December Dilemma Watch 2007

December Dilemma Watch 2007

It’s Called “Christmas Break”

posted by hrossi | 12:10pm Wednesday November 28, 2007

A school board near Pensacola, Florida found itself embroiled in a debate over what to call the vacation that students get between December 22 and January 2. In a 2008-2009 school year calendar that was up for approval by the board, the period was listed as “Winter Break,” upsetting several members of the board.
The calendar was later amended, and it referred to the vacation as “Christmas Break” by the time it was voted on November 27. “The American people have turned their back on religion,” School Board member Jeff Bergosh said during the session when he was making his case to keep “Christmas” in the vacation name. “Nine out of 10 people celebrate Christmas,” he said. “It might sound petty, but to me it is important.”
The school board’s attorney, Donna Waters, has set up a meeting with the local chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union to discuss the matter further. “In an abundance of caution, I want to make sure we don’t do something that’s not inclusive,” Waters told the board.



Previous Posts

All is Calm, All is Bright
As I bring this year's December Dilemma Watch to a close, I have to say that 2007 will not go down as a banner year in the history of the Christmas wars. There were no freedom-of-religion (or freedom-from-religion) lawsuits that grabbed national headlines, no flood of boycotts of major retailers be

posted 10:23:43am Dec. 24, 2007 | read full post »

No Christ in Christmas? Impossible!
Yesterday, CNN.com published this column by commentator Roland Wilson, in which he makes the argument that Americans should "return to traditional values, and end this ridiculous charade" of stripping Christmas of its religious meaning. To longtime observers of the December Dilemma, Wilson's essay a

posted 10:58:44am Dec. 21, 2007 | read full post »

Not Until His Birthday, Please
This week, at least 12 residents of Santa Clarita, California discovered something missing from the nativity scenes they had put up in their front yards--the baby Jesus. In place of the baby, according to Los Angeles' KNBC News, the thieves left a note that read, "Do not worry for baby Jesus is not

posted 10:30:24am Dec. 21, 2007 | read full post »

The Vatican's Nativity Switch
According to Catholic World News, the Vatican has changed its tradition of erecting a Nativity scene of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph in a manger in Bethlehem, instead putting up a scene of the holy family in their home in Nazareth. The Vatican has put up a creche since Pope John Paul II instituted the t

posted 10:00:08am Dec. 21, 2007 | read full post »

Mike Huckabee's Christmas Message
Gov. Mike Huckabee, the ordained Southern Baptist preacher who continues to rise in the Republican presidential primary polls, has a new ad out that aims directly for the pro-Christmas set. People shouldn't be bombarded during this time of year with political ads, Huckabee says while wearing a red

posted 10:35:00am Dec. 19, 2007 | read full post »

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Comments read comments(1)
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Henrietta22

posted December 8, 2007 at 8:53 pm


Why not let the school use what is politically correct, and everyone call it what they want to? I still call it Christmas vacation, not break. Colleges have been calling it Winter Break for quite awhile. Just call it what you want, no big deal.



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