USA Today has an article today that’s headed “Just Say No to Christmas?” in the online version. The article is clueless about how millions of people the world over celebrate Christmas.

Here’s the source of the problem: The writer seems to have defined “Christmas” as the secular celebration in December. Look closely at this, down in the article:

A Facebook search for “I hate Christmas” turns up dozens of results, including pages and posts from people who say they despise almost everything about Christmas: music, shopping, family gatherings, trees and lights.

Did you catch that? “Music, shopping, family gatherings, trees and lights” constitute “almost everything about Christmas.” There is utterly no mention of Christmas the religious holiday, despite the fact that millions celebrate it just that way.

Readers of this website know my solution to this kind of linguistic flabbiness: using “Excessmas” to refer to the secular celebration, while calling the religious holiday “Nativity.” The thing that all those Facebook users “hate” is Excessmas — the mandatory celebrations, the over-consumption and all the rest.

Get a clue. It doesn’t cost anything to celebrate the Nativity. Just look up at the stars and thank God for his gift. And if you prefer not to celebrate the Nativity, that’s fine in a nation of religious freedom and religious pluralism. Just don’t call the thing that oppresses you “Christmas.” It’s not. It’s Excessmas.