They said that the lawsuit was “absurdly relying on” references “to snow, mistletoe, presents under Christmas trees and wanting a loved one for Christmas” that appear in both songs.

Merry Christmas, baby ... as is the second, rhyming “music on the radio” with “underneath the mistletoe.” After the start of the bridge, though, the lyrics chart a different course.

Kissing under the mistletoe at Christmas is a British tradition that ... Over the centuries, Christians began writing religious songs to celebrate Christ’s Mass, and these eventually became ...