Meme for the Weekend: Holiday Trees are not Christmas Trees
We've covered it here and here and here.They are Christmas Trees...not holiday trees.
Say...Christmas Tree. Its an important issue. You can not emasculate the symbol of a celebration that has overtones that are religious and/or cultural and/or familial for people.
Don't celebrate the holiday? Fine. Have a good one. Let others have their joy.
Its a Christmas Tree.
Spread the word - let the blogosphere take hold. Merry Christmas!
Posted by Mayor Sam @ 12/03/2005 12:07:00 AM
19 Comments:
I agree wholeheartedly, Mayor Sam. It is a Christmas Tree. It's origin lies in Christianity (however pagan a symbol some Christians may call it). It is a celebration of the hope that Christ brings to the world.
This is exactly why the government should not be putting one up on public grounds. It is, in effect, an endorsement of Christianity.
These celebrations should take place in churches. I am an Episcopalian. I celebrate the joyous season of advent in my home and at my church. I certainly wouldn't want the City Council or any other government entity promoting another faith over mine, so why should I expect them to endorse my faith over others?
Yes, it's a Christmas Tree and a wonderful symbol for Christians.
I am athiest (and born a muslim) and for God's sake, call them Christmas Trees.
Holiday Trees MAKES NO FUCKING SENSE!!!!!!!
Call them Christmas Trees. But don't let the Government sponsor them.
Christmas Tree!!!!!
Political correctness is wrong way to delegate
11:50, 11:55 and 12:27.
I grew up in a Christian fundamentalist church. I don't believe anymore. But I think it's a Christmas tree and a wonderful symbol for Christians.
I agree that using the word holiday tree makes no sense. There is no other holiday for that tree so let's not just not say the word christmas.
I don't really want to see government sponsored trees UNLESS they sponsored every single holiday of every single faith and christianity took no precedence, but it does. And only one third of the entire world is christian.
I will gladly say Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanza or whatever the person I was speaking to celebrated. That's just out of respect to them, not that I believe any of it in any way.
Mayor Sam really is a stereotypical, white, Christian, valley Republican who feels that way and it is his blog, so he gets to decide how his blog views the Christmas trees And out of respect to him, I will refer to them as Christmas trees on this blog.
Everyone can have their Christmas treea, even the atheists, but you can't call it a Christmas tree without acknowledging the existence of Christ. So if you're atheist, you should probably start calling your tree something else or you're being hypocritical.
Gotta love LA Times Steve Hymon...Council Fiddles, Tenants Burn....Residents facing eviction wait and wait while the panel makes USC-UCLA wagers and tosses a ball.....Which is more important to the Los Angeles City Council — dealing with tenants about to be evicted from their apartments or wagering on the USC-UCLA football game?
On Friday, betting crossed the goal line first when the council made the tenants wait nearly THREE HOURS before they were granted 10 minutes to air their concerns.
WHY DIDN'T THE WESTSIDE COUNILMAN ROSENDAHL DO OR SAY ANYTHING TO HELP THEM. CAUSE HE'S IN LA LA LAND.
I'm an atheist who calls it a Christmas tree so that my pro Christian mom doesn't freak. Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do to keep peace in the family.
She was sad enough when she mentioned the virgin Mary and my son didn't know who that was. When she told him the story, he told her that was the world's biggest scam that those two kids pulled off. Then he said it was the lack of media back then that allowed that. He was howling that she believed that. I felt bad for her. But you can imagine what that sounded like to a pre teenager who has not been raised in a church.
I'm a hypocrite then. I say Merry Christmas to people too.
Actually the tree comes from the Pagan relegion but that is a different story.
Obviously Mayor Sam has baught into the manufactured claim by Fox News that there is some attack on Christmas Trees... there isn't.MSNBC has been covering the story all week and has even named one of their comentators,John Gibson, the dumbest person of the week.
Fake news seems to be catching on. Kind of like O'Reilys' manufactured claims of Clooneys' involvement with the Red Cross telethon... Clooney did the United Way dumbass.
Fox News, we make it up... you decide.
I agree that Fox News made up that crap. But look a Holiday tree is a Christmas tree no matter what you freaking call it. If I called my Hannukiah a Holiday Candelebra it would still be hannukiah.
Hannukiah? Isn't he the brother of Jebediah and Hezekiah?
If elected officials called it what it is - a Christmas Tree - everyone would have to admit that the government has no right promoting a religious faith by promoting one of its symbols in public places.
So if you want the government to continue putting up a tree, you'll have to sacrifice the "Christian" in exchange for "Holiday."
10:01
Stop being so logical. We like to muck things up here in L.A.
And
9:24
You forgot Obediah.
A few points...
Yes, the use of a tree is pagan. I honestly don't care what someone's religion is or their intent in celebrating the Christmas holiday, however they do it. I know tons of atheists, Jews, Muslims, Hindus and others who celebrate the Christmas holiday. They may not go church or praise Jesus (one aspect of Christmas for SOME people) but they put up trees, bake cookies and give presents (another aspect of Christmas for LOTS of people).
In addition to the religous aspect of Christmas, I see it also as a cultural holiday. Its like many people celebrate St. Patrick's Day or Valentine's Day with no knowledge , interest or participation in the previous religous aspect of the holiday.
However, some liberals have something against whites, Christians, etc. and they assume that Christmas is a celerbation of white Americans (which is silly given that millions of Blacks and Hispanics also celebrate Christmas). Therefore, they seek to use government to reject it.
I don't care if Mayor V lights a tree or places on in front of the City Hall. BUT if you do, call it by its right name, don't give into the hate of ACLU types.
Finally, the assault on Christmas, Christianity and anything that is not in favor with the extreme left (Michael Moore, Jackie Goldberg, ACLU, Hollywood, et al) pre-dates the existence of Fox News.
Merry Christmas!
Here is another thought, not that any of you care.
I am not of the mind that for example companies should not call their parties holiday parties instead of Christmas parties. If the point of the party is to mark the winter holidays, then holiday party is appropriate.
Also, programs in schools are fine to be called holiday programs (plays, assemblies, concerts, etc.) as they should highlight all the holidays celebrated by the students in the school.
My only point is don't take one holiday and sanitize it. Its as mentioned in one of my stories about people calling a menorah a "seasonal candleabra." Its silly. Its okay to say Happy Holidays, but its okay to say Merry Christmas. Its the sentiment and we have bigger problems than to take that kind of stuff personally and not be offended. There is no constitutional right to be not be offended.
I am not Jewish, but if someone wished me a Happy Hannukah I would be grateful. I don't typically celebrate Hannukah, but I have been to Hannukah celebrations in the past and enjoyed it. I would do it again and maybe would celebrate it myself along with Christmas. I like holidays.
I don't know if anyone is still reading this thread, but Janice Hahn has jumped on the PC bandwagon (again). San Pedro is now calling its Christmas tree a freakin "holiday tree". Hahn said this is to make everyone feel "welcome".
Well then shouldn't she have supported the removal of the cross from the county seal? (which she adamantly opposed -- probably cuz her pa designed it) The head of So Cal's ACLU said she wanted the cross off also to make everyone feel welcome.
This is really stupid--or is it? I've never heard anyone object to calling a Christmas Tree by that name. It celebrates the birth of Christ not any other occassion or benign celebration. Nevertheless, Happy Holidays is proper when addressing the public at large as it is a season that has numerous religious holidays in it.
The issue of the Christmas Tree per se is curious. Almost an anti-semitic effort to taint another religion by crusading to saw the celebration of the birth of Jesus. This whole thing is very suspect. Bah Humbug!
Shut up 4:55 and Merry Christmas to you too.
Right, Mayor Sam - it is a cultural holiday, particularly for those among the Christian culture . . . hey, that's an idea!
Let's stop referring to Christianity as a religion and start referring to it as a culture. And in a multicultural society, all cultures can promote themselves through government resources.
That's an idea for Pat Robertson.
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