Hallmark Cards issued an apology on Friday, after the public responded in anger to the company's change of Christmas carol lyrics from "gay" to "fun" on an ornament.
The greeting card company subbed out the lyrics of "Deck the Halls" to read "Don we now our FUN apparel!" on a holiday ornament that resembles an ugly Christmas sweater. But following a wave of backlash from customers who seemed to believe the Kansas City-based company had switched around the words of the sixteenth century Welsh song in homophobic spirit, Hallmark has released a formal apology.
"We've been surprised at the wide range of reactions expressed about the change of lyrics on this ornament, and we're sorry to have caused so much concern," the statement read. "We never intend to offend or make political statements with our products, and in hindsight we realize we shouldn't have changed the lyrics on the ornament."
Some customers who were offended by the change of lyrics took to the Hallmark Facebook page to voice their opinions on Thursday.
"Seriously, you changed the Victorian traditional wording of a Christmas carol because...?" User Vicki Cox posted on Hallmark's page. "That was a bad decision. Downright stupid. I don't think I need to shop @ Hallmark anymore."
Initially, the company released a statement defending its decision to switch up the words of "Deck the Halls."
"Today it has multiple meanings, which we thought could leave our intent open to misinterpretation," Hallmark commented on the use of the word "gay." "The trend of wearing festively decorated Christmas sweaters to parties is all about fun, and this ornament is intended to play into that, so the planning team decided to say what we meant: 'fun.' That's the spirit we intended and the spirit in which we hope ornament buyers will take it."
