Pudding and holly, or "Merry Christmas"?

Now that December is upon us, it's time for the age-old debate about how to most appropriately address one's neighbor during the joyous season.

Personally, I'm fond of the Charles Dickens formula: “Every idiot who goes about with a 'Merry Christmas' on his lips should be boiled with his own pudding, and buried with a stake of holly through his heart.”

Whatever your preference, it's only fair to remember that in America only the New England Puritans launched a full-scale war on Christmas --- imposing a 5-shilling fine for its observance from 1659, when the ban was imposed by the Massachusetts General Court, until 1681, when it was lifted by English-appointed Gov. Sir Edmund Andros.

As the season of Advent advances, I'm sure I'll warm a little toward the season. In general, I'm partial to "Happy Holidays," considering the various ways various cultural traditions are observed as the month advances.