White House “Christmas” Card Criticized
According to FoxNews, a Republican congressman has criticized the decision by the White House to send its traditional Christmas cards out–without any mention of Christmas. The Obama “holiday” card reportedly says:
May your family have
a joyous holiday season
and a new year blessed
with hope and happiness.
As if to prove that you can’t make everyone happy, former President Bush was also criticized for the lack of Christmas reference in last year’s card, as well as the affront of sending “religious” Christmas cards out in other years.
The President is not obligated to recognize any particular holiday, regardless of his own religion. Traditionally, Presidents have recognized the important holidays of the major faiths in certain ways. For example, President Bush sent out Hanukkah and Christmas cards. The decision by this White House to send a combined “holiday” greeting seems to be consistent with their actions to date. While many will have opinions about it, there isn’t anything inherently wrong with it.
Nor, honestly, would there be anything wrong with sending out Christmas cards, as Presidents have done, to varying degrees, for many years. (Reportedly, Coolidge sent out the first cards, though Eisenhower established the tradition by contracting with Hallmark in 1953.)