i dont know of any zealous attempts to destroy the celebration of christmas in this country.  if youre referring to legal challenges to sectarian exhibits or activities on or involving publicly-owned property or tax-funded programs, your statement is an extreme exageration/misconstrual of both intent and consequence. it's not a matter of destroying anything but protecting/ensuring every citizen's right to engage in his or her preferred  religous expression without attaching to any one faith or belief the appearance of government endorsement (or lack thereof). 

or...perhaps you meant retailers who'd welcome expanding the christmas season 4 months longer and starting it four months earlier, would happily surround and fill their stores with representational  creches, angels, wise men, shepherds, the holy family, candles, stars, rudolph and his blinking red nose, santa, elves, sleighs, bows, the sounds of carols, jingle bells, etc. etc. to guide shoppers to the true miracle of christmas--its commerical potential. nobody or nothing does more to diminish the true meaning of christmas

i hadnt thought of this for a while, but i guess it's probably a good thing the first celebrations of xmas began 30 years after herod's rampage.  the parents of those boy babies who were slain on herod's orders may not have considered the anniversary of that massacre were very likely dead themselves by 34ad.  thos who werent probably wouldnt have considered that anniversary much of an occasion for joyousness.

well, who am i to try to argue with reason?  come to think of it, whatta great reason to counter the growing moment to destroy xmas by infusing the traditional celebration with even more new testament authenticity!  herod has been left too long off to the side.  even the merchandisers will go for this one cuz itll add new product to jazz up the the limited character product line by adding new life-like reprensentations of herod AND some dead babies to the shepherds, wise men, manger animals, angels, etc.  

an evil-looking king herod action figure and some little dead babies to scatter around the creche could do a lot to help believers recapture the threat aspect that has been so successfully secularized by attribution to santa claus, the grinch and the economy.  having herod around to 'see you when youre bad' and some dead kids has to be a much more effective deterent to 4th quarter kid sinning than some fat old homeless guy who merely withholds presents.

on a more basic level, it fills a badly neglected guilt void  ('but daddy, werent their parents sad about having their kids killed so the rest of us could have a wonderful holiday?  couldn't god have hidden them someplace so they didnt get killed? well you see kids, whenever bad people try to 'take jesus out' of the equation theyre helping to kill these poor innocent babies.  seeing those dead babies should always remind you of evildoers who dont abstain and wind up having abortions')

let's face it, while there's definitely a place for joy at the birth of christ, too much joy erods a healthy fear of god just like too much candy eventually rots healthy teeth.

there are no christmas lights on private homes, churches, stores in raleigh? 

public schools are state instutions.  would you be okay with the school celebrating a religious holiday with carols, decorations, etc. that were very clearly identified with a particular christian sect? jehovah's witnesses perhaps? or snake handlers? how about the type of catholicism common to brazil or haiti that's combined the ancient african gods with catholic saints? unitarian?  the most sensible and constitutional way to ensure one sect isnt--or doesnt appear to be--endorsed by the government is to keep government institutions free of expressly religious events or symbols.
you are responsible for instilling your children with your religious values and traditions.  public school teachers arent hired on the basis of their theological qualifications.  religious school teachers are.  if you wish your children to receive dogmatic instruction, you have every right to enroll them in a private church-school.

do you work for a government agency?  if you work in the private sector, the owners of the company have every right to manifest their religious beliefs.  they may choose not to do so, however, rather than risk alienating non-christian customers. 

since those are non-religious holiday trappings--as opposed to holy day symbols--i'm surprised any business owner would have a problem with them any more than they would the easter bunny or a jackolantern.

freeing the state from religion is the only sure way to free religion from the state.

damn double posts