The prettiest, wealthiest suburban village in the Washington region is Leesburg, Va., known for its Civil War connections, its perfect Victorian downtown, its specialty shops and restaurants, its stately churches — and the crucified plastic skeleton in a Santa Claus suit that stood last December on its courthouse lawn.

“The display was erected by a local atheist, but did not speak to any strictly atheist theme,” a local non-believer explained at the time to the Christian Post. “It was an art piece reflecting on the death of the true spirit of the holiday by greed and commercialism.”