Holiday Tree Battle

  • Posted by Theresa on December 13th, 2006 filed in Anything Goes

holiday treeThe Port of Seattle removed Christmas Trees at the SeaTac Airport in response to a local Rabbi’s insistence (and threat of lawsuit) that a Menorah be put up. Rather than fight and and leave themselves open to every religion wanting a symbol put up, the Port decided remove the trees for this season and to evaluate what to do for next year, next year. On Monday, the rabbi said he wouldn’t file a lawsuit and Port staff put the trees back up.Here is a sampling of comments from letters to the editor in the Seattle Times:

What a price we must pay for political correctness! I can see we have gotten to the point of no return on that issue…The irony is that “Christmas” trees are not really the same kind of symbol as a menorah. Strictly speaking, they are not really Christian either, as they were taken over from the Druids…An Advent wreath would be a Christian symbol somewhat comparable to a Menorah. Why spoil people’s enjoyment of the season?

Religion incarnates the deepest good in the human spirit, but when it becomes politicized, as it has again in our time, it divides rather than unites, and creates hostility rather than goodwill. Perhaps the community would be best served at this period of history if public administration chooses to avoid placing religious symbols in public buildings which serve everyone.

Decorating trees during the holidays is about as generic/unreligious as you can get. Nowhere in the Bible, Torah, or Quran, etc., does it mention decorating trees as a religious tribute or symbol. Put the trees back up…Foolish PC fear is not the spirit of the holidays!

I am a Hindu and a Christmas tree represents a symbol of national holiday to me that brings families and friends together irrespective of their religions…Just for the rabbi’s information, I have a Christmas tree at home and I don’t have any Hindu religious symbol next to it. Maybe he ought to practice the same.

Christmas trees are not a symbol of our Christian faith. I could understand it the airport had a large nativity scene at Christmas, a crucifix on Good Friday and a picture of the Risen Lord on Easter. But not Christmas trees, wreaths and lights. These are symbols of peace, goodwill, our spirit of giving, our childhood.

If one’s faith is based on whether a Christmas tree or a Menorah is displayed, one had better reconsider his or her faith…I am a born-again Christian and I don’t have a problem that the trees have been removed from the airport. I wouldn’t have had a problem if a menorah had been displayed. It is dad that the beautiful holidays of Christmas and Hanukkah are being used as pawns by people who should know better.

I’m curious about your headline about “Holiday Trees.” What, exactly, is a holiday tree? Are there other holidays or religions that use a decorated tree for celebration? Is there now something wrong with saying the word Christmas? I couldn’t believe my eyes. Is Christmas now going to be “the C-word” because of a few God-hating bigmouths? You’re a bunch of cowards. You realize of course, if Christmas is taken out of our culture that Christmas shopping will also be taken out. How is that going to go over when you lose all that money from advertising. I hope you choke on your C-word goose.

The SeaTac management made a bad decision in turning down the offer of a free menorah display at the airport and taking down the Christmas trees. Let’s celebrate all the holidays. Let’s have the menorah, and at appropriate times of year decorations for Islam, Baha’i, Hindu, Buddhist and other religious holidays, as well as Halloween, Memorial Day, and the Fourth of July. Let’s make everyone feel at home here, create cultural awareness and enjoy ourselves.


My friend John says he can see the day coming when the symbol of the holiday season is the snowman. Maybe he has the right idea. Pick a wintry symbol that nobody has yet claimed and let it represent the winter holiday season, regardless of any religious beliefs one might have. Keep the religious symbols at home where they belong.


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