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I walked into a Starbucks this weekend and it was already covered with Christmassy Christmasness.

Peppermint mocha was already being pushed as a “special” and snowman mugs and gingerbread loaves sat plump, enthroned on the coffee-store counter.

Pilgrims before reindeers, that has always been the schedule right?

But since the pilgrims don’t give out presents or encourage the masses to spend millions, they are quickly scuttled out of the spotlight by department-store Santas and peppermint sticks.

This is probably my favorite thing about corporate America: Christmas comes at least a month earlier than it’s supposed to.

It is a shame we see a wave of secular fanaticism washing over the U.S. and restricting holidays such as Christmas with bans on advertising and public displays. The First Amendment gives us the freedom of religion, not freedom from religion.

America has always had a strange relationship with religion. Many of the first arrivals to the New World were escaping religious persecution, but that didn’t stop them from later burning witches in the name of faith.

The founders made it clear in the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence that they held a belief in a higher power but did not want to establish a state church. And, interestingly enough, in 1659 (not a time particularly known for secular movements) the Puritans in Boston actually banned Christmas for 22 years because of its connection to paganism.

But when a WorldNetDaily story reveals a first-grade teacher in Sacramento is informed that she is no longer allowed to use the word “Christmas” in her class, or a superintendent in Yonkers, N.Y., goes so far as to ban holiday decorations, there is something stranger than the smell of eggnog in the air.

I understand that all religions have a right to the store window and that holidays such as Hanukkah remain important to those who celebrate them, but they still maintain much stronger ties to religion than does our corporate Christmas.

This is mostly because the Christmas I speak of – the one with Rudolph, Charlie Brown and sugar cookies – is pretty much secular.

People can go home and take part in a religious Christmas, or Eid or Hanukkah, but as a part of a larger American community, it makes sense to include some of our traditions into our celebrations so we can better connect with each other.

I respect the rich traditions of other celebrations such as Hanukkah and the diversity they represent, but I also respect the right of Americans to celebrate a pseudo-secular holiday with people of other faiths. With popular Christmas, religion is not as much of an issue anymore.

The tinsel-lit pines in town squares and malls are not holiday bushes – they are Christmas trees.

The proper greetings for the holiday seasons are “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Hanukkah” not “Season’s Greetings.” What is that last phrase supposed to mean anyway? That winter is here to greet you and you should be thrilled that the temperature will now continue to drop steadily for three months?

Yes, I can now see that Macy’s window: snow-covered fields and frost-bitten children painted in the midst of a blizzard. There would be no colors, of course – red, green, blue and silver all representing dangerous biases – and a complete absence of history, culture or tradition.

The strange thing about this controversy is that we already have a great law that balances the private religious aspect of Christmas and other winter festivals with the shiny, capitalist side.

The “three-reindeer rule” requires that non-religious items and messages be shown with religious ones to balance out the public display.

Retailers can show a nativity scene, but there must also be a “Happy Holidays” sign or a Santa Claus in sight. The general greetings sign is used as an inclusive device; a Nativity scene is obviously a Christmas decoration and adding the “Happy Holidays” sign reaches out to other celebrations.

As of four years ago, 76 percent of Americans described themselves as Protestants or Catholics, so does the fact that Christmas is our nation’s economy-boosting, box office-dominating extravaganza of the year surprise anyone?

Given the fact that Rudolph and Frosty are just about as religiously suggestive as Ronald McDonald or Yogi Bear, I would say that, really, the Christmas we see in stores and on TV is for everyone. It is a fun, merry little state of being that you can choose to participate in.

And, thanks to the merchandising giants, it always arrives bright and early, so get a red hat on, buy a tree, and cut out some snowflakes ... I won’t tell anyone.

Send gingerbread cookies now to rjoshi@media.ucla.edu. E-mail general comments to viewpoint@media.ucla.edu.