University Memo Warns Against Christmas, Hanukkah Symbols

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — A University of Minnesota memo sparked a holiday controversy for suggesting that some students and staff should avoid using festive decorations that reference particular religious celebrations at school events. Music and food at campus holiday parties including Christmas trees, menorahs and images of Santa Claus were all discouraged in the Dec. 6 memo.

Students and staff at the university's agricultural college initially circulated the memo among themselves, the Star Tribune reported. The memo was then posted online and it triggered pushback on the university's Facebook page, eliciting comments such as "Boo!" and "Go find a safe space and crawl into it."

In addition to warning against incorporating jolly Saint Nick into a party theme, the school listed dreidels, doves, and the colors red and green as inappropriate.

School spokesman Evan Lapiska said the backlash inaccurately portrayed the memo as official university policy. He said it was only shared during a lunch-hour discussion for students, faculty and staff in the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences.

"It was a well-intentioned but ill-advised attempt to spark a dialogue," he said.

Lapiska said that the idea of banning the listed symbols "is not something that the university would put forth or consider in any way, shape or form as potential policy."

He also pointed out that the university's campus is decorated around the holidays. President Eric Kaler has made an appearance with Santa at the university's cancer center.

"Certainly there will be a conversation, if it hasn't already taken place, to see how we can learn from this moving forward and avoid a situation like this in the future," Lapiska said.

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