In the old days, it was not called the Holiday Season; the Christians called it 'Christmas' and went to church; the Jews called it 'Hanukkah' and went to synagogue; the atheists went to parties and drank. People passing each other on the street would say 'Merry Christmas!' or 'Happy Hanukkah!' or (to the atheists) 'Look out for the wall!

Dave Barry’s joke satirizes the modern, commercialized impulse to replace specific religious holidays with a generic, supposedly inclusive “Holiday Season.” By contrasting tidy labels (Christmas, Hanukkah) with the atheists’ punchline—partying, drinking, and needing to “look out for the wall”—Barry uses exaggeration to mock culture-war anxieties about public greetings and identity. The humor depends on incongruity: the first two groups are described in reverent, communal terms, while the third is reduced to slapstick. Beneath the gag is a critique of performative sensitivity and a reminder that everyday goodwill (“Merry Christmas,” “Happy Hanukkah”) once felt simpler and less politicized.