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The Christmas vs. Holiday battle ensues (video)
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With increasing threats, lawsuits and exposure over what constitutes a ‘legal Christmas season’ in this country, it is astounding albeit wonderful, that the current White House administration, President and Congress have not decided to remove the word Christmas or Christ from the upcoming tree lighting ceremony in Washington D.C.
Current reports on the NPS.gov webpage have the traditional ceremony of the National Christmas Tree Lighting happening on December 3rd this year at the Elipse, south of the White House grounds in Washington D.C. Each year the National Park Service and National Park Foundation sponsor the tree lighting ceremony that helps kick off a four week Christmas celebration in the U.S. Capital.
During the ceremony each year military bands, celebrities, entertainers and the President make an appearance to help kick off the Christmas season. The beautiful presence of the National Christmas tree is only part of the beauty of the ceremony. There are actually numerous trees lit that night. There is a tree representing each state in the United States plus one for each of the five U.S. territories, as well as the National Christmas tree. Each night starting from December 3rd through January 1st the following year, the trees are lit and on display as a “Christmas Pathway of Peace”.
In early October, school children in Arizona were asked to make decorations for the National Christmas Tree. Those who made ornaments referring to Christ or Christmas were told they had to redo their artwork in order to leave out Christ. After the Alliance Defense Fund became involved, sending a letter to the NPS stating that banning such ornaments was unconstitutional, the NPS agreed and changed their mind on the religious ornament ban. Children have constructed thousands of ornaments this year, thankfully now without fear of rejection due to their religious depictions on them. The ornaments will go be placed on the nearly 65 foot tree that will grace the grounds near the White House starting December 3rd.
As many conservative and tradition-loving Christians look forward to various tree lighting ceremonies during the upcoming Christmas season, some still hold their breath waiting to see which extremist anti-Christian organization will throw a fit over someone else celebrating their own religion and sharing those celebrations with the rest of the majority in the United States.
With fears of possible lawsuits sucking more money out of already low budgets, many smaller government entities, counties and states are succumbing to even at utterance of a protest over the use of the word Christmas and the traditional ceremonies surrounding it.
Last week the Columbus Ohio Dispatch reported a major controversy over a traditional Christmas parade in the city of Amelia. The business sponsor who usually backed the cost of the parade was unable to financially support it, backing out this year, suggesting the Village Council sponsor the Christmas parade. The Council voted to support the parade financially in order to keep it up and running; however those plans were quickly nixed when an attorney told the Village Council that they could easily be sued for supporting a parade that had religious content to it. The mayor’s suggestion was to change the parade name to 'Holiday Parade', in order to appease those who might protest it but the bulk of the parade participants, including churches, balked at the change and refused to participate in a Christmas event that removed Christ from its’ name.
In a letter to Amelia residents, the major pointed out the many reasons the parade had been cancelled but also noted that a local gentleman was trying to get funding in order to pay for a Christmas Parade and if he was successful then the Council would be in full support of it.
What should boggle everyone’s mind is how in the world does changing the name from Christmas to Holiday negate the fact that Christmas is about Christ? It does not. It would also not change the fact that well over half the floats in the parade would be Christ-centered.
In another Christmas versus Holiday battle, the Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, Steven Beshear announced in late October that the traditional Christmas tree that graces the yard at the Capital in Frankfort, Kentucky would no longer be called a Christmas tree but rather, a Holiday tree. Barraged with emails and phone calls over the rewording, the Governor announced November 4th that he didn’t want to change the name all along and was going back to the traditional wording, using Christmas in the celebration after all.
While many do indeed hold their breath, check with their attorneys, worry about who is going to be up in arms, take down a tree for fear of being sued or have anxiety attacks over possible protests for using the word Christmas versus Holiday…I pray every Christian will step back and remember what Christmas is about and what it is not about.
While it is absolutely important to stand up for our rights to worship and celebrate as we see fit – no matter our religion - the meaning of Christmas is not removed when the word Christmas is removed from the name of an event. (Such as what has been done to the Hollywood Christmas Parade this year; recently renamed The Hollywood Santa Parade.) The God who is my Heavenly Father is not taken away when a Christmas Parade is taken away from the community nor will Christ disappear merely because His name is removed from a worldly event.
Christmas is not about the tree, what we label it, the presents, the lights or which religious or secular organization gets to dictate how and what to do with it all. It IS about the birth of Jesus Christ. Our Savior. It IS about the fact that no one can take away the love of God or the realization that sacrifices were made for us…No one can take away the worship in my heart on any day, let alone during Christmas. The very removal of traditions we have held on to for years as a majority Christian nation should give us pause and cause for righteous anger and proper action to be taken in order to change laws that take away our religious freedoms but those actions cannot take away the depth of understanding I have in my soul that Jesus Christ is Lord.
As time goes on, just as in other countries, our rights will no doubt be stripped away but no one can invade my heart and soul or cause me to move from solid ground to sinking sand because of political messages, anti-Christian rhetoric or banning verbiage they find unpleasing to their ears. Times change, politics change and even people change but Christ and His message are the same yesterday, today and forever.
For those who love Christmas cartoons and stories, you can surely relate to the fact that The Grinch took away all the Christmas packages, presents and bags and he got rid of the ornaments and the tree down in Whoville but he couldn’t stop the Who’s from celebrating the meaning of Christmas. With or without the worldly trappings of Christmas, I am still a Christian…all year long and not just at Christmas time.
For those who wish to attend the National Christmas Tree lighting ceremony in Washington D.C. this year there will be a lottery system used in order to make obtaining free tickets to the event a fair process. If you are unable to secure a ticket to the Lighting Ceremony, there will be free concerts and special events each night throughout the Christmas season, including model train displays, Santa’s Workshop and other seasonal events.
For more information about the National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony click into National Parks. Gov or read about the history behind the National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony.
For local Christmas events, check out Kentucky Christmas Events at: Holiday Events in Horse Country.
As a reminder of what Christmas is and is not...and for your enjoyment, I share the following video with you:
The Grinch and Faith Hill, “Where Are You Christmas?”
*photo courtesy of The Kentucky Christmas Tree Association
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