Bah humbug to puny Christmas tree

Newsday ^ | 12/5/07 | NIA-MALIKA HENDERSON

[chet_in_ny]

Bah humbug to puny Christmas tree

BY NIA-MALIKA HENDERSON

nia.henderson@newsday.com

7:36 PM EST, December 5, 2007

Apparently, when it comes to holiday symbols, size does matter.

At least it did to some folks in Long Beach, who were none too happy with the elfin Christmas tree planted next to a 20-foot-high menorah at Kennedy Plaza infront of City Hall.

They called, they sent letters, they testified at a public hearing at City Hall.

Long Beach resident Rick Hoffman put it this way: "What's up with the giant menorah and the Charlie Brown Christmas tree?" he asked.

"We wish it would have been bigger," said City Manager Edwin Eaton, who added that the city looked as far away as Canada for a bigger tree. "This year is going to be kind of a "bah, humbug" Christmas."

Well, not anymore.

On Wednesday, the city manager made his own wish come true.

[Ann Archy]

A 7 ft. Christmas tree and a 20 ft Menorrah??? Christmas is not just a DAY, it’s a SEASON...a MONTH LONG SEASON! Hannakah is 8 DAYS...no more, no less...NO ONE celebrates Hannekah BEFORE or AFTER. The CHRISTMAS TREE SHOULD BE AS BIG....and the Menorah should go up one day before and come down the day after.

[USFRIENDINVICTORIA]

” the city looked as far away as Canada for a bigger tree.”

I could have sworn I saw some trees between here and Long Beach — some even taller than 20 ft. I guess I was mistaken.

[Red_Devil 232]

If I am not mistaken Christmas is just one day. Commercialism has made it into a season.

[flynmudd]

Tell me again how the story goes....Jesus was born and somebody decorated a tree in his honor? Trees and Santa are secular. Christmas is for celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Not gift giving, singing Jingle Bells. The time is to be spent with family and friends to give thanks to God for His Son.

[maine-iac7]

Important - go to the site and, at the bottom, rate is an important story = we have to let people know we're talking back Christmas - and this is the year for it.

Constitutional Law upholds even Nativity Scenes in ?City Hall and other public places - the ACLU would - and have - made people believe the opposite and through intimidation of suit, caused the 'lack of ' Christmas lo these many years. Time to take it back . Let every manager of every store that has real Christmas music and decorations is appreciated and backed up by LAW. And take a copy to your city managers and/or any Federal building honchos.

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071101/OPINION01/711010316/1008

save it - print it and carry it with you to whip out when needed.

Write letters to the editor and let the public know:

[Red_Devil 232]

I think that was what I said.

[flynmudd]

Just reiterating.

[maine-iac7]

LoL - Like in Jersey, the Garden state, or in the mountains of upstate NY - no trees???

on another note, one of my sons, a long hauler, just picked up a load of hundreds of trees in Oregon: He taped the operation which consisted of helicopters picking up a bunch of just cut trees up on the hill, zooming down to the loading zone, dropping from air - then the trees would put individually on a shake-down machine, jiggled to rid it of dirt and debree, then shoved through a tube that cocooned it in a net and then loaded in too the many trucks waiting.

My son dropped his in Texas to be picked up to go to Mexico.

Insanity.

[maine-iac7]

Trees and Santa are secular

But Nativity Scenes can also LEGALLY be set up right beside it on city hall lawns

[SuziQ]

"We wish it would have been bigger," said City Manager Edwin Eaton, who added that the city looked as far away as Canada for a bigger tree.

I call BS. They could have gone to a nice nursery or even a one of the big box stores and gotten a larger tree.

[spanalot]

Even Jewish leaders are questioning Hanakah.

http://slate.com/id/2133068/

It appears that this really was about orthodox vs secular Jews.

[P.O.E.]

"Good grief"

[flynmudd]

Remember the reason for the season.