Christmas has taken a very dark turn this year.
In an annual Christmas tree festival at the National Railroad Museum in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin, Christmas took an entirely different turn this year as the Satanic Temple of Wisconsin placed their own Christmas tree in the festival this year.
According to Fox News, instead of donning angels, snowflakes or other sentimental ornaments, the Satanic temple’s ornaments read “Hail Santa,” similar to the phrase “Hail Satan.” Other ornaments on the tree included, “Hail All” with rainbow colors, an upside down cross and other official markers of the Satanic temple.
American Majority Action’s national executive director Matt Batzel took to X to share photos of the tree laden with red lights and the satanic sign next to it, saying, “Outrageous! National Railroad Museum features a Satanic worship tree.”
Outrageous! National Railroad Museum features a Satanic worship tree https://t.co/B8f7PXrtiB #wiright pic.twitter.com/8zLI4Lgv1O
— Matt Batzel (@MattBatzel) November 22, 2023
Museum CEO Jacqueline Frank admitted that while there have been a few complaints about the tree, she says that the museum would not discard an entry for having a differing viewpoint or religious doctrine.
“There was no hesitation. We’re not a religious organization,” Frank said. “And honestly, the Christmas tree is used by so many different secular and religious organizations. All we’re doing is putting up decoration in that room.”
This wasn’t the only controversial tree on display during the festival, which lasts until December 31. According to the Green Bay Press Gazette, there was also a tree on display from the Bay Area for Council and Gender Diversity about transgender rights with ornaments reading “Protect Trans Kids.”
The introduction of these dark and twisted concepts as part of the Christmas season are the complete opposite of what most people, especially parents, strive for during the holidays. While the world continues to trample around in darkness, we must seek out the light that can only be found in Christ. There’s a reason actors like Candace Cameron Bure are desiring to share the message of hope during the Christmas season, or that films like Journey to Bethlehem exist. This is the time to speak about the birth and the hope found through the one place that truly matters: The Son of God.
While our culture may have shifted its priorities during Christmas to be more retail-driven than church-centered, that does not mean that Christ is out of the holiday. Instead, we should embrace the true meaning of Christmas now more than we ever have before so that the world may know why we celebrate in the first place.
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Abby Trivett is a marketing copywriter and coordinator for Charisma Media.
