The Haify Christmas Thing

[RedScare]

As long as it's Santa Claus and not a baby Jesus piloting the sleigh filled with presents, I'm OK with it. Same with Easter. It's not Jesus bringing children candy and eggs, it's a rabbit. For me that's enough of a separation to make me comfortable. YMMV.

I think I saw those on an A&F T-shirt.

[editor]

Crap. Falwell agrees with me. Now what am I going to do?

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TheBostonChannel.com

Lawyers Threaten Suit Over 'Christmas' Tree

City Confirms Spruce Is Not 'Holiday' Tree

POSTED: 7:46 am EST November 23, 2005

UPDATED: 1:39 pm EST November 23, 2005

BOSTON -- One day after being threatened with a lawsuit, city officials say make no mistake about it: The tree that will be lit on the Boston Common next week is a Christmas tree.

Tuesday, a group of conservative lawyers for the Liberty Council threatened to take the city to court for calling the spruce a "holiday" tree.

The attorneys told the Boston Herald that is misinformation that slights people who celebrate Christmas.

They said a Christmas tree shouldn't be called a holiday tree, just like a Menorah shouldn't be called a candlestick.

"Calling a Christmas tree a holiday tree isn't being inclusive. It's disenfranchising people of faith. It's like calling a menorah a candle stick," said Mathew Staver, Liberty Counsel's president and general counsel.

The city was quick to confirm the tree's title.

"This is a Christmas tree," Boston Parks Commissioner Toni Pollak insisted about the Nova Scotia spruce the city will light Dec. 1 on historic Boston Common. "It's definitely a Christmas tree," she told the Herald.

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Boston "holiday tree" stirs controversy

Fri Nov 25, 2005 5:53 PM ET

By Jason Szep

BOSTON (Reuters) - Boston set off a furor this week when it officially renamed a giant tree erected in a city park a "holiday tree" instead of a "Christmas tree."

The move drew an angry response from Christian conservatives, including evangelist Jerry Falwell who heckled Boston officials and pressed the city to change the name back.

"There's been a concerted effort to steal Christmas," Falwell told Fox Television.

The Nova Scotia logger who cut down the 48-foot (14-meter) tree was indignant and said he would not have donated the tree if he had known of the name change.

"I'd have cut it down and put it through the chipper," Donnie Hatt told a Canadian newspaper. "If they decide it should be a holiday tree, I'll tell them to send it back. If it was a holiday tree, you might as well put it up at Easter."

Falwell and the conservative Liberty Counsel led a campaign that threatened to sue anyone who spreads what they see as misinformation about Christmas celebrations in public spaces.

The controversy reflects the legal vulnerability of city and state governments over taxpayer-funded displays of religious icons and concern over crossing the line in the separation between church and state.

Last year, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger lit what he called a "Christmas tree" at a state ceremony. The year before, he and former California Gov. Gray Davis presided over ceremonies for the more secular "holiday trees."

In Boston, many residents voiced their dismay over the Web site that promotes a December 1 ceremony for "Boston's Official Holiday Tree Lighting."

Christmas has become too politically correct, said 64 percent of people who responded to an online poll by a CBS television affiliate in Boston.

Boston Mayor Thomas Menino said he would keep calling the Nova Scotia spruce a "Christmas tree" regardless of what it said on the city's official Web site.

"I grew up with a Christmas tree, I'm going to stay with a Christmas tree," Menino told reporters on Thursday.

But the controversy cast a pall over a long-standing tradition between Boston and Canada. Nova Scotia donates a tree each year to Boston in gratitude for the city's help after an explosion killed about 1,900 people and injured 4,000 others in Halifax in 1917.

Edited November 26, 2005 by editor

[RedScare]

The city that celebrates St. Patrick's Day, probably the most Catholic city in the country, has a brain fart and calls it a holiday tree?

In North Carolina, there are no such debates.

http://www.newsobserver.com/102/story/371396.html

[Subdude]

Some seasonal music for the very sensitive among us. Let's sing along!

I'll Be Home for Holiday

(I'm Dreaming of a) White Holiday

Have Yourself a Merry Little Holiday

Oh, Holiday Tree

Rockin' Around the Holiday Tree

The Twelve Days of Holiday

Have a Holly Jolly Holiday

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Holiday

'Twas the Night Before Holiday

[nmainguy]

Crap. Falwell agrees with me. Now what am I going to do?

Don't worry, editor. I assure you that none of us will Disfellowship you.

[ssullivan]

I like the Haify Christmas thing - thought it was fun. Anyway, I have no trouble with a business using "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas" to be inclusive, as long as they are treating other holidays this time of year equally. Yeah, I'm Christian, but I'm not an evangelical who gets all bent out of shape that my religious celebration isn't being shoved down other people's throats. I love Christmas, and will continue to call decorated trees "Christmas trees" but I also don't get bent out of shape if some else calls one a "holiday tree". There are much, much more important things in the world to concern myself with.

And as an example of how this type of thing can get out of control -- while visiting my hometown this weekend my Dad told me about a customer in his store the other day questioning him about his company's policy on using "Merry Christmas" in advertising. To be honest, Dad had no idea of what the corporate policy was, or if such a thing even existed. This guy threatened not to shop in Dad's store any more if he saw an advertising circular with "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas." As Dad was telling us about this, Mom recounted a story that came up at a recent Rotary Club meeting. The manager of the local supermarket was looking for a large nativity scene to put up in his store. He had heard that there were certain church groups in town who were boycotting the new Super Wal-Mart because of their use of "Happy Holidays" in lieu of "Merry Christmas." So this guy was telling his employees to wish customers "Merry Christmas" as they checked out and he wanted the nativity to put up to create the appearance of a Christian atmosphere in order to win back customers his store lost when Wal-Mart opened the super store with a grocery department. I find this rather hypocritical -- the guy was wanting to use Christian symbology just to increase his profits. To me that's going against a lot of basic Christian beliefs.

Anyway, people need to just calm down about this stuff and not get so worked up over it. Believe what you want, and respect the beliefs of others.

[nmainguy]

Anyway, people need to just calm down about this stuff and not get so worked up over it. Believe what you want, and respect the beliefs of others.

nmainguy applauds steven's common sence and wishes everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy Haifydays!!!

Edited November 30, 2005 by nmainguy

[sevfiv]

Anyway, I have no trouble with a business using "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas" to be inclusive, as long as they are treating other holidays this time of year equally.

i think happy holidays is great - and it is inclusive of the new year festivities as well