Bushes Send Out Christmas-Themed Hannukah Card

The New York Post reports:

Merry Hanukkah from the White House!

The president and the first lady invited leaders of America's Jewish community for a Hanukkah reception at the White House next month - but raised more than a few eyebrows by putting a picture of a Christmas tree on the invitation.

DCist adds that the First Lady's spokesperson apologized on Laura Bush's behalf.

Comments

[night owl]

Happy Solstice, everyone.

[TR12]

Same to you buddy

[Kiba]

Merry Yule!

[TomPaine07]

Let's not make a big deal out of it. I am not offended.

[chaunpop]

And you speak for the entire Jewish community?

[who38]

Did he say that he did? I is not a plural pronoun. Tom might be a Buddhist. Knee-jerk much?

[DeeDeeDaGumby]

rofl , nothing that comes from this man no longer surprises me anymore...

[truthyguy]

Just another example why the name George Bush is synonymous with the word insensitive.

He was not in the bottom of his classes at prep school, Yale and Harvard (and Air National Guard training) for nothing. He earned it.

[DeanAdams]

That is why he is known as a consistent conservative.

[jhink465]

Ah just call it a Chanuka Bush and be done with it. Sheesh!

[mamala4]

It's not the simple...

[ZTB]

obviously you are not Jewish.....that comment is very insensitive....
very.

[who38]

Insensitive is sending 4000+ men and women to die in Iraq for oil and related issues.

[tinamou]

I hope you're kidding because that's not offensive at all. I am Jewish and a Hanukkah bush is not an uncommon thing in North America - many Jewish people do have Hanukkah bushes!

[pfc1369]

I am Jewish and pretty old, and can tell you we jokingly called it a Hannuckah Bush a half century ago.

And ZTB, shouldn't that be ZBT, my old frat?

[Voltage]

Oy.

[Badfickle]

Appatizers served included bacon wrapped pork sausages and beef in a lovely cream sauce.

[SwingVoter]

I am not offended by Christmas. I celebrate it proudly.

[chaunpop]

Good for you SwingVoter, but this was not an invitation for Christmas... You're missing the point.

[SwingVoter]

If that picture on the article is The Picture, then this is really just nitpicking.

[max]

JUST PUT THE STAR OF DAVID ON THE CHRISTMAS PARTY INVITATIONS....THEY'VE DONE EVERYTHING BACKWARD FOR THE LAST EIGHT YEARS ANYWAY.

[pfc1369]

Ah! Religious differences!

You begin with notions about the Ruler of the Universe, and end up squabbling over a tarted-up pine tree.

[Kiba]

Hahahahaha.

"He has given us a sign!"
"Oh!"
"He has given us... His shoe!"
"The shoe is the sign. Let us follow His example."
"What?"
"Let us, like Him, hold up one shoe and let the other be upon our foot, for this is His sign, that all who follow Him shall do likewise."
"Yes."
"No, no, no. The shoe is a sign that we must gather shoes together in abundance."
"Cast off the shoes! Follow the Gourd!"
"No! Let us gather shoes together!"
"No, no! It is a sign that, like Him, we must think not of the things of the body, but of the face and head!"
"Give me your shoe!"
"Get off!"
"Follow the Gourd! The Holy Gourd of Jerusalem!"
"The Gourd!"

[who38]

The best. Thank you.

[paulfree17]

This is one more way of anti-semitism showing it's ugly face. Our president should know better and certainly should not blame his staff for the Christmas card he wanted to have designed and sent out. As usual he does not take responsibility for his actions...so what's knew! A christmas tree is lovely but is not a symbol of Chanukkah just in case you need to know Mr. Bush!

[mamala4]

At the age of 60 something, he should know better, probably does know better, but could care less. Many of the Jewish faith who would not vote for Obama because they were afraid of his stance on Israel, as a Jewish woman myself, I knew that HE was not a person to be feared. All they had to do was look at the current occupant of the White House to figure out whose position on Israel we had to fear.

[who38]

Do you see any irony in your statement about the motivation of the Jewish vote and your reaction to the picture on the invitation?

[KrautMan]

That's not anti-semitism, just anti-brainism...

[Blain]

Oh please don't put me in the position of defending Bush. The man is a bafoon. But I think most would have to agree that he has been a staunch ally of Israel. If he was so anti-semitic would he even be having a hanukkuh reception? It was stupid I guess but if the picture above is what is so offensive, to me it just looks like a fresh cut pine tree laying in a truck.

[Bongborg]

I started to make this reply to the people arguing over Christmas Trees being a Christian symbol, but then I realized it needed to be more general: Christmas is NOT a Christian holiday. It is the remnant of a solar cult celebration that was co-opted by Christians to provide a birthday for Jesus (which was not known because it was never recorded). ALL the savior gods of antiquity were born on December 25th, and died and got resurrected at Easter. Can you say, precession of the sun? I knew that you could. You might as well argue over whether they should invite everyone over for a bull-slaying to celebrate Mithras' birthday.

[AddictedToHope]

And you can throw in a bit of lunar influence into the mix for Easter. At least Xmas is always on the same day of the year. But Easter is the first Sunday after the first FULL MOON after the vernal equinox.

"Prior to the Council of Nicea , Christians in general would celebrate Easter on the 14 Nissan, whichever day that was, which is when Jews celebrate the Passover but it was felt that such an important holiday should be separated from this high holy Jewish day."

Sounds a bit political to me.

http://www.carnaval.com/easter/

[who38]

Good to know. Thanks.

[exhale09]

Bongborg....Your account of Dec. 25th is correct. This truth is not a secret, and it is a fact.
Much of Christian symbolism is based in the previous Paganism....which was then blended into Christianity. The Christmas tree especially, actually has Paganism symbolism.
In addition, many of the Biblical stories have their origins in much older civilizations...for example the Summerian civilization...and were passed down through the years, names were changed in the stories to make the story fit the new story tellers time, but the stories themselves were written long before the newer Biblical account. This is also fact.

The world would be a more peaceful place if people would recognise known truths and stop clinging to inaccurate beliefs to the extent that they would even be offended by such silly things as the symbolism of a Christmas tree on a Happy Chaukkah Card...or forcing Wal-mart to ONLY greets it's shoppers with "Merry Christmas" signs to commemorate a date that has no base in historical fact....stupidly objecting to things like being greeted with "Happy Holidays" when the word "Holidays" is in fact derived from the WORD "HOLY" in the first place!....so they are actually angrily objecting to being greeted with the wish "Happy Holy Days"

So silly and sad, isn't it? They think these things are worth feeling insulted about and even fighting each other over.

[normathumb]

So it was all cobbled together from earlier religions. So what? Pretty much all of which are forgotten by 99% of the the planet. Pointing out that Christmas trees have their origins way back in the foggy mists of prechristian time doesn't change its status as a potent symbol of Christianity any more then saying the swastika was around for thousands of years before being adopted by the Nazi's. It is what it is, loaded with Christian symbolism. Just ask Bill O'Reilly or most anyone walking down the street. Deal with reality, not self inflating irrelevancies.

[concernvoter]

This is what I'm talking about. Why Bush sending out Christmas cards, he needs to be on his job taking care of the economy. This is a big mess.

[greysilk]

i am so sick of these arguments - christmas is a time of peace, just give the darn christmas tree a break.

[mamala4]

christmas is the celebration of the birth of Christ - and while it may be a sylmbol of peace, it does NOT have anything to do with Chanukah and therefore should not be on a Chanukah card. So I can give the tree a break, but not the mo.ron whose name is on the card.

[max]

that's how you end up in Iraq......voting in incompetents