Portland's annual tree-lighting ceremony sparked outrage over the weekend after city officials referred to the festive display only as "the tree," avoiding any mention of Christmas during the 41st annual event in Pioneer Courthouse Square, the New York Post reported Monday.
Thousands of attendees gathered to witness the lighting of the 75-foot tree, which featured 10,000 bulbs, but some criticized the city for omitting "Christmas" from the ceremony and its advertising.
The event started with a tribute to Native American Heritage Day, led by a Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs woman who thanked the crowd and introduced younger members of the American Indians. The celebration was described solely as "the tree lighting" before the microphone was passed to another speaker.
During her stage time, the woman, draped in a Palestinian flag, led attendees in a "Free Palestine" chant and performed the "Strong Woman Song" alongside children, highlighting representation of tribal matriarchs. "This is the perfect time to bring this up. There are a lot of genocides going on," she told the crowd.
Despite the absence of traditional Christmas references in the program, Santa Claus made an appearance, posing for photos with families and leading a sing-along of holiday carols — including "Deck the Halls" and "Angels We Have Heard on High," according to the Post.
Portland Mayor Keith Wilson later took the stage, accompanied by city representatives and Santa, to illuminate the tree. The ceremony ended without incident, but social media users quickly voiced their frustration over the perceived omission of Christmas.
"They can't even say Christmas tree in Portland. They call it 'the tree,'" one user wrote on X.
Another added, "Why does everything have to be so divisive??!!"
A third said, "It's a Christmas tree, it's always been a Christmas tree, and it will always be a Christmas tree."
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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