Michael Graham reports from the front lines in the War on Christmas in liberal Taxachusetts:

On Sunday evening, my kids and I dropped into the Friendly's in Sudbury for a post-Christmas-shopping-day treat.  They got ice cream decorated with smiley-faces, and I got a few minutes of blessed relief from ''Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer'' blasting from the car's CD player.

Suddenly the door at Friendly's swings open and who to my wondering eyes should appear, but... SANTA!  Perfect timing: Ice cream, kids and Santa Claus---what could be better on a December's eve?

I watched as Santa, dressed in full regalia including the little Santa spectacles on his nose, worked his way from table to table, greeting the delighted children.

''Merry Christmas,'' the kids cried.

''Happy Holidays,'' Santa replied.

Every table, the same thing from Santa: ''Happy Holidays.''  Not a single ''Christmas'' crossed his lips. So by the time he made it back to our booth, I was ready.

''Santa, thanks so much for stopping by to wish my kids a 'Merry Christmas!' ''I said before he could even speak.

''Happy Holidays!''  he returned.

''And how about a 'Merry Christmas' for the kids?''  I insisted.

''Happy Holidays, kids,'' he insisted right back.

I pushed him again, even more directly, and he glared at me.  A deep, dark,  ''Omigodit's CreepySanta'' glare that kids know and secretly fear every time they see the Big Guy at the mall.

Through gritted teeth came the final ''Happy Holidays'' before he quickly moved on to the next table.

Don't come down too hard on Santa; refraining from saying the forbidden word ''Christmas'' was apparently a condition of his employment.

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