Tis the season for candy canes, brightly wrapped presents and lots of attempts to sanitize the word “Christmas” from the holiday.
The school superintendent in Marlborough, New Hampshire issued a Yuletide edict to the local American Legion post: you can’t call a Christmas tree a Christmas tree.
John Fletcher, the commander of the local American Legion post, said he was banned from using the word “Christmas” to promote the town’s upcoming Christmas tree lighting. The commander wanted to change it to say ‘holiday tree lighting’
Fletcher told Fox 25 in Boston, that Superintendent Robert Malay’s decision went over about as well as replacing Santa’s milk and cookies with tofu and a shot of wheatgrass. “It’s not a holiday tree, it’s a Christmas tree,”
For years the American Legion commander, who also portrays Santa Claus, had been allowed to post flyers in the public school to promote the annual Christmas event. But this year, Fletcher said the superintendent called to tell him he would need to “revise” the flyer and remove the word “Christmas.”
He was so upset he wrote a letter to the local newspaper. In it he wrote, “As commander of the American Legion it offends me,” “I respect all rights; always have. But do not take away our rights because you may offend someone else.”
Fletcher called Superintendent Malay to find out why the word “Christmas” needed to be deleted…..he’s still waiting for a response.