YESTERDAY the Drudge Report noted that the Montgomery County, Maryland, town of Kensington has asked Santa Claus to stay away from its annual tree-lighting ceremony on December 2. Two families said they would be uncomfortable if the jolly old fellow were present, so he was kept out of this year’s program. That doesn’t mean that Santa won’t be back, though.
Next Sunday’s program in Kensington, somewhat ironically called “Celebration of the American Spirit Through Lights and Music,” is a tribute to the heroic responders of September 11, including firefighters, military personnel, and postal workers. Red, white, and blue lights will grace the town tree, which Santa and the town mayor usually light after they cruise up in a fire truck. This year, Mayor Kitty Raufaste will perform the ritual alone.
Mayor Raufaste complains that words like “ban” and “bar,” which were tossed around yesterday, were too harsh for the town’s actions, and says that the exclusion of Santa is not necessarily permanent. A family spoke up in an October planning meeting for the event, the mayor said, and the town council subsequently opted not to include Santa in the program. Raufaste recalled the objection as being religious, but suggested that for herself and most Santa fans, Mr. Claus evokes little religious sentiment.
“Santa is a tradition in our town and across the country,” Raufaste said. “At least for me he doesn’t have any religious significance.”
For many communities, Kensington included, this year’s holidays will be a celebration of thankfulness on a different level than those of years past. President Bush has asked Americans to be especially tolerant of their fellow citizens’ religious faiths. That does not mean kowtowing to the grumbling of a few, however.
Montgomery County received embarrassing national attention last week after its council voted to impose fines of up to $750 on smokers in private residences if their smoke-rings crossed private property lines and bothered neighbors. The county executive eventually vetoed the measure. Hopefully the Kensington town council will, in similar fashion, resist future pandering to religious persnicketiness and Santa will be back by popular demand at least next year, if not by this Sunday.
Beth Henary is an editorial assistant at The Weekly Standard.
