Holiday tree at Rideau Hall is a Christmas tree after all

By DEBORAH GYAPONG

OTTAWA (CCN) -- Is that green thing on Dec. 25 a Christmas tree or a holiday tree?

At Rideau Hall, the residence of the Queen's representative in Canada, a Christmas tree it will be.

For a brief time Nov. 28, however, Governor General Michaelle Jean was allegedly going to decorate an inclusive holiday tree.

That news stirred up more consternation and controversy on radio call-in programs than the fall of the Liberal minority government in a non-confidence vote that evening.

The brouhaha began when Canadians listening to CBC Radio that Monday morning heard Lucie Brosseau, the Governor General's spokeswoman, say: "At Rideau Hall we will be putting up a holiday tree, as we find that it reflects the tradition of many cultures and it is inclusive."

When CCN telephoned Brosseau later that morning, she could not confirm that it would in fact be a "holiday tree." She said more information was needed on the two trees inside the residence and the number of decorated trees on the grounds. She said someone would call back.

Then spokesman Randy Mylnyk contacted CCN to say that after the news story he spoke to the Governor General, who told him, "This will be a Christmas tree that will be put up at Rideau Hall."

Mylnyk said that when Governor General Jean was growing up it had always been a Christmas tree, and as long as she was at Rideau Hall, it would continue to be a Christmas tree.

"I think it was a very well-intentioned media officer, in the spirit of inclusiveness," said Mylnyk.

The controversy followed a similar story in Boston, Mass.

Every year Nova Scotia sends a giant Christmas tree as thanks for Boston's generosity after the Halifax explosion. When the mayor decided to call it a holiday tree this year, the Nova Scotia grower said if he'd known that he would have put the huge spruce into the chipper.

A group of lawyers from the Liberty Counsel threatened to sue the city, and Boston's mayor decided to call it a Christmas tree after all.

Liberty Counsel president Mathew Staver told CBC Radio's the Current Nov. 28 that changing a Christmas tree into a holiday tree was as unacceptable as calling a Menorah a candlestick. Changing religious symbols only served to disenfranchise religious believers, he said.

Like the Governor General, the Post Office is recognizing Christmas's religious nature. Canada Post has issued four new Christmas stamp designs celebrating a world-renowned art form, creches.

The creche designs will be available on domestic 50-cent stamps as well as on 85-cent U.S. stamps and $1.45 international stamps.

The stamps, designed by I. Charney Design Inc., are based on the creches of Sylvia Daoust and Keena and Michel Forest, which were chosen from an impressive permanent collection of more than 950 Nativity scenes from some 100 countries at the Musee des Creches at St. Joseph's Oratory in Montreal.

The word creche is derived from an old French word for a manger or crib. Creches typically depict a manger with the Christ child, Mary, Joseph, the three wise men, shepherds, animals, angels, and the guiding star. The tradition of church creches was brought to New France by the early settlers. The custom of setting up a creche under the Christmas tree became widespread during the 1930s.