Free Republic

Dear Ellen, Christmas is disgusting. It’s all pagan worship. Even most Christians don’t realize that all their decorations and traditions come from ancient Babylon. Our family doesn’t cave in to all this stuff and I tell friends at church they shouldn’t either. Signed, Ms. Christian Grinch Dear Ms. Grinch, By saying “all this stuff,” I assume we’re talking Christmas trees, mistletoe, hasty pudding, Yule logs, etc.? I grant that Christmas choices are a matter of personal conscience. I had a similar e-mail conversation with another Christian killjoy last month so I retrieve and relate to you my comments to him....

This year, for the first time, Chatham Borough's holiday tree will be joined by a giant menorah. The borough agreed to a request for a public menorah display by Shalom Lubin, who over the years has gained approval for menorahs in neighboring Madison, Florham Park, East Hanover and Chatham Township. Lubin, a rabbi and director of the Chabad of Southeast Morris County, said word is spreading and towns are saying "hey, you have one in your town, why don't we have one in our town?" "More and more towns are realizing that in the spirit of the holiday, being inclusive...

Tonight at 5:30, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts presents its 17th annual Holiday Tree Lighting. The event, which is free and open to the public, will be telecast live on New York's WABC-TV, Channel 7; the station's Sade Baderinwa and Sam Champion will host. Special performances at this family gathering include excerpts from the Metropolitan Opera's new English-language adaptation of Mozart's The Magic Flute (including an appearance by renowned baritone Nathan Gunn as Papageno); festive music by members of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra; dancers from the School of American Ballet and New York City Ballet in a...

The pendulum swings both ways. Last year in Denver, it was Mayor John Hickenlooper proposing to replace the city's traditional "Merry Christmas" sign with one that said "Happy Holidays." The mayor wisely backed off in response to the public outcry, as did the Parade of Lights, this year, reversing its policy barring religious floats. Earlier this month, Speaker of the U.S. House Dennis Hastert, issued a directive instructing the architect of the Capitol to drop the name "Capitol Holiday Tree" - adopted in the late 1990s under the authority of no one who's now willing to admit to it -...

And So It Was Written, By You, To Us... Some wrote to us upset about the city's Holiday Tree but darn glad the city did not call it a Christmas Tree. Some wrote upset with us for mentioning it. Can't you find anything positive to say about the tree? Instead of arguing about it, let's just take a vote!

Now we know why they did not call it a "Christmas Tree" Sorry, but every time we drive by this "Holiday Tree" on the north/west corner of Palm Drive & Pierson Boulevard, it does not remind us of Christ's birth. Instead, it reminds some of us of a real stupid movie shown a long time ago.

So why do liberals harbor this instinctive compulsion to cry “Bah, Humbug” every time Christmas comes around? Why do liberals tremble at the sight of Christmas trees? Why do they hate the idea of small children humbly acknowledging the true meaning of Christmas? The answer is simple. Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, and liberals hate the idea of people worshiping someone who is not one of them. They see themselves as being intellectually superior to everyone else, and thus harbor delusions of divine authority over mankind itself. This is why they feel at liberty to...

It may have colorful lights, a train chugging underneath it and hundreds of ornaments, but the “Capitol Holiday Tree” is causing a stir among those who work at the Capitol. The 35-foot Balsam fir has had the moniker since 1985, but 46 state legislators, mostly Republicans, wrote and signed a letter to Gov. Jim Doyle requesting the tree’s name be changed to the “Wisconsin State Christmas Tree.” State Rep. Scott Suder, R-Abbotsford, said he spearheaded the effort with Rep. Terry Moulton, R-Chippewa Falls, adding the tree’s name should truly reflect the season. “It’s not an Easter tree, it’s not a...

American liberals should listen to conservative whining about the 'war on Christmas'. Whenever the calendar turns to December, the air usually becomes thick with the sound of American Jews whining about the holiday season. For some of us, this is the time of year when we are forced to confront the reality that, despite living in a country where Jews are free not only to assertively practice (or not practice) their faith, we are still a small minority. That means wherever we move about this free land, we are subjected to the ever-present sight of Christmas trees and Santas while...

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — A state legislator is unhappy that some seasonal greenery in Olympia has been designated the "Capitol Holiday Kids' Tree." Gov. Christine Gregoire should declare the 30-foot noble fir in the Legislative Building a Christmas tree and post "Merry Christmas" signs nearby, Rep. John Ahern, R-Spokane, said Wednesday on talk radio, urging listeners to call the governor's office. The current display shows a lack of respect for Christian tradition, Ahern said. "We're a Judeo-Christian nation. Of course we should have 'Merry Christmas' on signs there," he said. "Our Constitution guarantees us freedom of religion, not freedom from...

A Christmas quiz: What is the difference between these two events? 1. A clerk at a department store tells shoppers "Happy holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas." 2. A store renames Christmas trees, calling them "holiday trees." Answer: Event No. 1 is a reasonable and praiseworthy attempt at inclusiveness, since the clerk does not know which shoppers celebrate Christmas and which do not. Event No. 2, however, is a gutless and ridiculous dodge of the obvious, buying into a new level of politically correct absurdity. As believers and nonbelievers work themselves into a lather over the Christmas Wars, rational distinctions like...

O Holiday Tree, O Holiday Tree? Boston creates prickly scene by not calling N.S. evergreen Christmas tree By BEVERLEY WARE South Shore Bureau BEECH HILL — Donnie Hatt says if he’d known the tree he donated to Boston would be called a holiday tree, "I’d have cut it down and put it through the chipper." Boston should "just put Return to Sender on it because we sent it as a Christmas tree, not a holiday tree," the Chester Basin man said Wednesday after a barrage of phone calls from U.S. television and radio stations and newspapers. Mr. Hatt and his...

"No Christmas for you you neo-liberal yuppie scum!" I think freepers will agree with this flash cartoon.

'Holiday tree' quickly pulled from governor's mansion Associated Press ATLANTA - When it comes to Christmas, political correctness apparently only lasts about a half-hour in Gov. Sonny Perdue's office. A press release sent by Perdue's office to members of the media Friday afternoon announced plans for a "holiday tree" lighting ceremony at the governor's mansion. Exactly 30 minutes later, a second release blamed the wording on "a politically correct staff brain-freeze." "It is, in fact, a Christmas tree," said the second release. "The staffer responsible can be contacted at P.O. Box 432, Anchorage, Alaska, 99501." This year, religious conservatives, including...

House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert has told federal officials that the lighted, decorated tree on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol -- known in recent years as the "Holiday Tree" -- should be renamed the "Capitol Christmas Tree," as it was called until the late 1990s. The Capitol's senior landscape architect confirmed the name switch yesterday for The Washington Times. "It was known as the 'Holiday Tree' for several years and just recently was changed back to the 'Capitol Christmas Tree.' This was a directive from the speaker," said Capitol architect Matthew Evans. "The speaker believes a Christmas tree...

FOX NEWS reporting on Christmas Trees arriving in Washington D.C. (revering to them as Holiday Trees).

It should come as now surprise that the Left has struck another blow to America’s Christian community. This time they have succeeded in renaming the Christmas Tree in Boston a Holiday Tree. Never mind that the Christmas Tree has been a tradition for hundreds of years. It was never a secular symbol. Leftist once again want to manipulate the constitution to block our block our freedom of religious expression. The establishment clause was written to prevent the establishment of an official religion. It was never intended to block one of our fundamental freedoms, the freedom to express and practice religion....

'Inclusive' name change needles N.S. tree growerCBC News November 23, 2005 A spruce tree grower in Nova Scotia isn't happy his 16-metre Christmas tree has become a "holiday" tree in Massachusetts. Every fall, the province sends a tree to Boston as a thank-you gift for the help the New England city gave Halifax after the devastating 1917 ship explosion that levelled parts of Nova Scotia's capital. Officials with Boston's parks department decided it would be less offensive to some people and generally more inclusive if the word "Christmas" was dropped when they referred to the tree. "A lot of people...

Governor Schwarzenegger lit the state Christmas tree and ended a secular practice of calling it a "holiday tree." The governor made no mention of the name change that was in honor of the late Senator William "Pete" Knight. Schwarzenegger said at Knight's funeral in May that he would change the name back to Christmas tree. Knight had lobbied unsuccessfully to change the name after Governor Davis decided to call it a holiday tree. During the 73rd annual lighting, Schwarzenegger took on the role of "Triminator" as he helped a disabled girl trim the tree with the final ornament. The governor...

Tonight on Special Report after the panel had weighed in on the pressing issues of the day, Brian Wilson had the closing "human interest" piece that concerned the National Christmas Tree. Now I understand that the P.C. title for this item is the National Holiday Tree and Wilson acknowledged as much, but he then stated "...but this is FOX and we don't care about P.C. so this is the Nations CHRISTMAS TREE". I about had a stroke! Congratulations to FOX for not caving in to the PC Police and calling it what it is. Merry Christmas everybody!

<p>If you like your Christmases straight -- i.e., "Merry Christmas" instead of "Season's Greetings" -- the run up to Dec. 25 can be a trying time. And this year the grinches are again out in full force, trying their best to strip from our public squares any hint of what most Americans will actually be celebrating come Christmas morn.</p>