A few years later, panic sets in

Auburn University has had a "holiday tree lighting ceremony" since 2000, but apparently the event's name only became a crisis for social conservatives across the country this year. The school's SGA, probably bewildered by the sudden deluge of angry phone calls and e-mails, responded Monday by rejecting a resolution to rename the event a "Christmas tree lighting."

Across the state, the University of Alabama has decided on a basic artificial tree decorated with white lights. So what's its name? It doesn't have one, a university spokeswoman says: "If people want to refer to it as a 'Christmas tree' or as a 'holiday tree,' it's up to them." The school's international center contains exhibits honoring not only Christmas but Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Hindu, Muslim, and Shinto holidays as well.