At 04:10 PM 8/21/98 EDT, you wrote:

>I have had lots of trouble with this issue.  Since I don't celebrate
>Christmas, I have always felt a struggle with how we can make our holiday
>environments more welcoming for everyone.  I believe this is a big challenge
>for both mission and market driven reasons.

Well I believe that any public institution (ie state, city or national
museum) shouldn't display any sort of religious symbols unless it is part
of an exhibit.  But even the Smithsonian gets all spiffied up around the
holidays and we have a national Christmas tree so it's hard to justify not
doing anything.

>  It certainly doesn't belong in a science museum.

Exactly.  I think an evergreen tree trimmed with scientific instruments
would be cute and certainly non-religious.  It would probably pacify those
holiday zealots and not offend any non-holiday people.

Your idea of a wintry theme works too.  We did a lot of that when I taught
in a public school because we couldn't celebrate or display anything having
to do with a religious holiday.  Somehow, Halloween was always the
exception and I know plenty of people who celebrate Halloween as a
religious holiday.  Anyway, snowmen, snowflakes, snow covered trees, cute
little forest animals frolicking in the snow, and icicles are always PC
from November to February.  Plus in a science museum you can do neat
displays on crystals and snow to go along with the decorations.  Let people
decorate their offices however they please but public areas should be a
neutral as possible.  If visitors start calling your scrooge and saying
you're being a party-pooper, put up one of those Coke bears with a little
Santa hat which should appease them.  And if they still need more Christmas
(like all the merchandise that goes on sale around Halloween isn't enough),
politely point them to the nearest church which would be happy to share the
spirit of the season with them.

This should work if you are in an urban enough city.  The more rural you
get, the more that Christmas invades every aspect of the town and you might
just have to buckle and put a Santa somewhere in your museum along with the
token menorah.  If you really want to erk people, put up a crescent moon
and a buddha but only if your museum is well insured.  ;)

Good luck!!

Deb Fuller, Christian but really tired of all the Christmas hype.

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