A conservative Christian group released its annual “Naughty or Nice” list this week — a registry that documents the details behind “retailers that recognize and those that censor Christmas,” according to a press release.
Liberty Counsel releases the list every year before Black Friday in an effort to inform consumers about how companies choose to handle the Christmas season. Or, as Liberty Counsel proclaims: the list shows “which stores are censoring Christmas and which are openly celebrating it.”
So, what does it take to land a company on the so-called “naughty list?” Well, according to a press release issued on Monday, T.J. Maxx, Gap and Old Navy are all on the bad list, because they purportedly censor Christmas and offer “nothing more than generic ‘holiday’ decorations.”
“There are no references to ‘Christmas’ or any biblical elements within products associations and advertisements,” reads a description for Gap, Inc. “Only ‘holiday’ is used to refer to the upcoming season. Gap has oscillated over the years, but this year it is back on the Naughty List.”
With that in mind, you’re likely wondering what lands a company on the nice list, where businesses like AC Moore Arts & Crafts, Barnes & Noble, Best Buy and CVS find themselves this year. According to Liberty Counsel, landing on the good list has everything to do with acknowledging the true meaning of Christmas.
“Products and advertising for this chain are abundant with the usage of ‘Christmas’ in terms products or advertising as well as references to Jesus, nativity, or biblical elements,” reads a review of Barnes & Noble. “(The company) carries many Christian products and remembers the Christ in Christmas. ”
Liberty Counsel has been tracking how businesses treat Christmas for the past 14 years, explaining in a press release that there are actually some encouraging steps being taken in many companies’ advertising this year.
“We are encouraged to see a surge of retail stores embracing the Christmas season,” Mat Staver, founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel, said in a statement. “This year there is a return to honesty in advertising, where, if stores are trying to sell you a present for Christmas, that is what they call it.”
He said the nice list is expanding and “retailers are finding their Christmas Spirit.” In the end, the list seems to corroborate this assessment, as 26 businesses were labeled “nice” and only eight were labeled “naughty.”
Check out the complete “Naughty and Nice” list here.
—
Other Must-Read Stories:
– The ‘Supreme Irony’ Surrounding Donald Trump’s Campaign and Election Win
– Anonymous Nurse Reveals Intense Grief in Open Letter to Miscarried and Aborted Babies