Posted on 11/25/2004 3:36:58 PM PST by SamAdams76
The folks at The Forks deck the halls with boughs of folly
What do you call a 40-foot spruce tree decorated with Christmas lights on display in a public place over the Christmas season? A "holiday tree" of course. At least according to the politically correct folks at The Forks.
Forks organizers erected a fine looking Colorado Blue Spruce -- one of the more popular choices for a Christmas tree -- last week on the cobblestone roundabout between the Children's Museum and the new Inn at The Forks.
It's a beautiful tree -- it's majestic, silvery-blue foliage decorated nicely with Christmas lights.
But they don't call it a Christmas tree because they don't want to offend anybody. So they call it a "holiday tree."
"It's being called a holiday tree because it's going to span not only the Christmas period but also will go into the New Year and be a focal point of our winter-fest, winter activities," said Forks spokeswoman Gisele Olivier. "We didn't want to be only exclusive to Christmas because we're going to have it up through the whole winter season."
'A PLACE FOR EVERYONE'
Not sure I follow that. Because you plan to have the tree up throughout the winter season, you don't want to call it a Christmas tree, which is what it is?
I keep my "Christmas lights" up on my house for many weeks after Christmas but I don't call them "holiday lights."
"The Forks is a place for everyone," Olivier explained. "So it's not specifically just for Christmas but it's for everyone to enjoy over the festive season."
Ah. Now we're getting somewhere. It's a Christmas tree "for everyone," including people who don't celebrate Christmas.
Forks organizers don't want to offend people who don't celebrate Christmas and so they take a symbol of Christmas and call it something else. It doesn't matter that they may be offending people who do celebrate Christmas. What's important is that they don't offend minority groups.
So why put up a Christmas tree at all? We had the same problem a few years ago at the Manitoba Legislature when they started calling the Christmas tree there a "multicultural tree."
Seems they, too, didn't want to offend minority groups so they tried to sanitize Christmas by calling it a multicultural tree and omitting the word "Christmas."
Fortunately, Premier Gary Doer stepped in and put an end to it after a series of Sun articles brought attention to it and after his office was flooded with angry phone calls.
The public didn't like government taking Christmas out of Christmas. As a result, there is no longer a multicultural tree at the Legislature.
"If it walks like a duck and it talks like a duck you should call it a duck," Doer said at the time. "It's a Christmas tree."
What if The Forks put a menorah on display and called it a "holiday candle?" The Jewish community would, quite rightly, be furious. But because a Christmas tree is a Christian symbol, it doesn't seem to matter.
By contrast, city hall calls its Christmas tree in the courtyard a "Christmas tree" and Mayor Sam Katz, who is Jewish, presided over the official unveiling of the tree Monday. He didn't seem to be offended.
Calling a Christmas tree a "holiday tree" is political correctness gone mad. In an attempt to be tolerant, society has become intolerant. Intolerant to the majority.
The Forks should re-think its position.
Your post offends me, and you owe me money for the trauma I have suffered. ;)
I'm so glad that where I live it is still called Christmas. Half the towns here have Christmas parades and christmas trees.
There are Creches and Menorahh's on public property and private property. And horror of horrors.....children are taught about Christmas and Hannakuh in public schools.
Oh, and they had a Thanksgiving Feast in school yesterday.
Mega dittos, Viking! ^_^
Bought me diamond rings for Christmas
I feel like I'm in paradise
Be at my side
I got music on my radio
Feel my vibe
I got music on my radio
I feel like I'm going to kiss you underneath the Mistletoe
Santa's coming down the chimney, half past three
All those pretty presents for my baby and for me
Merry Christmas baby
Sure did treat me nice
Treat me so nice
Bought me pretty presents
I feel like I'm in paradise
Merry Christmas girl
Merry Chrismas baby
Merry Chrismas baby
Sure did treat me nice
You know you do
Merry Christmas baby
Sure did treat me nice
I got a lot of pretty presents
I feel like I'm in paradise
Merry Christmas baby
Merry Christmas baby
I feel like I'm in paradise
In paradise
Merry Christmas baby
Happy New Year
Merry Christmas baby
Merry Christmas baby
Merry Christmas baby
Merry Christmas baby
Merry Christmas baby
and a very Happy New Year
"And don't forget Saint Nicholas Day"
Never! ;)
Once, I was in Germany on Dec. 5th, at a toy store, looking for gifts. They were closing early, so the owner could go home and be St. Nick.
Yes, switches, and Knecht Ruprecht! A woman in my German class told that when her husband was a child in Austria, the brother actually got PUT into Knecht Ruprecht's sack! Motivation to be good! In that case, it was uncles who played the roles.
Our German school has St. Nick, in Bishop's costume, rather than Santa Claus. It is a nice touch.
Germans really DO know how to celebrate Christmas! Another good source is Maria Trapp's bio, where she describes their traditions.
SOME day I want to have a big round Advent wreath hanging from the ceiling!
Thx, Frohe Weihnachten. (When the time comes! Almost Advent, and there are several nice German Advent songs . . . )
Hey,
My daughter's teacher couldn't even bring herself to say "Happy Thanksgiving" in a note home. Instead, she said have a good holiday.
I say Merry Christmas. All the time.
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