Last year, shortly after a relatively obscure holiday celebrated on the 25th day of this month by a small but significant minority of approximately 95 percent of Americans, I wrote:

Last year, I felt that Christmas was fading in popularity. This year, I feel a bit more reassured. Next year? It's about 340 days too soon to tell of course, but it will be interesting to see if stores and government, but local and national, have learned anything from the outcry this year.

USA Today reports that some folks have gotten the message:

NEW YORK — The word "Christmas," nearly absent in marketing by major retailers in recent years, has been quietly revived by some stores. Retail expert Jim Lucas says they are responding to consumers' desire to make the holidays more personal — whether they observe Christmas, Hanukkah or Kwanzaa.

Retailers such as Macy's are acknowledging Christmas rather than the generic "holiday."

"They are saying this has become very commercial and they want to reclaim the holiday season and make it relevant," says Lucas, head of strategic planning at ad agency Draft Worldwide.

Chains also may be responding to a push by groups such as The Catholic League and American Family Association (AFA) against a generic "winter holiday."

The AFA cited 10 retailers (Kroger, Dell, Target, OfficeMax, Walgreens, Sears, Staples, Lowe's, J.C. Penney and Best Buy) for omitting Christmas in ads. It urges shoppers to go where Christmas is recognized.

"If you are going to make your earnings on the year because of Christmas, why should you be ashamed to call it Christmas?" asks AFA President Tim Wildmon. "People don't buy Thanksgiving gifts."

Lowe's got special note for hanging "holiday tree" banners on lots at its 1,175 stores. It pulled them after complaints. "We wanted to call a Christmas tree what it is," says spokeswoman Chris Ahearn.

The Catholic League says it scored a victory when it pushed Wal-Mart to have a Christmas category on its website, which had Kwanzaa and Hanukkah gift sections.

Other chains giving Christmas a nod:

• Federated Department Stores — owner of Macy's and Bloomingdale's — is making sure its Christmas message is heard after consumer backlash last year over a supposed policy forbidding employees to wish shoppers "Merry Christmas."

A "Merry Christmas" ad thanking shoppers and employees is planned. The theme at Macy's New York store: Christmas in the City. Macy's TV ad features a big band tune mentioning Christmas.

"What we are doing is communicating our position," says spokesman Jim Sluzewski. "We never had a policy not to say 'Merry Christmas,' but clearly this is an issue of concern with a lot of people."

The article then goes a little off the rails:

Ads for Dillard's department stores say: "Discover Christmas. Discover Dillard's." But the regional chain says that is not a political statement. "We do not believe it is our place as a retailer to politicize the season," says spokeswoman Julie Bull. "The sentiment expressed certainly applies to the other holidays celebrated this time of year, as well."

Boy, that just popped out of left field, huh? Other than the implications of Rod Dreher's "Godless Party" article, who is accusing anyone of politicizing Christmas? It's the opposite--the banishment of the word that politicizes the holiday. More from USA Today:

Christmas songs and trees are two of the things Victoria's Secret won't be bashful about in its lingerie show airing Tuesday on CBS. "The day is called Christmas. ... It all gears to Dec. 25," says Ed Razek, chief marketing officer.

Even so, Draft's Lucas says not to expect nativities or menorahs in ads. "The pendulum has swung a little away from PC. But if marketers get too specific or too religious, they'd be walking a weird line."

That's fine--just the continued revival of the word, after its long slow erasure from the American media and retail scene is great to see--and it wouldn't have happened with the Internet and its ability for everyday folks to first compare notes and then band together to shout out when they see something that's gone awry.

A rie? A roast beef on rie?--Ed Well, leave one out for Santa. Maybe with a bottle of milk. Or a bottle of something else...