Too bad Hallmark doesnt make an apology card for this occasion. 
 
 A new Keepsake Christmas ornament from the Kansas City-based company looks like your favorite tacky-but-festive holiday sweater, only this one is decorated with the words Don we now our FUN apparel! 
 
 That, of course, is not quite the line you remember from the carol Deck the Halls, which dates to the 16th century. 
 
 Hallmark had defended its word switcheroo on the 2013 holiday sweater ornament, saying gay is open to misinterpretation. But Thursday afternoon, after a day of hullabaloo, the company apologized. 
 
 Weve been surprised at the wide range of reactions expressed about the change of lyrics on this ornament, and were sorry to have caused so much concern, Hallmark said in a statement. 
 
 We never intend to offend or make political statements with our products, and in hindsight, we realize we shouldnt have changed the lyrics on the ornament. 
 
 That range of reactions included outrage, although some was probably of the faux variety. 
 
 CNN anchor Carol Costello waded into the controversy on her Facebook page. Oh Hallmark. You didnt. Oh wait, you did, Costello began a post. 
 
 She ended with: Homophobic? I say, yes you are. 
 
 Mason Hakes, former chairman of the Kansas City Diversity Coalition, said he wasnt bothered by the word change, although he could see why some might be. 
 
 But he points to Hallmarks proven track record of being a gay-friendly workplace and contributing to gay-related charities. 
 
 I personally know about a dozen individuals who are openly LGBT and thriving at Hallmark, Hakes said. 
 
 He just thinks the creative people behind the ornament were making a play on words. Hallmark certainly wouldnt do anything explicitly anti-gay, at least not intentionally. 
 
 Among other viewpoints: 
 
 • Do they support fun marriage? went one tweet. 
 
 • And this one: If they dont like gay apparel theyll be shocked to see what the elves wear! 
 
 • As (a) supporter of gay rights, this sort of ridiculous action is what gives political correctness a bad name, someone commented on The Stars website, KansasCity.com. 
 
 In an earlier statement, Hallmark said in part: When the lyrics to Deck the Halls were translated from Gaelic and published in English back in the 1800s, the word gay meant festive or merry. Today it has multiple meanings, which we thought could leave our intent open to misinterpretation. 
 
 That statement went on to add that the ornament was created in the spirit of fun. Thats the spirit we intended and the spirit in which we hope ornament buyers will take it. 
 
 The ornament sells for $12.95. Hallmark has no plans to pull the ornament, a spokeswoman said. 
 
 The items description on the companys website: When it comes to Christmas sweaters, gaudy can be good! Hang up this flashy sweater to make your trees outfit complete. With its catchy phrase, Don we now our FUN apparel! everyone will be in on the joke. 
 
 Or maybe not. 

 No more gay apparel? 
 
 Since the 1800s the world has sang the widely known lyric, "Don we now our gay apparel," in the song Deck the Halls. 
 
 Kansas City-based Hallmark changed the words for one of its new holiday ornaments. Keepsake Artist, Matt Johnson, designed the ornament, a red sweater, to say "Don we now our Fun apparel." The ornament's description on the website says, "When it comes to Christmas sweaters, gaudy can be good! Hang up this flashy sweater to make your tree's outfit complete. With its catchy phrase, Don we now our FUN apparel! everyone will be in on the joke." 
 
 On Thursday afternoon, Hallmark said it was stunned by the outpouring of criticism and apologized to those offended by the change. However, the company will still sell the ornament. 
 
 
 
 The changed lyrics brought complaints to Hallmark's Facebook page, like Karl who wrote, "Changing the words to Christmas Carols – REALLY?" You can be sure that myself and many others won't be buying your cards anymore." Diane wrote, "If you can't be original, then you are nothing at all." 
 
 KCTV5 contacted Hallmark headquarters about the removal of "gay" from the lyrics on the sweater. 
 
 Hallmark sent KCTV5 this response no Wednesday: 
 
 
 
 "Hallmark created this year's Holiday Sweater ornament in the spirit of fun. When the lyrics to "Deck the Halls" were translated from Gaelic and published in English back in the 1800s, the word "gay" meant festive or merry. Today it has multiple meanings, which we thought could leave our intent open to misinterpretation. 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." 
 
 But Hallmark was singing a different tune on Thursday. 
 
 
 
 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. 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. 
 
 The ornament sells for $12.95 online. 
 
 A company spokeswoman said production and shipping schedules make it impossible to change the lyrics back this year. 
 
 "So it stays as it and remains for sale," the company spokeswoman said. 
 
 
 
 Hallmark admitted Thursday it didn't anticipate the backlash to the lyric change. 
 
 
 
 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. 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. 
 
 Copyright 2013 KCTV (Meredith Corp.) All rights reserved.
– Hallmark is apologizing after some altered Christmas carol lyrics landed the company in hot water. A sweater-shaped tree ornament bears the words, "Don we now our fun apparel"—rather than the traditional "gay apparel" celebrated in "Deck the Halls." The item prompted CNN anchor Carol Costello to call the Kansas City company "homophobic" on Facebook, while a Twitter user wondered if Hallmark supports "fun marriage." The former chair of the Kansas City Diversity Coalition, however, says the firm has a "proven" gay-friendly "track record" and was probably just making a joke, the Kansas City Star reports. Hallmark issued multiple statements on the matter, KCTV reports. Unlike when the song's English lyrics were published in the 19th century, "gay" today "has multiple meanings, which we thought could leave our intent open to misinterpretation," the firm said yesterday. Today, however, it added: 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. 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. For this holiday season, however, it's too late to change things, a Hallmark rep says. "So it stays as [is] and remains for sale."