WHEN the New Castle Town Board was brainstorming ways to attract holiday shoppers to downtown Chappaqua, a local merchant suggested lining the two main streets with flags, as is done for Memorial Day and the Fourth of July.
Last week, about 50 flags — blue and white with snowflakes, six-pointed stars and “Welcome” down the side — appeared. The problem, some residents said, is that the flags use two of the three colors traditionally associated with Hanukkah, are shaped like dreidels and use letters in a Hebrew-style block font.
“There seems to be confusion,” said Janet Wells, the town supervisor, who received several phone calls and e-mail messages last week from residents upset that a hamlet as religiously diverse as Chappaqua would pay for flags that appear, at first glance, to be inspired by a particular faith.
But the town did not pay for them. Tara Caverzasi, the owner of Desires by Mikolay, a jewelry store on King Street, did.
Ms. Caverzasi, who lives in Kent, approached the board after watching nearby towns light up for the holidays, attracting shoppers and inspiring cheer. She said the town board warned her that Chappaqua residents were hard to please, but Ms. Caverzasi spent $3,000 of her own money on the blue-and-white flags, in the belief that more downtown decorations would bring more business.
Instead, they brought angry calls. One person called Ms. Caverzasi a communist. Another told Ms. Wells that the snowflakes looked like menorahs and that the flag resembled Israel’s. In all, Ms. Caverzasi said, she and the town received about 20 calls.
Late last week, Ms. Caverzasi said she wondered if she should have used the money on a vacation instead.
What is it about the holiday season that turns people into such pluperfect asses? Mr. Hankey, help! Incidentally, it's hard to beat Mark Shea's hilarious assessment of the Sea-Tac Holiday Tree Hoohah. And also via Mark, is Rabbi Daniel Lapin a great guy, or what?
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I prefer the old-fashioned method, which is to hide the bathroom scale till January and scarf Christmas cookies 24/7.
Amen and amen.
I've instituted a twice-weekly potluck at my office. It's so hard to bitch and cry about saying "Happy Holidays" instead of (insert religiously motivated greeting here) when one's mouth is full of hot-dish or pie.>
For a moment, I thought, "Why would they put up just Hanukkah flags? I mean, that's not even the dominant religion." Then, I thought about it for just a second and thought, "Who cares?" The main problem I have is that the colors aren't really festive enough. I can't really understand why a Christian would be offended by Hanukkah---or a Jew by Christmas. For the sake of interfaith peace, I might go out and buy some Christmas cookies and some of that little chocolate money...
God bless.>
"The Evangelical community, with its literalism that wants to see the Dome of the Rock removed and a new Jewish temple restored a bit off base, in my book."
Those are the dispensationalist Evangelicals, which does not make up the largest segment of Evangelicals in the U.S.
Most Evangelicals, who trace their roots to the Reformation and not the Second Great Awakening, are not dispensationalists.
Having said that, what would be wrong in supporting a policy based on one's theology? People base their policies on a variety of reasons including national interest, self-interest, economic considerations, etc. I don't see why these latter reasons are any more noble than the former.>
Having said that, what would be wrong in supporting a policy based on one's theology?
Absolutely nothing -
Unless one's theology led one to commit genocide, for example.>
"received several phone calls and e-mail messages last week from residents upset that a hamlet as religiously diverse as Chappaqua would pay for flags that appear, at first glance, to be inspired by a particular faith"
It was simply the 'wrong' faith, that's all. No wonder them kristian supremacists got all upset. Good thing the flags weren't in - GASP!!! rainbow colours, or there'da been some lynchin goin' on. (Or maybe just a coupla words carved into the offenders forearms as happened to some lesbians down south last week.)>
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