LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY vanar_en_daeor)

Wyldraven's posting below reminded me of something I saw on the news last night.

I really wish I could find a picture of these flags, but from what I saw on tv, all I thought was "Winter" when I saw them. They had a blue background with white snowflakes and "Welcome" text. The shape was like many of those hangable flags I see all year in front of ppls houses. The stars I can't comment on because I didn't really notice them in the brief shot they showed. (Did anyone see/hear about this and have a link to a picture?) Still, as I said, I thought of Winter and they looked nice.

Edit: I think they may have been the "snowflake" one on this page(or VERY close to it): http://www.anyflag.com/holiday/bwinter.php (I also now understand why the designer used the 6 pointed stars - because of the inside of the snowflakes.)

Has it really gotten to the point where you can't even hang a Winter theme based flag for the holidays because someone is going to take offense to it? I'm sorry, but that's really really sad. And I have the feeling that if it they were of more traditional christmas colors, there may not have been much of an issue (which is why I think this fits into the happy holidays/war-on-christmas thing. My apologies if it doesn't.).

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Is That a Menorah or, Well, Just a Snowflake?
By ERIN DUGGAN
Published: December 10, 2006

When the New Castle Town Board was brainstorming ways to attract holiday shoppers to downtown Chappaqua, a local merchant suggested lining the two main streets with flags, as is done for Memorial Day and the Fourth of July.

Last week, about 50 flags — blue and white with snowflakes, six-pointed stars and “Welcome” down the side — appeared. The problem, some residents said, is that the flags use two of the three colors traditionally associated with Hanukkah, are shaped like dreidels and use letters in a Hebrew-style block font.

“There seems to be confusion,” said Janet Wells, the town supervisor, who received several phone calls and e-mail messages last week from residents upset that a hamlet as religiously diverse as Chappaqua would pay for flags that appear, at first glance, to be inspired by a particular faith.

But the town did not pay for them. Tara Caverzasi, the owner of Desires by Mikolay, a jewelry store on King Street, did.

Ms. Caverzasi, who lives in Kent, approached the board after watching nearby towns light up for the holidays, attracting shoppers and inspiring cheer. She said the town board warned her that Chappaqua residents were hard to please, but Ms. Caverzasi spent $3,000 of her own money on the blue-and-white flags, in the belief that more downtown decorations would bring more business.

Instead, they brought angry calls. One person called Ms. Caverzasi a communist. Another told Ms. Wells that the snowflakes looked like menorahs and that the flag resembled Israel’s. In all, Ms. Caverzasi said, she and the town received about 20 calls.

Late last week, Ms. Caverzasi said she wondered if she should have used the money on a vacation instead.

“It’s absolute craziness,” said Ms. Caverzasi, who grew up Christian and has a Christmas tree, jingle bells and ornaments in her store.

For some visitors to Chappaqua, though, the flags had the desired effect. Marian Hamilton drove from her home in Armonk on Wednesday morning to do some shopping. Ms. Hamilton, who is Jewish, said she did not even notice that the flags were in traditional Hanukkah hues.

“I thought it was more of a winter theme, not a religious one,” she said. “Which is good.”

Ms. Caverzasi said she found the flags’ design in the winter — not the holiday — section of an online catalog, and it had been approved by the town board.

Finding a neutral shade for a holiday flag may be as difficult as finding a T.M.X. Elmo on Christmas Eve. Red and green are associated with Christmas; blue, white and silver with Hanukkah, and red, green and black with Kwanzaa. Orange leaves town with the Halloween and Thanksgiving decorations, and green arrives with St. Patrick’s Day.

“And spring colors won’t work,” Ms. Wells said.

Nonetheless, Ms. Caverzasi has ordered red holiday flags — for an additional $2,000 — to advertise shops downtown, although they are destined for a smaller patch of town.

Ms. Wells said she hoped residents would understand that the idea behind the flags was a good one.

“The intent was to help the town,” she said. “We feel very strongly about not having religious symbols displayed by the government.”


http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/10/nyregion/nyregionspecial2/10wenoticed.html?n=Top%2FReference%2FTimes%20Topics%2FSubjects%2FR%2FReligion%20and%20Belief