What is a "holiday tree?"

[Free4Life11]

I understand saying Happy Holidays. But I don't understand calling Christmas trees holiday trees. It would be one thing of decorating evergreen trees was a Hannukah/Kwanza tradition, but to my knowledge it's not. Maybe it is though, it just seems strange. Now it's not a big enough deal to me to protest it, I was just wondering why some stores call them holiday trees and not Christmas trees.

 

[Laugh O. Grams]

I've never seen this...where did you see holiday trees? All over my city, on every street corner, the vendors are selling Christmas trees.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

People want to have their cake and eat it too.

In Orlando, people got their panties in a bunch--so they changed the name of the city tree to a holiday tree. Now--I'd like to know what other holiday has a Christmas tree....b/c this is beyond offending an atheist or non-Christian--it is blatant censorship that you can't even say a word.

Why some places are marketing holiday trees---I think they are idiots.

Up next---December 25th--the federal holiday will be changed to "Winter Day".

 

[phorsenuf]

PC run amok again.....

 

[Southern4sure]

Locally a school district changed christmas tree to holiday tree and it became a big uproar to the point non christians and muslims were asking to change it back to christmas tree. The district did change it back though due to the pressure and public outcry.

I will always call it a christmas tree same as I will always wish a Merry Christmas. Merry Holiday doesn't even sound right...

 

[vivilasvegas]

I haven't really noticed anything different than what they say on the news.

I suppose people say Happy Holidays, but I never really notice.

I don't see why it's offensive, if you are Christian, then just assume Happy Holidays encompasses both Christmas and New Years. that's what I always thought when I was a child anyways.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I'm not offended by the phrase "Happy Holidays". I believe it's intent is to capture Christmas and New Years and Hannukah and Kwanzaa and whatever.

A christmas tree is for Christmas. The tree doesn't encompass all the holidays. Those who put one up--put it up for Christmas. Hannukah has the menorrah (sp?) and 8 days (is it) of honor/celebration, Kwanzaa I believe is multi-day and has some candle thing going (my apologies--I don't recall what it is and don't mean to be offensive).

There is no "holiday menorrah". So why is their a "holiday tree"? What other holiday puts up a tree--with the exception of arbor day where it is traditional to plant a tree???

 

[Laugh O. Grams]

I think on the news, or in business settings, Happy Holidays is appropriate, as you are speaking to a large audience who may or may not celebrate Christmas.
As far as someone trying to get rid of "Christmas", you only have to listen to the stations that play nonstop holiday music on the radio. I would say about 70% of it is "Oh Holy Night" type stuff and 30% is "Rudolph", so IMO, there is no whitewashing there.

 

[Disney Doll]

A holiday tree is a Christmas tree.

What I have never understood is why we are so tolerant of every other religion except Christianity.

No one gets their panties in a twist if a menorah goes up somewhere. We've bent over backwards to appease the Muslims, Tom Cruise et al have made Scientology a household word, but, my God (ooohh...I said GOD!!!!!!!!!! ) say anything about anything remotely Christian and suddenly Church and State are not separated, the Constitution is in danger, and the world as we know it will end!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think we need to lighten up. If a Jewish person says Happy Hanukah to me, I take it in the spirit in which it is intended...a charming wish for the holiday. I don't get all offended, I don't get all upset, I don't think the Jewish folks are trying to take over the world one person at a time by wishing me a Happy Hanukah.

Had an experience a couple of weeks ago...planning a holiday party for a local group. We got to talking about decorations. Of course, we're trying to keep it "wintery/secular" so no creches will be involved. But someone suggested a candle centerpiece in a hurricane glass with a ring of greenery around it. "No," says one African-American man..."that's too Christian". Since when is pine greenery Christian? I didn't know pine trees practiced religion. He went on to say that if we did something Christian, we'd have to do Jewish and Kwanzaa too. The group wasn't necessarily opposed to that suggestion, and someone asked him what Kwanzaa decorations are. He didn't know. An African-American man, insisting that we include an African-American tradition, his ethnic tradition, to be PC, and he didn't know what the tradition even was. So was it really that important, or was he just trying to make a "statement"? My guess is the latter, because if the "tradition" was that important to him, he had known what the decorations should consist of. BTW, I, a white girl from the suburbs, knew that Kwanzaa was a holiday of gratefulness for abundance, sort of a nature-based holiday, more similar to Thanksgiving in some ways than Christmas. My interpretation may not be 100% on the money, but I was closer than the man who had no clue where to even start.

 

[txgirl]

Now it's not a big enough deal to me to protest it, I was just wondering why some stores call them holiday trees and not Christmas trees.

I agree. I think there are Christians getting way too upset about the fact that retailers are calling them "Holiday" trees. I think it is ******** to call it a "Holiday Tree" but it doesn't affect me or my desire to celebrate Christmas as the celebration for the birth of Christ. It's just another example of shoving "political correctness" down our throats and catering to the minority.

It is a nationally recognized holiday, so you would think the recognition would still reflect the religious purpose. I mean, can you imagine trying to get a national holiday for a day we call "Holiday Day" and we give gifts to each other. The nation shuts down for Christmas Day because initially it was to celebrate and remember the birth of Jesus. The fact that it encompasses more now (Jewish holidays, Islamic Holidays, New Years celebrations, etc.) should not totally dismiss the origin of the Christmas.

Merry "Christ"mas everybody!

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I think on the news, or in business settings, Happy Holidays is appropriate, as you are speaking to a large audience who may or may not celebrate Christmas.
As far as someone trying to get rid of "Christmas", you only have to listen to the stations that play nonstop holiday music on the radio. I would say about 70% of it is "Oh Holy Night" type stuff and 30% is "Rudolph", so IMO, there is no whitewashing there.

Then don't put up a tree. No other holiday utilizes a tree at all. If they don't celebrate Christmas--but are accepting of a decorated plant--then the government has allowed censorship to take place.

I don't give a flying snowball if retailers call it a holiday tree--but the government changing it to a holiday tree shows just how foolish and ignorant they are. Not one person has named another holiday where you decorate plant life as a primary part of the celebration! Where's the holiday other than Christams where you decorate a tree?????

And when one day we have a president who is jewish...and he chooses not to put a tree up in his home, I promise to not have a fit. After all--we pay for his house--but we don't retain the right to tell him/her how to celebrate a holiday.

 

[va32h]

But so what if some people call it a holiday tree? It will still be Christmas no matter what the tree is called.

The Today show had a piece about a group in Boston, that sued the city government, because they (the city) had changed the name of the official "city Christmas tree lighting ceremony" to the official "holiday tree lighting ceremony".

My daughter happened to be watching, and remarked that the group that sued ought to remember the story of the Grinch...even with no tree (or presents, or dinner, or anything else) Christmas will come anyway.

 

[rockin_rep]

I'm not offended by the phrase "Happy Holidays". I believe it's intent is to capture Christmas and New Years and Hannukah and Kwanzaa and whatever.

A christmas tree is for Christmas. The tree doesn't encompass all the holidays. Those who put one up--put it up for Christmas. Hannukah has the menorrah (sp?) and 8 days (is it) of honor/celebration, Kwanzaa I believe is multi-day and has some candle thing going (my apologies--I don't recall what it is and don't mean to be offensive).

There is no "holiday menorrah". So why is their a "holiday tree"? What other holiday puts up a tree--with the exception of arbor day where it is traditional to plant a tree???

Well said, Lisa!

I also heard a profound statement on The Today Show: No one calls a Mennorah (sp?) a candlestick! I'm not Jewish but if i were and they called it that, i would likely find that offensive!

 

[True North]

My daughter happened to be watching, and remarked that the group that sued ought to remember the story of the Grinch...even with no tree (or presents, or dinner, or anything else) Christmas will come anyway.

I love that some people seem to be get worked up over the politics of the word "holiday" while your daughter can just sit back and enjoy Christmas.

 

[frndshpcptn]

I think holiday tree is silly. It's called a Christmas tree. Calling it a holiday tree doesn't make it any less of a Christmas tree. It's not like all of a sudden non-Christmas celebrating people are going to rush out and get one or look at it and see anything different.

I like Christmas trees. The one at Rockefeller Center is the only reason I go west of Madison Ave during the holiday season (well, that and the department stores windows). They are pretty to look at and, being Jewish, I don't have one in my home...

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

But so what if some people call it a holiday tree? It will still be Christmas no matter what the tree is called.

The Today show had a piece about a group in Boston, that sued the city government, because they (the city) had changed the name of the official "city Christmas tree lighting ceremony" to the official "holiday tree lighting ceremony".

My daughter happened to be watching, and remarked that the group that sued ought to remember the story of the Grinch...even with no tree (or presents, or dinner, or anything else) Christmas will come anyway.

Suing is dumb, I agree.

It is still Christmas I agree.

It is just the dumb direction of political correctedness. That is all.

 

[cardaway]

Given the society we live in I wouldn't be surprised if the folks calling them Holiday Trees call them Chirstmas trees when not on the record.

I'm not a Christian and actually feel Christians go too far on occasion, but IMO it's a Christmas tree. Anything else is nonsense IMO and I am really faliing to see the logic behind calling them Holiday Trees. I can't imagine the bad reaction is worth pleasing a few secular folks.

Now wishing Happy Holiday to complete strangers makes sense, but that's another topic (in fact a closed one from last year IIRC).

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I just wanted to comment that the only case of "holiday" tree I had heard of was in the city of Orlando on Government property. And while it is still Christmas--it is just one more step in a direction that separation of church and state--means censorship of anything remotely doing with Christianity (can't wait until the letter "t" comes up in litigation)---but everything else is okay.

I just don't get that.

 

[jipsy]

Well I hate to be the one to break all of your hearts, but the origin of decorating a tree was stolen by the Christians from other religions and cultures, who were doing it way before that. Egyptians, Romans, Pagans, Druids, - all had decorated trees in pre-christ celebrations. Germany is actually "credited" with the Christian tradition of trees, but that wasn't even accepted in the 19th century by Christians really - they found it weird.

So, it truly is a holiday tree, not a Christmas tree. You really should read up on some of your "christian traditions" and you will find out they are not Christian at all but celebration traditions from other cultures and religions that were adopted by Christians.

http://www.historychannel.com/exhibits/holidays/christmas/trees.html

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

They have a thread already for the theft of Christmas

The name change has nothing to do with its history. Not in the slightest. It was changed only in relation to present scrutiny and not for historical accuracy.