KEY POINTS:
DALLAS - Americans are ready to put "Merry Christmas" back into holiday shopping, a poll shows.
The Zogby International poll found most Americans of the almost 13,000 surveyed - 95 per cent - said they were not offended by a "Merry Christmas" greeting in stores.
However, 32 per cent of respondents took offence at "Happy Holidays", the religiously neutral alternative promoted during the past few years as inclusive and inoffensive.
The "war over Christmas" has been a battleground in the so-called culture wars in the United States, which has far higher church attendance rates than most other developed nations.
A good gauge of the national mood may be retail giant Wal-Mart, which this season reversed its policy of limiting the use of "Merry Christmas".
"Last year's decision by many retailers - including retail giant Wal-Mart - to curtail the use of 'Merry Christmas' for fear of offending those who don't celebrate the holiday caused a backlash from conservative Christian groups as well as consumers," Zogby said. Polls have shown that more than 80 per cent of Americans identify themselves as Christians.
Eight per cent of the Democrats polled said they were offended at a "Merry Christmas" greeting compared with less than 1 per cent of Republicans.
"Wal-Mart's change of heart this season could help bring more people into their stores - 35 per cent said hearing "Merry Christmas" makes them more likely to shop there this season," Zogby said.
- REUTERS
