were they hanging a few Jews on the same tree, just to cheer up the store?

Y'know, this is the second time this week I've heard someone try to claim Christmas trees as a Christian symbol.

They're not. They're a pagan thing. Co-opted by Christians, but still pagan.

The other instance was of some dummy judge over in Ontario giving the Christmas tree the boot from his courthouse, out of some imagined threat that it might offend someone who wasn't Christian.

D-oh! What a schmuck.

HI CHRISTIANS PLEASE KEEP YOUR SNOTTY MITTTENS OFF OF THE PAGAN HOLIDAY ICONS KTHXBYE.

This is probably a good time to link to e-sheep's comic about Saturnalia.

WHO WANTS EGGNOG?

That cracks me up, bunnyfire. Such a perfect suburban moment.

Are you sure it wasn't a Hanukkah bush? Those are popular.

I WANT TO COAT MY ENTIRE BODY IN EGGNOG

THE NOGSUIT, THE ONLY SAFE WAY TO NAVIGATE THE NOGOSPHERE.

Hanukkah bush = pubes shaved into a Star of David?

Speaking of eggnog...I finally broke down and tried a peppermint mocha frappucino today at st*rb*cks. Perfect for the seventy-degree weather we have been having this Christmas season.

I just came from the Boston Gay Men's Holiday Concert. One of the performers mentioned to the audience that he and his husband (yeah -- we can legally get married here) have three boys. One parent is Christian; the other Jewish. So -- they celebrate Hanumas. They celebrate Christmas at one of their grandparents' homes; Hannukah at the others'. The boys get visits from Santa Claus and Harry Hanukkah. And they get twice the number of presents! ;)

In related/recent news:

Christmas trees removed at Sea-Tac airport.

Christmas trees put back at SeaTac airport.

Christmas tree episode unleashes anti-Semitism.

Do public menorahs cheapen Hanukkah?

I'd heard the BB&B were declaring themselves Switzerland-neutral in the "War on Christmas", at least until they sell out the last of their Festivus poles.

Being in Weird California, I've seen many stores with an extra Christmas tree decorated in blue and white - i.e. a Hanukkah Bush. Many of the local "Santa Claus Lanes" (neighborhoods where all the houses go all out on lighting and decorating) have at least one big Hanukkah display, alongside a totally non-secular Santa-free nativity show with the wattage of a dozen light strings concentrated on one blinding Christmas star, and a "Charlie Brown Christmas"-themed house with all attention focused on a really ugly bare tree. And Christmas decorations in L.A.'s Chinatown can be quite culturally confused (is that supposed to be a dragon or the Grinch?).

It was (I hope) a Hanukkah bush. If it was full of Stars of David and dreidels and no angels or stars, it qualifies.

They're popular with the secular Jews and the mixed marriage set.

pic

Y'know, this is the second time this week I've heard someone try to claim Christmas trees as a Christian symbol.

Well, the Christians in Germany did sort of link them a couple centuries ago. It's crazy that they've become such a standard symbol, but you're gonna be paddling upstream on that one, I'm afraid.

No, it wasn't a Hanukkah bush. I know from Hanukkah bushes, believe me.

The mother of one of my best friends was Jewish, but she loved having a Hanukkah bush. It was always decorated with Jewish symbols and Star Trek ornaments (they were huge fans). But once he married, his wife insisted on no more trees once they started having kids. They still have the ornaments, now hung from little individual display stands all over their living room.