The Return of the Christmas Brigade

It's that time of year, you know:

Boston set off a furor this week when it officially renamed a giant tree erected in a city park a "holiday tree' instead of a "Christmas tree."

The move drew an angry response from Christian conservatives, including evangelist Jerry Falwell who heckled Boston officials and pressed the city to change the name back.

"There's been a concerted effort to steal Christmas," Falwell told Fox Television.

Steal Christmas? I didn't know anybody owns it.

And last time I checked, being inclusive is not stealing. Isn't generosity in spirit what Christ is all about, anyway?

The "Christmas under siege" canard has been around for decades, as recounted in an excellent post by Bruce Miller at the Blue Voice.

It is often resurrected by Jerry Falwell et al to feed the persecution complex of those susceptible to alarmist religious rhetoric who somehow miss the fact that Christmas is still here and still the biggest holiday of the year.

If Falwell reacted that way to the "holiday" tree, I wonder how he would react to this:

The centerpiece of holiday decorating is more often being inverted -- hung from the ceiling or mounted bottom-up on the wall -- by those looking to save space, more prominently display pricey ornaments or simply distinguish their Christmas tree from so many millions of others.

Oh no, it's it's the inverted Christmas tree, the sign of the anti-Christ(mas)!

• Image from hammacherschlemmer.com.

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