Is the War on Christmas over? Happy Holidays or Merry Christmas to all.

Maybe I’ve not been paying attention, but I barely noticed any contrived “War on Christmas’’ controversies this season.

OK, there was that 20-minute kerfuffle over Starbucks’ plain red cups, a skirmish that seems to take place every year.

Everyone knows Starbucks caters to the mocha-frappuccino-swilling, blueberry-scone-munching liberal elite, so, of course, its cups must refuse to celebrate Christmas. Such heresy does not go unnoticed by the Starbucks-hating Dunkin’ Donuts crowd.

And then there’s that “Happy Holidays’’ Christmas card the Obamas sent out this year wishing their supporters “a joyous holiday season and a wonderful new year.’’

It’s a beautiful card signed by the entire family, including Bo and Sunny. Ours will always have a special place in our home.

As best as anyone can tell, the War on Christmas began with a 2005 book by John Gibson, a Fox News contributor, and was annually fought across the airwaves by Bill O’Reilly, also of Fox News.

Gibson’s book title did not pretend to be subtle: “The War on Christmas: How the Liberal Plot to Ban the Sacred Christian Holiday is Worse Than You Thought.’’ Whew.

His main message was that “literally any sign of Christ in public can now lead to complaints, litigation, angry protests, threats and bruised feelings.’’

A main target was the dreaded ACLU, which rightly questioned, in legal actions, the placement of Christian nativity scenes on public property.

In response, court after court reminded well-intentioned church people about a little thing called the First Amendment, which effectively separates church and state.

A liberal plot? Only if you are calling Thomas Jefferson and his fellow founding fathers liberal plotters.

Gibson also went after major retailers who, in his view, wanted to ban Christmas as a way to advance a secular agenda.

“Every time a supermarket checker or store clerk greets you with ‘Happy Holidays’ instead of ‘Merry Christmas,’ you have met another soldier in the War on Christmas,’’ Gibson wrote.

These days, it seems Gibson’s decade-old War on Christmas has about run its course and guess what: We still celebrate Christmas, with gusto.

Public properties across the country still have brightly decorated Christmas trees and other light displays celebrating Christmas.

And stores continue to play Christmas music (ad nauseam, some would say) while its clerks tell customers to have a Merry Christmas or a Happy New Year or the all-inclusive Happy Holidays.

Nor does the public seem to have much interest in the once-ballyhooed war. A recent poll found just 13 percent of Americans felt offended when they were wished a “Happy Holiday.’’

That’s good because I say either Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays, mostly without thinking. I surely don’t intend to offend.

And I certainly don’t intend to offend on this Christmas Eve.

So Merry Christmas to all and to all a Happy Holiday.

Contact Bob Bestler at bestler6@tds.net.

This story was originally published December 22, 2016 at 11:47 AM with the headline "Is the War on Christmas over? Happy Holidays or Merry Christmas to all.."