As if the country needed another point of contention, the debate on whether to say “Merry Christmas” or “Happy holidays” has become an annual December ritual. And where do Americans currently stand on the matter? A Rasmussen Reports poll asked adults which phrase they prefer to see in stores’ seasonal advertising. “Merry Christmas” won easily, with 67 percent of the vote, vs. 26 percent for “Happy holidays.” (Last year, the numbers were 69 percent “Merry Christmas” to 23 percent “Happy holidays.”) No poll results are complete these days without a partisan split, and this survey had one: 88 percent of Republicans favored “Merry Christmas,” vs. 57 percent of Democrats. On another holiday/Christmas topic, Rasmussen found Americans slightly more likely to describe gift shopping as “a fun experience” (43 percent) than “an unpleasant chore” (35 percent). One wonders if the “fun experience” cohort will still feel that way by the time stores close on Christmas Eve.

—Posted by Mark Dolliver