternative ways to celebrate the holiday that were less burdensome and more gratifying.

That paved the way for Christmas cards, which became the ideal small gift for acquaintances and business associates. A survey of the mail system in 1911 reflected the shift, showing that the total number of items posted had increased while their total weight had dropped significantly. .