IT'S THE INTENT THAT COUNTS, NOT THE WORDS WISHING YOU A PC CHRISTMAS.

Byline: Brent Hopkins Staff Writer

There's nothing like a bitter fight to spice up the peaceful, loving time of the holidays.

Years ago, people on the street hailed one another with a hearty ``Merry Christmas,'' with no thought of how their greeting would be received. As they grew more cognizant of other cultures, they added ``Happy Hanukkah'' or the more neutral ``Happy Holidays.''

Then came ``Happy Kwanzaa,'' then the catch-all ``Season's Greetings.'' So as not to offend those who celebrate different holidays or don't celebrate at all, governments, shopping malls and stores opted for the most neutral salutations possible.

And in this quest not to upset, feathers were ruffled.

``We want Christmas returned to America,'' said Jeremy Tedesco, litigation staff counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund, a legal organization that's waded into the holiday fray.

After the arguments to secularize the holiday season in public, a battle has risen anew to put religion back in.

The conservative Liberty Counsel organized a ``Friend or Foe Christmas Campaign,'' enlisting the support of the Rev. Jerry Falwell to pressure cities to call their displays Christmas trees and encourage the celebration of Christmas.

The Christian Educators Association signed on to protect the singing of Christmas carols in schools, while the ADF offered up hundreds of attorneys to do pro bono work and spread its ``Merry Christmas - it's OK to say it'' message.

``We need to create a culture where people don't think twice when they say 'Merry Christmas,''' Tedesco said. ``People can say whatever they want, but I think they'd enjoy a 'Merry Christmas' rather than a 'Happy winter season.'''

After the campaign began agitating in Boston, it claimed victory when Mayor Thomas Menino conceded that the city's holiday tree was, in fact, a Christmas tree. Separately, House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., demanded this week that the display at the U.S. Capitol be stripped of the generic holiday moniker it acquired in the mid-1990s and return to its Christmas roots.

In Los Angeles, the trees around City Hall and El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument at Olvera Street are consciously referred to as ``holiday trees,'' as they have been for more than a decade.

There is no official city policy, however, that specifically prohibits using the word ``Christmas'' during celebrations, according to Contessa Mankewicz, press secretary for City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo.

``Some people insist that it's Christmas and that's it, but the Jewish religion wouldn't care for that,'' said Ed Avila, president of Project Restore, the nonprofit group responsible for trees. ``The city of Los Angeles symbolizes all the religious faiths in the city, so if people get mad, there's not much we can do with it.''

For as long as Avila can remember, he's received no complaints on the name. The same goes for Olvera Street, where Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa attended the holiday tree lighting Friday night.

``It's the kickoff of the holiday season for Angelenos, regardless of religious belief,'' said Rushmore Cervantes, general manager for El Pueblo. ``In Southern California, with so many ethnic groups here, there seems to be a little more tolerance of different religious groups. That's the beauty of Los Angeles.''

While the agitators aren't opposed to saluting other holidays, they do take umbrage against mandatory greetings such as ``Happy Holidays.'' Various groups have threatened Wal-Mart, Target and Federated department stores in the past for alleged exclusion of Christmas cheer.

``Some people find a reference to Christmas offensive. Other people find it offensive if it's left off. If you're the owner of a store, you've got to take your chances,'' said Kurt Barnard, president of Barnard's Retail Trend Group, a New Jersey-based consultant. ``All of them want advice from me, so they can say, 'We did it because Barnard said so.' What could I say? It's entirely up to the store.''

In the case of Federated - which owns Macy's, Robinsons-May and Bloomingdale's stores in the Los Angeles market - the policy instructs employees to greet customers with whatever greeting feels most comfortable to both parties.

This results in associates having to do a bit of sleuth work, deducing that if a shopper refers to purchasing a Christmas gift, they'd likely want to be wished a Merry Christmas.

``That comes up a lot,'' said Jim Sluzewski, a spokesman for Federated. ``The associates in our stores are encouraged to greet customers as they believe is appropriate. That might be Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Feliz Navidad, Happy Kwanzaa, or even Mele Kalikimaka, since we've got a fair number of stores in Hawaii. Or they could say Habari Gani - that's a traditional African greeting at the holiday season.

``Our intention is to make every customer welcome.''

Its holiday posters feature pictures of gift cards with the words ``Merry Christmas,'' ``Happy Hanukkah'' and ``Joy,'' because, in Sluzewski's words, ``I'm not sure there are many people who don't believe in joy in some form.''

Westfield Fashion Square in Sherman Oaks sets up a holiday tree while The Grove in the Fairfax District calls its 110-foot evergreen a Christmas tree. Both erect a menorah, as well, and encourage their staffs to wish patrons a ``Happy Holiday.'' A ``Merry Christmas'' isn't prohibited, should the need arise.

Conservative critics such as Fox News Channel's Bill O'Reilly contend that a generic holiday wish offends Christians, but Pastor Mike Williams of Shepherd of the Hills, an independent church in Porter Ranch, disagreed.

``This is a season about Jesus,'' said Williams, who serves as children's pastor. ``If people want to say 'Happy Holidays,' that's fine. It's a friendly greeting; take it at face value. This is a joyous time of year.''

Exactly, agreed a bemused Bob Pranga, who makes a living erecting pricey holiday displays in well-heeled homes around Los Angeles. As owner of Burbank-based Dr. Christmas, he's heard all the arguments for and against Christmas trees, Hanukkah bushes, holiday trees, and the like.

To his way of thinking, at a time of year that's supposed to be relaxing and pleasant, the argument's a waste of time.

``Just say 'Seasons Greetings' and call it a day,'' Pranga said.

``I have it happen occasionally and my belief is if someone's taking the time to wish you well, just take the goodness of what they're saying and say thank you. Everybody just gets too wrapped up in this.''

Brent Hopkins, [phone]

brent.hopkins(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

4 photos

Photo:

(1 -- 2 -- color) Benjamin Balle of Culver City gives son Jose, 4, a better look at the Christmas tree at El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument at Olvera Street, above. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa opened the 2005 holiday season Friday evening by flipping the switch on the tree's lights, a menorah and the entire plaza area. Left, Bob Pranga, tangled in lights as Dr. Christmas, doesn't dwell on the semantics of his greetings.

David Sprague/Staff Photographer

Tina Burch/Staff Photographer

(3) LeeAnn Cummings, who works for Dr. Christmas, helps decorate a home in Brentwood for the winter holiday season.

Tina Burch/Staff Photographer

(4) DHP Nuestra Cultura member Genesis Godinez, 8, of Pomona sings a Christmas song Friday evening at the kick-off of the holiday season at Olvera Street and the lighting of a Christmas tree and a menorah. Mexican hot chocolate was served along with pan dulces, Mexican sweet buns.

David Sprague/Staff Photographer