News, Florida university bans Christmas decor. (schools, teacher, students, start)

[John1960]

FORT MYERS, Fla., Nov. 26 (UPI) -- A Florida university has annoyed many of its employees and students by ordering a complete ban on Christmas decorations in public areas.

That means Florida Gulf Coast University is not holding its greeting card contest this year, the Fort Myers News-Press reported. The giving tree in one building will be a "giving garden."

Florida university bans Christmas decor - UPI.com

[tgbwc]

My wife's school made a teacher take down candy canes that the autistic students had made. They were working with patterns and applied their own patterns to candy cane cutouts. Are candy canes too Christmasy? Seems a bit overzealous to me.

[eevee]

Originally Posted by tgbwc

Are candy canes too Christmasy? Seems a bit overzealous to me.

candy canes play no part in the birth of Jesus Christ. neither do reindeer, Santa Claus, or Christmas trees. I could understand people refusing Christmas decorations in the form of a nativity scene, but the above are in no way connected to Christianity and really shouldn't offend anyone based on religious grounds. what next, banning the Easter bunny and dyed eggs?

[unsmicck]

Actually..... The modern day candy cane does have a lot to do with the birth of Jesus....

ChristStory Christmas Symbols - Candy Cane

[Katiana]

Originally Posted by unsmicck

Actually..... The modern day candy cane does have a lot to do with the birth of Jesus....

ChristStory Christmas Symbols - Candy Cane

I think you can always find some way to link an object to relgion if you try hard enough. The candy canes we hang on trees have very little to do with religion, aside from the fact they are shaped like a shepherd's crook. They're candy to eat.

[Convert 54]

How sad, everything traditional in this country now appears under assault in some form or fashion.......how sad

[eevee]

Originally Posted by unsmicck

Actually..... The modern day candy cane does have a lot to do with the birth of Jesus....

ChristStory Christmas Symbols - Candy Cane

oh please! what next, you're going to say that people paint Easter eggs because Jesus started out as an egg? I wonder, does this qualify as apophenia, ie, trying to find/force connections even when none exists? (fancy new term I just learned)

I'm a bit rusty in my Biblical lore, but I'm pretty sure there is no mention of candy canes in the story of Jesus's birth. in fact, candy canes have only been around for a couple hundred years. they used to be straight, but someone came up with the idea of making them curved at the top to resemble a shepherd's staff. it has less to to do w the birth of Jesus and more to do w/ someone marketing this candy as a Xmas item even way back when.

it'd be no different if someone took some random object, say, fruit cake, and made them in a cross shaped pan, then somehow trying to prove that fruit cake played a vital role in the story of Jesus b/c it's shaped like a cross (and it's made with flour which can also be used to make bread which often symbolizes Jesus's body )

so I'll reiterate, candy canes, reindeer, et al have nothing to do w/ the actual religious celebration of Christmas, so people should just let them be! jeez, there are already people talking about suing schools performing "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" b/c it supposedly violates the separation of church and state political correctness is going to ruin this holiday even more than it has already been ruined by commercialism

[floridasandy]

i will hang an extra candy cane on my own tree in memory of the loss of tolerance at FGCU.

[Kathleen1971]

Originally Posted by eevee

oh please! what next, you're going to say that people paint Easter eggs because Jesus started out as an egg?

Hee hee. This just cracked my Catholic self up. I don't know why but thanks for the giggles. I really needed them.

[Rei]

I'm a bit rusty in my Biblical lore, but I'm pretty sure there is no mention of candy canes in the story of Jesus's birth.

Wasn't candy cane one of the stuff the magi brought to Jesus?... LOL