Businesses Face Backlash Amid Claims Of 'War On Christmas'
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- From plain red Starbucks cups to replacing Christmas trees with space-like glaciers, some have declared that there is a war on Christmas.
As CBS2's Jessica Schneider reported, some said extreme "political correctness" is killing their Christmas cheer.
Ringing in the Christmas spirit seems just a little less spirited this year. The Westchester and Roosevelt Field malls whitewashed Santa's workshop with a new display before facing backlash from shoppers and caving to demands to bring back the traditional Santa set.
Even Starbucks toned down its Christmas cups to just plain red, leaving people asking, "What's wrong with celebrating the true meaning of the season?"
"I have always loved the holiday cups, and it does feel less Christmas-y," Alex Addison said.
Addison doesn't celebrate Christmas, but said that's no reason she shouldn't be surrounded by holiday cheer.
"I'm not a Christian, but I love Christmas as a tradition that I spend with my family anyway," she said.
The Bryant Park Corporation has taken a stand against those who want to quash Christmas. They'll be playing Christmas music on the skating rink, and will have a tree in an attempt to save the holiday.
"We thought it was mean-spirited to take the religion out of Christmas. Even though all the decision makers who were involved in this happened to be Jewish at Bryant Park, we said, 'why have a secular Christmas,'" Dan Biederman of the Bryant Park Corporation said.
Of course there is still the time treasured, Rockefeller Christmas tree waiting for its decorations, and even the controversial red cups that some say are sufficient.
"I think it's a good balance. The red one is Christmas, and there are snowflakes. I like it," Othman Guennoun said.
A balance that some say has tipped too far to the secular side.
