With all the PC ruckus that we go through every year, with the A.C.L.U. or some other group trying to file lawsuits against either a town, state, or the federal government itself about some perceived bias by that entity towards Christianity; it's interesting to note that, in Israel, the people/government seem to have no problem with the Christmas season, OR IT'S BEING CELEBRATED by Christians. In fact, they have set aside valuable arable land for the express purpose of ensuring that Christian families and entities such as embassy's and monasteries have the opportunity to be able to celebrate Christmas with a Christmas tree.
The Israeli government is certainly not in the business of promoting Christianity over any other religion, but they recognize the value of traditions, and people celebrating their own traditions.
If a Jewish secular government can see it's way clear to helping people of a different faith celebrate their traditional holiday; shouldn't our government at least stay out of people celebrating the holidays as they wish?
WHY should a tiny minority dictate what is allowed on the common ground?
WHY should we kowtow to the ultra-delicate sensibilities of the too easily offended?
WHY should we fore-go our own traditions and yet still hold up traditions alien to us as sacrosanct ?
We need to learn to tolerate ALL traditions as valuable to their adherents. NOT as a PC form of obeisance to sensibilities, but because it is one of the basic tenets of our Republic as it was planned out by the Founders; Religious freedom for ALL, not just the fad cause du jour.
They never envisioned freedom FROM religion; indeed many of the Founders stated that the form of government they had initiated could not prosper unless it was tended by a religious and a moral people. In that era, and in this locale; most people were Christian. They belonged to many different sects, but they held a common belief in Christ. Today, we have many more belief systems competing for the soul of the population, but the beauty of the system the Founders put in place is that, as long as ALL are respected, ALL are equal in the eyes of the state.
That is what the A.C.L.U. and atheist organizations have forgotten in their drive to eradicate any hint of religion from the town square, in their fervor they are placing their own beliefs above any other, in the name of "not being offended".
(note, yes I know this link is a year old, but I have it on good authority that the program is still intact, and they expect to give out almost 3,000 trees this year.)