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December dilemma refers to a set of conundrums that arise for businesses, schools, and government at all levels, regarding how to recognize Christmas without ignoring the increasing religious diversity in the United States or violating the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution. The December dilemma is one of the major battles in the culture wars in the United States. The legality of events and activities related to Christmas—including but not limited to the designation of Christmas as a federal/public holiday, the ability of the public/government to make space for Christmas trees and nativity scenes, and how Christmas is dealt with in public schools—have been tested in court on many occasions. However, the dilemma is more than legal in scope; it evokes basic questions about the challenge of recognizing a majority's holiday in a nation where the typical classroom and workplace contain more non-Christians and more diversity than ever before.

The public debate typically frames the December dilemma in terms of whether or not the celebration of Christmas, in its various forms, is “offensive” to non-Christians. As a result, a common perception of the dilemma implies that a solution can be found by eliminating activities directly related to Christmas. Efforts to “ban Christmas” or pretend that the holiday is not happening, pursued by some school districts and businesses, are one reaction. However, erasing or negating Christmas not only can be offensive to Christians but also can lead to hostility between Christians and people of other faiths. Those in religious minority faiths may then be blamed for the situation, even though the policy was most likely developed by Christian decisionmakers.

To understand the dilemma and develop alternative solutions it is helpful to step back from the framework of “offensiveness” and understand the three separate controversies that constitute it. The three elements of the December dilemma are (1) Christmas's unique status as a federally recognized holiday, (2) Christmas's place in the public space, and (3) Christmas in public schools.

Status as a Federal Holiday

The first controversy is the status of Christmas as the only religious holiday recognized by the United States as a federal holiday. (Federal holiday status permits the closure of all nonessential federal government offices, including the postal service and the courts. Federal holidays are also state holidays in most states.) The U.S. Congress designated Christmas a federal holiday in 1870. At all levels of society, Christmas is recognized and accommodated for. While there has not been outright opposition or any attempt to strip the calendar of this federal holiday, it is the underlying issue in the December dilemma. Very often the argument is made that in the contemporary United States, Christmas is celebrated in a “secular” manner. People who make this argument perceive Christmas traditions and characters that are not expressly religious—such as Santa Claus, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and the decorating of evergreen trees—as secular objects. However, this perception of Christmas is less a solution to the December dilemma than a demonstration of the pervasive nature of Christian normativity in the U.S. society and culture.

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