The New Jersey councilwoman who abruptly resigned over the city’s decision to add the word “Christmas” to their annual tree lighting ceremony, said upon rescinding her resignation this weekend that “I’m not against Christmas trees”.
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Washington DC got a little brighter Thursday night with the national Christmas tree lighting ceremony.
The name of the event was previously changed from “Christmas” to “Annual” in the mid-1990’s following a court case surrounding a Jersey City holiday display that contained multiple religious symbols on municipal grounds.
Councilwoman Charlene Storey left the meeting on Thursday night and later sent in a letter of resignation, WCBS 880’s Stephanie Colombini reported.
Storey was given the opportunity to head a new committee on diversity that will be created – and she has no plans to attend the actual tree lighting event.
Ms. Storey’s resignation will be effective January 7.
Storey, who was raised Catholic but is now a “non-believer” and has never hidden that fact, said the issue was a matter of principle. This year’s Rockefeller Center Christmas tree is a Norway Spruce from Gardiner, New York, and is 80-years old, 78-feet tall, and weighs 10-tons.
Storey, who said she was unaware the vote had been on the agenda, chose to take a stand after her fellow legislators voted 4-2 in favor of the change. “Just like the Easter Bunny is the Easter Bunny and not the Holiday Bunny”.
“I’m not against Christmas trees”, Storey added.
Another commenter opined: “I think the forcing of one’s religion on public property is rather un-Christian”.
The National Park Service says the tradition of lighting a national tree was started by President Calvin Coolidge in 1923. Say that you are invited to the town’s Ramadan Party, where most of the attendees are going to be celebrating Islam.
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‘And that 33.8 percent doesn’t include non-Christians such as Hindus, Buddhists and Muslims, ‘ she said.
