After two open forums held over an eleven-month period, Auburn University's Student Government Association announced that the former "Holiday" tree lighting event will now be called "Holiday Celebration featuring the Lighting of the Christmas Tree." The event had been called the Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony since its inception in 2000. The former president of College Republicans, Laura Steele, started a petition to rename the event shortly before last year's tree lighting ceremony. Liberty Counsel worked closely with Ms. Steele to support the effort she spearheaded.

Read more in our news release on our web site.

"Grinch" Update

We have been receiving quite a few "grinch" reports already this year. One concerned citizen wrote and reported the City of Chesapeake, Virginia is a "grinch" because he City's official web site announces a "holiday tree lighting ceremony” on December 2. Perhaps the City missed the uproar that Boston caused last year by calling it's Christmas tree a "holiday tree."

If your town is ignoring Christmas, we have a resource for you. We call it "The Memo That Saved Christmas" and it is a legal memorandum that tells how the government can legally recognize the Christmas holiday. You can print a copy from our web site (in pdf) or order a booklet version by calling 800-671-1776.

Are the "grinches" at work in your town? We want to hear about it. Send an email to [email protected] and file a "grinch" report!

Don't forget to order some of our Christmas buttons to wear on your clothing, book bags, etc. We expect a large volume of orders by churches and other groups, so order yours early. You can order 10 buttons for $10 or 100 buttons for $50 in the jewelry section of our secure online store or call 800-671-1776. (Of course you can still get our own Help Save Christmas™ action pack that we described in an earlier Liberty Alert, for an additional donation of $25 or more).