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Will the Name “Thanksgiving” Disappear? 

Where are our “conservative” politicians when it comes to supporting the public recognition of the Thanksgiving and Christmas traditions?

Jay Nordlinger points us today “Xmas in the OC” on National Review on Line (NRO) to this story in the Orange County Register - -

“SANTA ANA – The removal of a Christmas tree from the Orange County Superior courthouse Monday has prompted a petition among court employees to have the tree – connected to a gift drive for poor children – put back.

The six-foot artificial tree, which was adorned with tags seeking toy donations to ‘Operation Santa Claus,’ was removed Monday after a member of the public complained about the tree being in the courthouse, court spokeswoman Gwen Vieau said.”

And here “Et Tu, Thanksgiving? ” is more from Nordlinger - -

 

“A public-affairs spokesman in a state government says that he was asked to prepare a Thanksgiving message for employees. He did so. His superior said there was one thing wrong with it: The message couldn’t use the word ‘Thanksgiving.’

 

An Army officer says that he had to refer to Thanksgiving dinner as . . . ‘the holiday meal.’

 

Says a reader, ‘My two-year-old’s daycare had a ‘multicultural feast’ instead of Thanksgiving. Uggggh.’(Or should that be ‘Ughhh”?)

Another reader says, ‘The recording at my bank said it was closed for ‘the holiday.’ Could it have killed them to say ‘Thanksgiving’?”

Mark Steyn adds “Attack of the Seven-Foot Fairy” -       

“‘Two  Cambridge academics  have voiced their dismay at the news that all references to Christmas  have been dropped from the switching-on ceremony for Dundee’s festive  lights. Instead of the traditional Christmas Lights switch-on, The  Times newspaper reported that residents will be attending the ‘Dundee  Winter Light Night’. Council officials have also decided that rather  than a retelling of the Nativity story there will be a disco, a contemporary circus, a continental market and a seven foot fairy on stilts.’

That’s another reason to resist this stuff - not merely because it’s an act of cultural vandalism but because what replaces the demolished tradition is so feeble and insipid. (’Contemporary circus’ is, of course, PC-speak for ‘monumental yawneroo with interpretative dance acts but no dangerous animals’ - so don’t go along expecting to see Dundee Council officials sticking their heads in the lion’s mouth.)”

For quick historical reference, here is the national Thanksgiving proclamation of president George Washington and here is the proclamation of president Abraham Lincoln.

Lest we forget, below is a (likely 1950) image from the Defense Department entitled “Thanksgiving dinner of 1st Sig[nal] B[attalio]n at Hamhung, Korea.”(US Army, and NARA FILE# : 127-GK-234G-A5289.)

Apparently it was then all right to call “the holiday meal” a “Thanksgiving dinner.”

Who is fighting back to ensure that our traditional holidays are not obliterated from the general culture? 

Well, the American Family Association here for one and Liberty Counsel for another. And, we are sure, other national and local values-oriented organizations.

But where are the messages of support for the public recognition of Thanksgiving and Christmas from prominent elected Maryland and Virginia officials who sail under the conservative flag?

It would be much more difficult for Pentagon chairwarmers, state, city, and county bureaucrats, and local merchants’ associations to censor “Thanksgiving” and “Christmas” if Federal, state, and local elected officials themselves talk up the public recognition of these central national holidays.

(Maybe some “conservative” politicians don’t believe preserving and strengthening the culture has any connection with the day-to-day life of our citizens.  If so, they should explain in plain words how a stronger culture is not directly related to better schools, better employment, and better security.)

But we here at Blue Ridge Forum wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving!

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