As has been her custom for as long as I can remember, my mom prepares her Christmas cards over the Thanksgiving weekend in order to have them ready to mail the first week of December. She enjoys purchasing beautiful cards, writing notes, addressing them by hand and affixing whatever Christmas stamp the USPS issues that year. So she stops by her local US Post Office a few days ago then asks the man behind the counter for this year's Christmas stamps. He pulls out a sheet of something called Holiday Cookies. To know my mom is to know that she has never indulged in cutesy stuff. Every year she always selects the Christmas stamp that features a classic painting of Madonna and Child. She asks if they have any classic Christmas stamps and the man pulls out a couple of sheets of last year's Madonna and Child. Mom notices he doesn't seem happy and he says to her, "These are all I have and they'll be the last you ever see." Mom asks, "What do you mean?" He explains the USPS will not be issuing any more "religious" stamps.Word to the wise: never trust a low-level employee to give you the straight dope, okay? The salesman at the counter of your local post office does not run the company, repeat, does not run the company.
Ever.
Mom is momentarily stunned. She then raises her eyebrows a bit and asks, "Are you allowed to say 'Merry Christmas' to us?"
The man's face falls and he lowers his voice in answer, "No. We can only say 'Happy Holidays,'" he tries to smile at her, "But if you say 'Merry Christmas' to me directly I will respond in kind."
But that's not enough: our righteous warrior is "...annoyed at the tortuous language used in an effort to avoid the dreaded 'C' word."
Meanwhile, back in reality-land, the US Postal Service notes,
Cookies and other edible treats were used to decorate Christmas trees long before glass ornaments were used. Today, cookies are still used for that purpose. You may find cookies beautifully gift-wrapped under the tree - on a feast-laden table, as perennial favorites of holiday guests.... Five additional stamps from the Holiday Celebration series are currently available nationwide as well: Kwanzaa, the celebration of family, community and culture; Hanukkah, the Jewish Festival of Lights; EID, the Muslim Holiday; Madonna and Child, the Christmas stamp; as well as last year's Holiday Ornaments.Two--count 'em--C-words! Heaven forfend!
Even when commentators point to credible links that wash away any hint of conspiracy to deny the Christ child his proper due, Darleen still can "neither confirm nor deny" that she's tilting at a windmill.
Check out the links offered: Virtual Stamp Club, Scott's Online Catalog. Only if you're frothing at the mouth will you miss the obvious implication: the stamps aren't going out of production.
(Blame PZ Myers.)
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