by Bridget Cook ’14

What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when you see a lit up, ornately decorated evergreen tree? Whether they are Christian, Jewish, Muslim, or even Atheist, most people identify a Christmas tree as just that. A Christmas tree. Lately, the term ‘holiday tree’ has been used in more frequent instances with the goal of honoring religious diversity. However, this term leaves me wondering how honoring diversity is possible when the holiday that the tree so obviously represents is not acknowledged. There is nothing wrong with calling one of these decorated evergreens a Christmas tree, because traditionally, that is how they are recognized. Simply acknowledging a culture with a customary icon should not cause any problems or offense. To most people who celebrate Christmas, the tree is not a way of proselytizing Christianity. It is merely a tradition that has been enjoyed for centuries. I have never seen a Menorah or a Kinara labeled as a ‘holiday candle,’ so why should the term ‘Christmas tree’ be obscured by such misplaced sensitivity?