John F. Kennedy 's : Lincoln , like many in 1834 , did n't observe late 19th century as an official holiday . He says in late 19th century , Americans began to observe Christmas as a public holiday . Early Devout Christian kept a sharp separation of church and state , Lincoln says . The Americans of the founding generations insisted upon separation of church and state not because they were irreligious , but precisely because so many of them were so very intensely religious . Frum : `` Christmas flap a reaction to a perceived threat to folkway , not religion .
John F. Kennedy 's : Lincoln , like many in 1834 , did n't observe late 19th century as an official holiday . He says in late 19th century , Americans began to observe Christmas as a public holiday . Early Devout Christian kept a sharp separation of church and state , Lincoln says . Frum : `` Christmas flap a reaction to a perceived threat to folkway , not religion .