School Okays 'Christmas Witch,' Menorahs; Rewrites 'Silent Night'(Lyrics 'Mock' Christmas)

Agape Press ^ | 12-7-05 | Jim Brown

[TitansAFC]

Is there a Ramadan witch we should know about?

[polymuser]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1535857/posts

[Mr. Mojo]

Ridgeway Elementary School in Dodgeville may be taking a cue from the White House, which as been sending out greeting cards in the last few weeks, wishing recipients a happy "Holiday Season" rather than "Merry Christmas."

....As they've done every year this century.

[peyton randolph]

Is there a Ramadan witch we should know about?

Suha Arafat

[aft_lizard]

Ok Happy Holidays I can stomache. But changing the lyrics to Silent Night to Cold in the Night is just sickening.

[theDentist]

Is there a Ramadan witch we should know about?

There sure is... Nancy "Botox" Pelosi

[JennysCool]

Exactly! The "Happy Holidays" White House card is a controversy fanned by far-Right wackos. There is nothing wrong with "Happy Holidays," since it is an appropriate greeting for both Christians and Jews. It doesn't denegrate Christmas.

"Happy Holidays" also encompasses both the Christmas and New Year's celebrations in one card -- saving time and money! -- and the White House card also contains a verse from the Bible.

What an ado about absolutely nothing. Some people have WAY too much free time.

[Mr. Jeeves]

Some people have WAY too much free time.

Which is exactly why you find so many of them right here in our little green acre of the Internet. ;)

[pandoraou812]

YOU ARE SO RIGHT. WHY NOT USE A DIFFERENT SONG , LIKE JINGLE BELLS? THERES NO REASON TO CHANGE THE WORDS TO A SONG, THERES PLENTY OF SONGS THAT COULD HAVE BEEN USED. IT IS SICKING FOR SURE

[Tanniker Smith]

And this just in: the Spring Production of "The Sound of Music" will go on as scheduled; however, they're removing all references to the nuns.

TS

[bulldozer]

"At the same time the school has changed the religious songs to secular," Staver says, "their so-called 'Winter Program' has included decorating classrooms with Santa Claus, Kwanzaa, menorahs, and even Labafana -- a term I'd not even heard of until this year." Labafana, he says, is "apparently a Christmas witch."

I believe the correct spelling of the witch is La Befana

La Befana is one of Italy's oldest and most celebrated legends. Each year on January 6 the children of Italy awaken in hopes that La Befana has made a visit to their house. This is a significant day to Italians because it marks the end of the Christmas season and the day that the three Wise Men arrived at the manger of the Christ child. Over the years the Epiphany has been a more celebrated holiday for the children of Italy than even Christmas.

As legend has it the three Wise Men were in search of the Christ child when they decided to stop at a small house to ask for directions. Upon knocking, an old woman holding a broom opened the door slightly to see who was there. Standing at her doorstep were three colorfully dressed men who were in need of directions to find the Christ child. The old woman was unaware of who these three men were looking for and could not point them in the right direction. Prior to the three men leaving they kindly asked the old woman to join them on their journey. She declined because she had much housework to do. After they left she felt as though she had made a mistake and decided to go and catch up with the kind men. After many hours of searching she could not find them. Thinking of the opportunity she had missed the old woman stopped every child to give them a small treat in hopes that one was the Christ child. Each year on the eve of the Epiphany she sets out looking for the baby Jesus. She stops at each child's house to leave those who were good treats in their stockings and those who were bad a lump of coal.
La Befana

[Robert A Cook PE]

This is Robert's wife, Veronica.

Labafana is a wonderful Christmas story. It's from Italy and I remember hearing it every Christmas.

Labafana was an old woman who always have the perfect house. She spent all day sweeping and dusting, sweeping and dusting, sweeping and dusting. One day three foreigners arrived at her door and asked her if she knew where the new king had been born. Labafana told them that she didn't know. They asked her to join them in the search for the king but she turned them down. She told them she was too busy to go because she had to do her sweeping and dusting. The three travelers left and Labafana went back to her sweeping and dusting. But now, they just didn't seem as important any more. She slowed down while she was sweeping and even stopped sweeping. Leaning on her broom, she wondered, "Why didn't I go with the travelers? I would like to see the new king too." So she gathered her possessions and went looking for the king. But she never found him.

Children in Italy still get presents on January 6th (the traditional day of Epiphany). They are gifts from Labafana who still walks the land looking for the king.

[BonnieJ]

I loved the White House Christmas card. Every one of them have been wonderful from this President. Of course I didn't get any from the last one...!

[ProtectOurFreedom]

How I wish I were happy and warm, Safe with my family out of the storm.

Yes, I wish I were out of this all-engulfing lunacy of secularism and removing all aspects of religion out of our public lives. Yes, I wish I were out of the storm, safe and warm and living in the America of 50 years ago.

[somniferum]

their so-called 'Winter Program' has included decorating classrooms with Santa Claus, Kwanzaa

They need to do a FR poll, "Have you ever met anyone who actually celebrates Kwanzaa?", because I sure haven't. Our local Wal-Mart didn't even have any Kwanzaa cards this year, I was going to send one to a friend as a joke :P

The Kwanzaa Hoax

[pandoraou812]

well merry christmas to you belltowerboy and peace to all the morons you know rofllllllll

[pandoraou812]

thank you for such a wonderful story. i had never heard it before but i plan to tell my 6 yr old it this xmas eve thanks again

[TankerKC]

Ridgeway Elementary School in Dodgeville may be taking a cue from the White House, which as been sending out greeting cards in the last few weeks, wishing recipients a happy "Holiday Season" rather than "Merry Christmas."

Well, that's one good way to keep me from reading the rest of the story.