As December ushers in the season of joy, it seems the War on Christmas has once again declared itself in full swing, much to the dismay of those cherishing time-honored traditions.
The Grinch, no longer confined to the pages of Dr. Suess, appears to have recruited an army of civic bureaucrats and school officials who aim to dismantle every bit of Christmas magic.
From the traditional colors of red and green to classic carols, nothing is safe from their campaign for “inclusivity.”
In Wauwatosa, Wis., city workers encountered what may be this year’s most extreme holiday directive.
Melissa Cantarero Weiss, a deputy city administrator, warned staff to avoid religious decorations, even the colors of red and green, to maintain a “welcoming and inclusive environment.”
Weiss’s directive further suggested a “winter theme,” favoring blue and white over traditional Christmas colors.
No word yet on alternatives for those residents who don’t celebrate winter or those who find the drop in temperature and extended hours of darkness offensive.
Despite the initial directive, in a welcome turn of events, Weiss backtracked, allowing Wauwatosa’s citizens to enjoy traditional Christmas colors.
While Wauwatosa saw a reversal to the insanity of the season, similar struggles continue nationwide.
In Montgomery, Ala., Christmas is officially banned for good thanks to a “neutrality resolution,” passed by the City Council. As it stands, the resolution prohibits the city from displaying any type of Christmas decorations or other holiday displays.
Even Montgomery’s Mayor, Steven Reed, thought the resolution went too far, warning that it would prevent the city from taking part in the observance of charitable causes outside of Christmas, including the use of pink lights outside City Hall to commemorate Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Ironically, Montgomery is the same city whose seal includes the words, “Cradle of the Confederacy.”
So much for neutrality.
But it’s not like these bans and attempts to suppress Christmas are anything new. For years, out-of-touch bureaucrats have been rolling back the sights and sounds of the holiday season.
Just last year, King County, Wash., home to Seattle and the most populous county in the state, banned holiday decorations in employee video backgrounds.
While county employees were permitted to display images of “snowflakes, wreaths and pine trees,” nativity sets were a bridge too far for King County’s HR department.
And Christmas wasn’t the only holiday targeted. Hanukkah didn’t make the cut either, with menorahs also banned under the directive.
Even in the so-called “fly-over” states, Christmas and the symbols associated with it, have been purged from schools by out-of-control administrators in recent years.
In Elkhorn, Neb., school officials went to lengths to ban anything and everything related to Christmas, including trees, carols, Santa Claus, Elf on the Shelf and candy canes.
Hospitals administered and paid for by tax dollars aren’t immune from such bans either. In Georgia, a Veterans Affairs’ hospital barred a group of carolers from singing “religious” songs.
Instead, the carolers were given a list of approved Christmas songs from the hospital’s pastoral service “deemed appropriate for celebration within the hearing range of all veterans.”
The very same men and women who fought and died for among other things, religious freedom.
Unfortunately, in each of these scenarios, a crucial detail has been overlooked, and it’s one that is often forgotten in this debate: Christmas is, like it or not, a federal holiday.
It’s an undeniable fact that, despite its religious undertones for hundreds of millions in this country, Christmas is officially recognized by the federal government, complete with a day off for public employees.
Such recognition extends to institutions like the U.S. Postal Service, which unapologetically issues stamps adorned with religious imagery celebrating the holiday.
In light of this fact, attempts to ban Christmas appear not just overly woke, but downright nonsensical.
How do we reconcile a national, government-recognized celebration with radical directives that attempt to scrub its very existence from public view?
It’s a paradox that would leave even Santa Claus scratching his head in bewilderment – assuming, of course, his jolly imagery hasn’t been deemed too controversial for the season.
Jacob Lane is a Republican strategist and school choice activist. He has worked for GOP campaigns at the federal, state and local levels, as well as with various PACs and nonprofits. Read Jacob Lane's Reports — More Here.
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