'Inclusive' Name Change Needles N.S. Tree Grower

CBC ^ | November 23, 2005 | CBC Online Staff

[NorthOf45]

'Inclusive' name change needles N.S. tree grower

CBC 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 celebrate various religious holidays but also enjoy the lights, and we're trying to be inclusive," said Toni Pollak, Boston's commissioner of parks.

But Donnie Hatt, of Beech Hill, says he wouldn't have sent his 36-year-old white spruce to Boston this year if he knew it would be called a "holiday" tree. In fact, he'd rather see it run through the wood chipper in his backyard.

"I think it's a bunch of bullcrap," Hatt said Tuesday. "The States is never happy with the way things are. They always gotta change something.

"Ever since I was born, a tree was put up for Christmas, not for holidays, because if you're gonna do that you might as well put a tree up for Easter."

Not everyone in Boston agrees with the name change, either.

"A lot of us felt it wasn't right," said resident Ray Brochu. "How could they have the right to even change the name of a gift that was given to us from the people up there?"

Despite the controversy, the "holiday" tree will be placed in the Boston Common and the lights will be powered up on Dec. 1.

[SuziQ]

'Santa Claus' was introduced into the US by Dutch immigrants based on their Sinter Klaas. He visited the children on St. Nicholas Day with his helper Black Peter.

I believe the modern interpretation of Santa as the 'jolly old elf' came from the text of "The Night Before Christmas", and from Thomas Nast's illustration of the poem.

[red irish]

John Gibson was on EWTN and the way he explained it was the ACLU and such that took what was considered secular Christmas symbols such as the candy cane, the tree, red and green and made them to be religious so they could take them out of Christmas. But along with that they are going after these symbols because of the kids. They have to go after them to get at Christianity for the future. Little by little. Even though they are still going after the nativity as well. Look at the nativity and you can see where that could be a threat. Husband and wife and the baby Jesus. That blessed is the fruit of thy womb can cause problems for some people.