Is it a holiday tree or a Christmas tree?
All around us the debate is raging; just what DO you call an evergreen tree decked with lights and ornaments in December?
In an ill-conceived attempt to be politically correct (and discriminate against Christians), many cities have renamed their Christmas tree the “Holiday tree.” In 2005, Nashville Mayor Bill Purcell made the comment he would light the “Holiday tree,” attend the Christmas parade, and later attend a ceremony where he would light a Menorah. He said the “Holiday tree” would be more “inclusive” and celebrate Nashville’s diversity.
Who was ever excluded from enjoying the lights as they passed a Christmas tree?
I enjoy Chinese food and I cannot tell you how many times I have passed a Buddah in a restaurant without having my enjoyment of the food diminished. I have to pass the Sri Ganesh Temple with its carvings to Ganesh on the entryway on my way to the interstate and I have yet to have my day ruined by driving past the temple of a religion I do not embrace. At Halloween I see children dressed as devils and witches and other beings my religion teaches me are evil and no one screens my sensitive eyes from such sights! Throughout September and October stores are festooned with grimacing jack-o-lanterns, scowling demons and electronic witches that cackle “Happy Halloween!” every time you pass them. Even though I do not personally enjoy the displays, I have yet to demand that stores remove the displays to cater to my religious views.
We lost George Washington’s birthday and Abraham Lincoln’s birthday when we created President’s Day to celebrate all presidents. Fine. That doesn’t bother me. However, what is all-inclusive about Martin Luther King Day? Are we not excluding many other wonderful leaders by picking one man to honor?
Martin Luther King Day in no way offends me, but if we are really going to be all-inclusive about everything, let’s just call it “Great Leader Day” and honor any great leader we each personally feel inclined to honor. And, since so many of us are single and have no sweethearts, let’s just do away with Valentine’s Day entirely!
The Christmas debate has carried over into department stores where some chains have forbidden employees from wishing shoppers a Merry Christmas. Instead they are to say “Happy Holidays” or “Season’s Greetings.” What is wrong with staff wishing customers enjoyment of the season called CHRISTMAS? And what Holy Day are we celebrating? What Season is it? CHRISTMAS.
Advertising flyers have removed “Christmas Sale” from their text, replacing it with “Holiday Sale.” This doesn’t bother me, however, as many Christians have complained through the years about how commercial Christmas has become. Call it a Holiday Sale if you want, but for several hundred years only one group of people have traditionally put up a tree in December and decorated it for one specific holiday – Christians celebrating Christmas. To call the tree anything else discriminates against the religious group that brought the Christmas tree over to America from Europe. The season is CHRISTMAS and the tree is a CHRISTMAS TREE. The lights are CHRISTMAS light and the ornaments are CHRISTMAS ornaments.
There are signs this ultra PC hogwash may be waning. Stores like Walgreens and Macy’s have stated that next year their ads will say Christmas and their employees can say “Merry Christmas.” Hopefully, next year will see a return to manger scenes and Christmas trees as we celebrate one of the earliest official holidays of this great country – CHRISTMAS.
(On June 26, 1870, the United States Congress declared Christmas a federal holiday.)
From our archives, 12/4/2005
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