"Merry Christmas"?

We went to the annual tree lighting sponsored by the Women's Club of Hillsborough on the grounds of the municipal building Friday night. Of course, the highlight of the evening was the arrival of Santa Claus - brought to us courtesy of the Flagtown Fire Department.





The kids were so excited about meeting Santa that they didn't even appear to feel the cold. Meanwhile, moms and dads were absolutely freezing! I hope Santa's little red cottage was heated!



After giving Santa Claus our Christmas wish lists, we headed inside to listen to the Hillsborough High School wind ensemble play a selection of holiday tunes.

The mayor made a point of telling the assembled residents that we in Hillsborough were proud to call our tree a "Christmas Tree" - not a holiday tree, or some other politically correct euphemism - and that the town would also be lighting a menorah in the coming weeks.

I appreciate the sentiment - it's a good effort. I am as fed up with political correctness as everyone else. But I'm not sure what any of this has to do with Christmas. Is political correctness so ingrained, are we such timid sheep, that lighting up a "Christmas" tree and rolling out Santa Claus is now considered a victory?

After all, it wasn't Jesus on that firetruck.