© 2009 Michael Swickard, Ph.D. In 1870 our country had thirty-seven states. By then thirty-three of these states already had done something that the United States Federal Government finally did that year. It was name Christmas an official holiday. Alabama was the first state to name Christmas as an official holiday, doing so in 1836.
On June 28, 1870 President Ulysses
Grant signed the legislation to make the federal holiday of Christmas. There
wasn’t opposition because most politicians didn’t want to be known as opposing
Christmas.
I have written about this previously
but it still seems we Americans are conflicted. People seem glad to have the
day off but the core issue involves the question: is Christmas a religious
holiday?
Of course, since it celebrates the
birth of Jesus. Can this religious federal holiday be allowed by the United
States Constitution? We have done it for a very long time and we are doing it
this year for certain.
The Supreme Court did not stop
Nativity Scenes in 1984 but the high court has not ruled directly on the constitutional
issue of the Federal Holiday of Christmas. I do not want the Supreme Court
deciding if Christmas should be a federal holiday. Rather, this should be
decided in the legislative process.
The only way to insure Christmas
remains a federal holiday is to pass a Constitutional Amendment naming December
25th as the Christmas Federal Holiday. When passed by Congress then the constitutional
amendment must be passed by thirty-eight states to become a part of the United
States Constitution.
To take the other side, if enough
federal or state legislators vote against the constitutional amendment then that’s
the answer as to if our nation should have a Federal Christmas Holiday. But an
overwhelming group of federal and state legislators would rather set their hair
on fire than be known to have voted against Christmas.
I am willing to see the federal
holiday of Christmas be retired if enough members of Congress and members of
state legislatures put their name on a vote against the Christmas amendment. This
would settle the issue on constitutional grounds.
We must do so because the
“Politically Correct” crowd has threatened lawsuits on many government entities
including public education. In most public schools, Christmas became Winter
Holiday without a vote in Congress.
This spilled over into the business
community. Citizens quelled it when they announced no Christmas greetings, no
shopping from us. The stores caught on. They can also say Happy Holidays, Happy
Hanukkah or anything else but they cannot omit Christmas greetings and still
get our business.
When some of our laws are in effect repealed
by special interest groups without elected representatives voting, our
representative form of government ends. The only way to proceed is a up or down
vote on Christmas in our country. Our representatives must be put on the spot
to vote up or down.
I do not blame public schools for
casting off Christmas songs, plays and pageants when our Representatives and
Senators do not stand up for Christmas. They have let unelected people force
the issue.
Now I do not have any trouble with
the separation of the biblical story of the Baby Jesus in the public schools. Leave
that to the parents and Churches. However, in the effort to not say Christmas,
traditional songs cannot be sung.
Also, Santa Claus is politically
incorrect so students are not permitted a classroom “naughty or nice” song. Teachers
are instructed in many schools to have nothing to do with Christmas.
For me it will always be the
Christmas Holidays. Some of my most treasured memories are of Christmas with my
family. Friends have come and gone, loved ones are around me while others have
passed. They still figure brightly in my memory.
I agree with Erma Bombeck, “There is
nothing sadder in this world than to awake Christmas morning and not be a
child.” Or to be able to celebrate Christmas with a child.
There is a need for a Constitutional
Amendment on Christmas so some Federal Judge does not take it away from our
country or even the Supreme Court. Merry Christmas to you if you celebrate
Christmas. Happy Holidays to you if you do not.
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