Overview
- On his podcast, Spade described a Michigan mall ceremony that referred only to a “tree lighting” and said organizers avoided saying “Christmas.”
- He did not name the mall, and he and co-host Dana Carvey argued that steering around the word is unnecessary and absurd.
- Portland’s recent downtown event was promoted as “Portland’s 41st Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony,” though the mayor’s office later called it a Christmas Tree Lighting.
- Online critics accused organizers of erasing Christianity, even as the Portland celebration featured lights, Santa, and a traditionally decorated tree.
- Reporting placed the dispute in a broader context that includes an ICC report on rising violence against Christians in parts of Africa and President Donald Trump’s designation of Nigeria as a country of particular concern.