These are religious symbols. A "Christmas Tree" is not. Although Rabbi Elazar Bogomilsky has apologized for starting the whole furor in Seattle (and elsewhere) over his request for a menorah at Sea-Tac Airport which temporarily resulted in the airport removing all their Christmas trees, I've noted in a number of discussions over the past few days that most people are unaware of the origins of what we commonly refer to here in America as "Christmas trees."
Observances of the change of seasons from Babylon to Scandinavia for thousands of years have included putting up trees in homes, sometimes decorated, sometimes not. The pagans converted who converted to Christianity who had evergreen trees didn't happen until rather late in the middle ages. Early clerics were very much against the practice, as a matter of fact, as it detracted from the religious observance they were trying to cram down people's throats.
Observances of the change of seasons from Babylon to Scandinavia for thousands of years have included putting up trees in homes, sometimes decorated, sometimes not. The pagans converted who converted to Christianity who had evergreen trees didn't happen until rather late in the middle ages. Early clerics were very much against the practice, as a matter of fact, as it detracted from the religious observance they were trying to cram down people's throats.
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