Tree Lighting Saturday

[Brent]

One of the dwindling number of things that make Cary a special town is the annual tree lighting ceremony downtown.

This Saturday, Dec. 3, "our tree" will be lit at 6:00 p.m. This year, we're back to the "original tree" next to town hall (last year a "temporary tree" had to be used because of the town hall construction). There will be music & entertainment, too.

Stop by the Page-Walker Hotel's open house prior to the tree lighting, too, especially if you're not already familiar with this town jewel.

This is a nice, fun, old-fashioned family holiday event.

Hope to see you there.

[dhyatt]

One of the dwindling number of things that make Cary a special town is the annual tree lighting ceremony downtown.

This Saturday, Dec. 3, "our tree" will be lit at 6:00 p.m. This year, we're back to the "original tree" next to town hall (last year a "temporary tree" had to be used because of the town hall construction). There will be music & entertainment, too.

Stop by the Page-Walker Hotel's open house prior to the tree lighting, too, especially if you're not already familiar with this town jewel.

This is a nice, fun, old-fashioned family holiday event.

Hope to see you there.

If it's a "Christmas" tree, I'll be there. If it's a "Holiday" tree, I won't. If it's just a tree, I'll think about it. ;-)

[Brent]

If it's a "Christmas" tree, I'll be there. If it's a "Holiday" tree, I won't. If it's just a tree, I'll think about it. ;-)

I was actually wondering this myself, and I can't remember how the town characterizes it. Since the "This Week" on the town's Web site is for November 16 (!), we'll have to wait to find out.

But this is "Compliments to our Town", for positive comments, so I'll reiterate that it's a fun event and I hope to see you there. As far as I'm concerned, it will be a CHRISTMAS tree lighting event!

(plus, I think, free hot cider at the Page-Walker from 4:00 - 6:00).

[d4vendel]

House Speaker Hastert has the right idea.

Hastert Wants 'Christmas,' Tree Together (http://www.breitbart.com/news/2005/11/29/D8E6H4V82.html)

-David F.

[Laurie]

In the half page ad in today's Cary News, it says: Ole Time Winter Festival, Holiday Pops Concert, Page Walker Open House decorated for the holidays, Official Town of Cary Tree Lighting and Holiday Variety Show, Holiday Tree Lighting Variety Show, holiday activities.

The only mention of Christmas is in the title of the play A Christmas Story presented by the Cary Players.

[DarylB]

In the half page ad in today's Cary News, it says: Ole Time Winter Festival, Holiday Pops Concert, Page Walker Open House decorated for the holidays, Official Town of Cary Tree Lighting and Holiday Variety Show, Holiday Tree Lighting Variety Show, holiday activities.

The only mention of Christmas is in the title of the play A Christmas Story presented by the Cary Players.

I guess we can just be glad that we're still using the term holiday, which is an amended form of the original Catholic churches' required Holy Days of obligation...so I'm just saying thanks for the support of the church and Christmas, as inadvertant as it may be!

The 1983 Code of Canon Law identifies Sunday as "the primordial holy day of obligation" in the universal Church.

In addition to Sunday there are 10 other days of obligation:

1. The Nativity of the Lord Jesus Christ (Christmas)
2. The Epiphany (Jan. 6.)
3. The Ascension (40 days after Easter)
4. The Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi)
5. Holy Mary, the Mother of God (octave day of Christmas, Jan. 1)
6. The Immaculate Conception (Dec. 8th)
7. The Assumption (Aug. 15)
8. St. Joseph (March 19)
9. Ss. Peter and Paul (June 29)
10. All Saints (Nov. 1)

[ChrisD]

C2ActionGram_______________________________

Rally in Support of Christmas!
Tuesday, December 6th at 2:00pm

C2A is presenting the Raleigh City Council with a proposal to erect a holiday display on Moore Square in downtown Raleigh! This display will be in full compliance with the Establishment Clause of our U.S. Constitution, so the City Council should have no reason to deny such a positive, pro-community request. If you have been downtown lately you will notice there are almost no Christmas decorations. We want to change that and wish Raleigh a Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah!

Like many other cities in the news, Raleigh has an unwarranted fear of the so-called "separation of church and state clause". We will prove to them that recognizing Christmas and Hanukkah can be done legally, but without a large group of supporters, don't be surprised if they brush Christmas off again this year.
· Please send a quick note of encouragement to Mayor Meeker! Charles.Meeker@ci.raleigh.nc.us

Join us on Tuesday, December 6th at 2:00 pm as we take a stand in support of Christmas! The Raleigh City Council chambers are located at 22 West Hargett Street (see a map here). Please enter the room quietly - the meeting starts at 1:00 but the public comments won't be heard until 2:00.
In His Service, and wishing you a Merry Christmas!
Steve Noble

[StanN]

Published: Dec 03, 2005 12:30 AM
Modified: Dec 03, 2005 04:44 AM


Peace on earth, and chill
Dennis Rogers, Staff Writer
The message of Christmas is no secret. It's spelled out in Luke 2:14.
"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."

That's the Christmas greeting delivered by the angels on the night of Jesus' birth. Not a word was mentioned about how saying "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas" is a liberal plot to rob Christmas of its religious significance.

Yet that is the battle cry being raised this holiday season by a small but loud band of embittered ideologues. They are so determined to count coup against their philosophical enemies that they have hijacked Christmas to promote their conservative political cause.Such hypocrites must make God's angels weep.

On Nov. 23, there was a full-page advertisement in this newspaper that equated Christmas with American patriotism. Sponsored by the Upper Room Church of God in Christ, it called on patriotic Americans to patronize businesses that advertise "Merry Christmas!"

Their message was as clear as a winter star: If you don't celebrate Christmas the way these annoying people think you should, you are not a patriotic American. And if you're a business owner who dares cross these people, your economic future may be in peril.

The local campaign is part of a national conservative effort to "Take Back Christmas," as if the birthday of Jesus had been stolen by ... you guessed it, those evil liberals. The ad proclaims "Christmas is as American as Mom's Apple Pie and the Fourth of July."

Really? That Christmas is an American celebration will come as a shock to the rest of the world, particularly in the small West Bank town of Bethlehem.

The bullying tactics of the Upper Room Church of God in Christ are well documented. This is the congregation whose members like to show up at public meetings and sit in the front row, stamping their feet and chanting, to intimidate those who dare disagree with their narrow point of view.

But I never thought they or their callous confederates in the conservative media would go so far as to politicize Christmas.

Have they no shame?

Apparently not.

Contrary to their flag-waving song and dance, they are not patriotic Christians defending their freedom to celebrate Christmas as they see fit. They already have that. What they're doing is attempting to impose their faith on others.

Here's my Christmas card to such people: Not all loyal Americans celebrate the season the same way as you. Some feel more comfortable with the pagan roots of the winter solstice. Others embrace the Jewish celebration of Hanukkah. For some families, Christmas is more about the midnight visit of Father Christmas or Santa Claus than the birthday of Jesus. That each of us is free to worship -- or not worship -- as we see fit is our bedrock national strength, not a liberal conspiracy.

Real patriots celebrate diversity. Only those whose faith in God and country is uncertain need fear other traditions.

That's America. That's freedom. That's "peace on earth, good will toward men."

May you have a blessed Christmas, no matter how you choose to celebrate it.

Dennis Rogers can be reached at 829-4750 or drogers@newsobserver.com.

© Copyright 2005, The News & Observer Publishing Company
A subsidiary of The McClatchy Company

[dhyatt]

I'm liking Denis Rodgers less and less all the time and as soon as I hear him make an argument to call a Menorah a "Holiday Candle Holder", I'll listen to his arguments vis-a-via "Christmas Tree" vs. "Holiday Tree". Until then, he's relagated to my mental trash pile... Oh... If I see him write *anything* about a Kwanzaa "Celebration", it will be LTE time.

All other 'holidays' that occur round about this time of year are easily referred to by name. It's only "Christmas" that's under direct assault. Nobody would have the nerve to ban Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Dwali etc... from their stores or their cities. It's sickening and I'm getting more than a little tired of the PC BS...

[Brent]

Back to the original topic.

It was nice to see MattD & family at the Page-Walker open house. Anyone else show up for that event or the CHRISTMAS tree lighting?

[Wuptdo]

I found this site and decided that I wanted the free gift, so it looks like the kids are getting even more T-shirts for Chirstmas:

FREE CHRISTMAS T-SHIRT (W/$25 PURCHASE) (http://www.shopmetrospy.com/cgi-bin/sc-v4/shopmecprod2.pl?client=shopmetro&catid=76&PRID=342)

Brent wrote:Anyone else show up for that event or the CHRISTMAS tree lighting?
Nope, I was up in Semora, NC, enjoying a Christmas Show with a "stew & biscuit" dinner at one of the local churches. The cook was using an oar the family has used for over 50 years for making their special "stew." :wink:

For our non-Southern readers:
Brunswick Stew - Folklore (http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?path=/Folklife/Foodways&id=h-555)

Wuptdo :D

The more you know.......

[Wuptdo]

Who hates Christmas the most? May I suggest you take a few moments and read this:

"Merry Christmas" to the ACLU (http://www.mensnewsdaily.com/archive/m-n/mccullough/2005/mccullough120505.htm)

I think I will let my kids make up some "Merry Chirstmas" cards as well, and mail them in. :wink:

Merry Chirstmas!

Oh, does anyone know where the Call2Action Christmas event is in Raleigh on Tuesday night?

Wuptdo B-)

[ChrisD]

http://www.called2action.org/index2.php

Chris

[StanN]

If you don't like Dennis Rogers, how about Adam Cohen.

December 4, 2005
Editorial Observer
This Season's War Cry: Commercialize Christmas, or Else
By ADAM COHEN

Religious conservatives have a cause this holiday season: the commercialization of Christmas. They're for it.

The American Family Association is leading a boycott of Target for not using the words "Merry Christmas" in its advertising. (Target denies it has an anti-Merry-Christmas policy.) The Catholic League boycotted Wal-Mart in part over the way its Web site treated searches for "Christmas." Bill O'Reilly, the Fox anchor who last year started a "Christmas Under Siege" campaign, has a chart on his Web site of stores that use the phrase "Happy Holidays," along with a poll that asks, "Will you shop at stores that do not say 'Merry Christmas'?"

This campaign - which is being hyped on Fox and conservative talk radio - is an odd one. Christmas remains ubiquitous, and with its celebrators in control of the White House, Congress, the Supreme Court and every state supreme court and legislature, it hardly lacks for powerful supporters. There is also something perverse, when Christians are being jailed for discussing the Bible in Saudi Arabia and slaughtered in Sudan, about spending so much energy on stores that sell "holiday trees."

What is less obvious, though, is that Christmas's self-proclaimed defenders are rewriting the holiday's history. They claim that the "traditional" American Christmas is under attack by what John Gibson, another Fox anchor, calls "professional atheists" and "Christian haters." But America has a complicated history with Christmas, going back to the Puritans, who despised it. What the boycotters are doing is not defending America's Christmas traditions, but creating a new version of the holiday that fits a political agenda.

The Puritans considered Christmas un-Christian, and hoped to keep it out of America. They could not find Dec. 25 in the Bible, their sole source of religious guidance, and insisted that the date derived from Saturnalia, the Roman heathens' wintertime celebration. On their first Dec. 25 in the New World, in 1620, the Puritans worked on building projects and ostentatiously ignored the holiday. From 1659 to 1681 Massachusetts went further, making celebrating Christmas "by forbearing of labor, feasting or in any other way" a crime.

The concern that Christmas distracted from religious piety continued even after Puritanism waned. In 1827, an Episcopal bishop lamented that the Devil had stolen Christmas "and converted it into a day of worldly festivity, shooting and swearing." Throughout the 1800's, many religious leaders were still trying to hold the line. As late as 1855, New York newspapers reported that Presbyterian, Baptist and Methodist churches were closed on Dec. 25 because "they do not accept the day as a Holy One." On the eve of the Civil War, Christmas was recognized in just 18 states.

Christmas gained popularity when it was transformed into a domestic celebration, after the publication of Clement Clarke Moore's "Visit from St. Nicholas" and Thomas Nast's Harper's Weekly drawings, which created the image of a white-bearded Santa who gave gifts to children. The new emphasis lessened religious leaders' worries that the holiday would be given over to drinking and swearing, but it introduced another concern: commercialism. By the 1920's, the retail industry had adopted Christmas as its own, sponsoring annual ceremonies to kick off the "Christmas shopping season."

Religious leaders objected strongly. The Christmas that emerged had an inherent tension: merchants tried to make it about buying, while clergymen tried to keep commerce out. A 1931 Times roundup of Christmas sermons reported a common theme: "the suggestion that Christmas could not survive if Christ were thrust into the background by materialism." A 1953 Methodist sermon broadcast on NBC - typical of countless such sermons - lamented that Christmas had become a "profit-seeking period." This ethic found popular expression in "A Charlie Brown Christmas." In the 1965 TV special, Charlie Brown ignores Lucy's advice to "get the biggest aluminum tree you can find" and her assertion that Christmas is "a big commercial racket," and finds a more spiritual way to observe the day.

This year's Christmas "defenders" are not just tolerating commercialization - they're insisting on it. They are also rewriting Christmas history on another key point: non-Christians' objection to having the holiday forced on them.

The campaign's leaders insist this is a new phenomenon - a "liberal plot," in Mr. Gibson's words. But as early as 1906, the Committee on Elementary Schools in New York City urged that Christmas hymns be banned from the classroom, after a boycott by more than 20,000 Jewish students. In 1946, the Rabbinical Assembly of America declared that calling on Jewish children to sing Christmas carols was "an infringement on their rights as Americans."

Other non-Christians have long expressed similar concerns. For decades, companies have replaced "Christmas parties" with "holiday parties," schools have adopted "winter breaks" instead of "Christmas breaks," and TV stations and stores have used phrases like "Happy Holidays" and "Season's Greetings" out of respect for the nation's religious diversity.

The Christmas that Mr. O'Reilly and his allies are promoting - one closely aligned with retailers, with a smack-down attitude toward nonobservers - fits with their campaign to make America more like a theocracy, with Christian displays on public property and Christian prayer in public schools.

It does not, however, appear to be catching on with the public. That may be because most Americans do not recognize this commercialized, mean-spirited Christmas as their own. Of course, it's not even clear the campaign's leaders really believe in it. Just a few days ago, Fox News's online store was promoting its "Holiday Collection" for shoppers. Among the items offered to put under a "holiday tree" was "The O'Reilly Factor Holiday Ornament." After bloggers pointed this out, Fox changed the "holidays" to "Christmases."
-----------------------------------------------------------------

As a Jew, I have never found Christmas mean spirited. As a kid I loved the tree in Rockefeller Center and the elaborate department store windows. I loved seeing Santa Claus. I still like all those things. And I have always liked cathedrals, stained glass windows and the expressions of religious art of all religions....as art, not because they stir my faith.

The few holiday symbols of my own faith have a different, special meaning for me because they bring back fond memories.

I can understand Christians' feeling they should not be penalized for saying "Merry Christmas". But there is a ill-defined line you can cross...calling for boycotts of stores that do not say "Merry Christmas" is going to far. Is an American jihad next? And there is no reason for non-Christian chhildren in schools to be in the awkward position of being asked to pray or sing religious songs about a savoir in whom they do not believe. Tolerance, and respect for the faith of others shoud be everryone's byword.

Before C2A and a president who panders for fundamental Christian votes, we all tended to stay on the cautious side of that ragged line. But now...
Religion is in danger of being politicized...too bad.

stan

[Don]

Agreed with Hyatt above. Stan is out in left field....what happened anyways stan? Krugman not write a Christmas editorial yet?

Don Frantz - whose next two advertisements in the Cary News say "MERRY CHRISTMAS CARY".

[dhyatt]

If you don't like Dennis Rogers, how about Adam Cohen.

[snip]

Before C2A and a president who panders for fundamental Christian votes, we all tended to stay on the cautious side of that ragged line. But now...
Religion is in danger of being politicized...too bad.

stan

I actually like Cohen's article quite a bit more that Rogers' and I have to take issue though with your assertion that C2A/Bush crossed the line. It wasn't / is not either of them. The ACLU are the ones that crossed the line and really created a problem where none existed. Sure, some businesses and municipalities celebrated only 'Christmas' to the exclusion of others but most did not. Most embraced Hannukah and Kwanza and pretty much anything else that was thrown into the mix without any problem. Everyone was relatively happy.

However, ACLU lawyers decided that wasn't good enough, they chose to follow a course of action that, in effect, tries to strip away the very heritage of out great country - that of freedom of expression and of religion. The separation of Chuch and State was never meant to force us into abstract secularism, it was meant to to prevent establishment of a state religion. If you want blame a group, then blame the ACLU.

[Cathy]

Good article Stan.

The only thing that he left out of the history is the fact that early Christians may have tried to replace pagan holidays with a substitute that would change the focus of the holiday without eliminating it entirely.
There's nothing quite like dour adherents to a religion for chasing off possible new converts. The Puritans seemed to have proven that.

The 'collective' should not be held responsible for how each individual chooses to celebrate a religious "Holy Day". We shouldn't be putting the responsiblity for whether we as individuals are perceived as pious, spiritual people on society at large.

If you want your children to observe Christmas in a religious atmosphere, then set the tone at home and at the church of your choice, and send them to the private religious school that suits you. Put a Nativity scene in your yard.

It is a valid concern though, if your chosen religion is being singled out and prohibited from being individually expressed in public under any circumstance.

Cathy

[Brent]

Don Frantz - whose next two advertisements in the Cary News say "MERRY CHRISTMAS CARY".

=D> =D> =D>

Frantz Automotive will continue to get my business!

[ChrisD]

Raleigh OKs Nativity Scene In Moore Square

POSTED: 7:51 pm EST December 6, 2005
UPDATED: 8:23 am EST December 7, 2005

RALEIGH, N.C. -- The City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved an effort by area churches to include religious elements in a municipal holiday display.

Called2Action, an organization that includes dozens of area churches, urged the city to allow a crèche and other Christmas and Hanukah images in the Moore Square display as part of a national effort to reassert the religious beginnings to the December holiday.

"When I was young and when you were young, it was very common to see large-scale Christmas-type decorations in the public square," said Steve Noble, chairman of Called2Action.

Although the City Council had no problem with the display, calling it inclusive, the issue has split area residents.

"Some people don't believe in Christmas," Raleigh resident Randy Creech said.

SURVEY

Do you prefer people using "Happy Holidays" or "Season's Greetings" rather than "Merry Christmas" as a greeting at this time of year?
Choice............................................ ....Votes....................Percentage of 248 Votes
Yes, I'm not Christian..............................11......... .......................4%
No, the meaning of Christmas is lost.......159...............................64%
Makes no difference,
it's all part of the season..........................76................ ...............31%
I'm not sure.............................................. 2.................................1%

"Christmas is an American tradition," Sandra Utley said. "I don't have anything against any other culture celebrating their traditions, and I don't think anyone should infringe on our traditions."

The national effort also aims to get stores to change "Happy Holidays" and "Season's Greetings" signs to "Merry Christmas."

"I will proudly say 'merry Christmas' because that's what I'm celebrating," Noble said. "I'm not celebrating any old holiday. I'm celebrating Christmas. Before, you would say 'merry Christmas,' 'happy Hanukah,' 'happy holidays,' whereas now it's just 'happy holidays' for that fear."

Some shoppers said they don't care how they were greeted while shopping.

"'Happy holidays' or 'merry Christmas,' it's just what you choose to say," Tara Kirk said.

"It doesn't matter if it's 'merry Christmas' everywhere, people are bound to get kind of freaked out," Aprilla Dimico said. "There's always going to be someone complaining."

[Wuptdo]

This is an informal poll done by BellSouth.Net on their website:

Should the word "Holiday" replace the word "Christmas" to include believers of other faiths?
Yes 6% 1725 Votes
No 93% 25130 Votes

Total: 26855


The numbers speak for themselves.

Wuptdo B-)

[DarylB]

As this is intended to be a positive forum, I'll try to make this as positive as I can, and since this is positive for Cary, I believe this meets that test.

I just have to say that, whatever the town has decided to call the tree, it is a nice looking tree, and a nice tradition. This is in juxtaposition to the Raleigh tree. Pardon me for saying so, I watched the lighting on TV the other night, and genuinely felt sorry for Raleigh when I saw it... Unfortunately, it looks every bit like a really bad mammogram.. :oops: