Is the best way to "put Christ back into Christmas"...?

I can only agree with you, Tao. It's amusing to hear the Christians complain during the annual Fox-fed hysteria about some imaginary "war on Christmas" and then to realize that their own increasingly ill-thought public displays on government property has caused situations in which such a "war" can be realized. In other words, it's their own damn fault when folks complain about it.

I agree with another poster here that the best part of the whole affair is the Pagan decorating and gift-exchange. As that poster said: The rest can go.

Hear! Hear!

Well one way is to debunk the urban myths about pagan origins. There is actually no historical evidence whatsoever that Christians deliberately took over any pagan festival at all. Christmas on December 25th start in Rome sometime around 300 AD. Earlier Roman calendars of feast show NO festival on Dec 25th, nor is there any evidence of any feast on that date in any other country.

Most claims about pagan origins are plain stupid. Some say Christians took over Yule. The fact is that "holding Yule" is a Viking custom and they did not encounter Christianity until 500 years or more after Christmas started. The Viking sagas say that the first Christian king of Norway moved his Yule (winter) feast to December 25th to honour Christ. The Vikings adopted Christmas, Christians did not adopt Yule.

The best way to put Christ into Christmas (you can't put him back, it's not where he came from) is to make sure others have a good Christmas. So, charity.

Nothing is stopping you from celebrating the birth of Christ on Christmas.

Just like atheists don't randomly celebrate Hanukkah?

Yes, take christian ideas out of the public square. This includes holidays, but also includes politics (laws concerning homosexuality, death penalty), medical practices (abortion laws) and public domain (someone explain why I have to pay for catholic schools). Take out the hardcore fundy policy makers (did you see Rick Perry's recent ad?) and you've got yourself a trade.

To put the emphasis on JESUS first and not santa would be a good start.

Spend money on helping the poor rather then huge elaborate gifts would be a second place to begin as well.

Why don't we get back to what "Christmas" was originally about. The pagan celebration of the solstice.

The pagan part of the holiday is great - decorated trees, gift exchange, etc.

Let's keep all that!

By refusing to let non christians celebrate it

you want to steal christmas, isn't that a job for the grinch