I think maybe all these "winter" creatures are in support of a more "green" Christmas--a tribute to nature: holly, pine and fir trees, and all kinds of woodland creatures: cardinals, owls, squirrels, raccoons, bluejays, etc. Plus--lots of people put food out for birds and small animals in the winter and: winter+snow+bird feeders=Christmas time (for some, anyway).
Organizations like the Audubon society, for example, have offered for years Christmas cards and ornaments that are nature themed--maybe Pottery Barn and Crate and Barrel are just catching up!

I live in Canada and I've never seen Canada Geese as a "Christmas symbol". Some people do eat "goose" for Christmas Dinner (more of a European thing)...maybe that's the idea (not that you would eat a Canada Goose per se).

I think I've seen red cardinals on Christmas cards, etc., as being a bit holiday'ish as they are red, and maybe they're still around in the winter when the others have flown south? We need a bird expert to confirm this though....

My next door neighbors have their house lights done professionally, and the icicle lights they have are the only ones I've seen that I like. The pattern is irregular. Instead of "zig-zaggy", they are just vertical lights of varying lengths...like 7 lights, 3 lights, 5 lights, 4 lights, etc. I've never seen these in regular stores.

These are the neighbors I'm worried about. They are very nice people, but they take their Christmas lights seriously.

Every catalog I see, every ad I see is simply ugly with owls this year! Haven't seen many cardinals, but I bought the one I did see.

I wear my snowflakes until there's no snow. I don't care what people think - I love snowflakes! It's snowMEN that I find kinda creepy.