Peddlers? Are those ECO-warriors who ride bicycles?
In 1938, Mayor Fiorello La Guardia waged what became known as his War on Christmasan effort to keep mostly immigrant vendors off the streets by forcing them to obtain licenses.
So few were issued that trees vanished, causing an uproar. Thats when the City Council enacted an exception allowing vendors free access to sidewalks once a year to sell Christmas trees, so long as adjoining store owners give their consent and the operation doesnt block pedestrians. The city later changed the text of the law to apply to coniferous trees, rather than Christmas trees, to avoid the appearance of giving special treatment to one religious group.
Going back to their pagan roots.
I live in NYC and just paid a visit to the coniferous tree in Rockefeller Center yesterday. It really is a spectacular coniferous tree. The thing is huge, with probably over a million colored lights. Plus every few minutes some scattered bright flashing white lights come on, then go off after about a minute. Oh well, just a couple more weeks for that holiday at the end of the month.
_______________________
Seasons Greetings
For Our Liberal Friends:
Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, our best
wishes For an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-
stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter
solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of
the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your
choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or
traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or
secular traditions at all.
We also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and
medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally
accepted calendar year 2008, but not without due respect for the
calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society
have helped make America great. Not to imply that America is
necessarily greater than any other country nor the only America in
the Western Hemisphere. And without regard to the race, creed,
color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of
the wishee. By accepting these greetings you are accepting these
terms.
This greeting is subject to clarification or withdrawal. It is freely
transferable with no alteration to the original greeting. It implies
no promise by the wisher to actually implement any of the wishes for
herself or himself or others, and is void where prohibited by law and
is revocable at the sole discretion of the wisher.
This wish is warranted to perform as expected within the usual
application of good tidings for a period of one year or until the
issuance of a subsequent holiday greeting, whichever comes first, and
warranty is limited to replacement of this wish or issuance of a new
wish at the sole discretion of the wisher.
For Our Conservative Friends:
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!