Gov. Newsom Continues to Receive Backlash Over Cancelling Annual Christmas Tree, Menorah Lighting

Governor Gavin Newsom’s decision to cancel the annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony and to not attend the annual menorah lighting ceremony on December 6th continued to receive backlash this week, with many religious and legal groups continuing to chastise the Governor for not taking part.

The Capitol tree lighting in Sacramento has been a part of holiday festivities in the state since 1931, when then-Governor James Rolph set up a tree next to his office in the Capitol as a central point for gift exchanges and to help bring something positive in during the Great Depression. Within 20 years, the annual tradition turned into an entire ceremony, and by the 1980’s, it became the official annual Christmas tree of California. Other parts added around the Capitol to include other faiths, such as a menorah lighting, were also added.

During COVID years, the tradition received something of a speed bump, as for the first time the ceremony wasn’t public and was instead done remotely. While there were some who called for the ceremony to still be in-person, the majority of people tended to see the remote ceremony as a compromise because of the pandemic. While the ceremony soon went back to being in-person, all of that changed yet again early this month.

The 2023 ceremony, which is celebrating it’s 92nd year, was canceled a few days before the ceremony was to have taken place earlier this month. While the two lighting ceremonies always prove to be popular, pro-Palestinian groups threatened to attend the events and call out Newsom over his stance on the Israel-Gaza war.

“We want to call out Governor Gavin Newsom for hiding from the public because he doesn’t want to face their anger at his shameful stance in regard to the genocide in Gaza,” said the Sacramento Regional Coalition for Palestinian Rights.

Newsom’s office also gave a statement, claiming safety reasons for cancelling the event, and instead saying that it would be virtual.

“As we continue to see protests across the country impacting the safety of events of all scales — and for the safety and security of all participating members and guests including children and families — the ceremony this year will be virtual,” said a spokesman for Newsom. “The program is unchanged and viewers can tune in Wednesday evening to watch this year’s festivities.”

In a later interview with Fox, Newsom added that “We couldn’t risk what was being promoted as a die in to shut down Christmas.”

Rather than quietly agree with Newsom as they did in previous years, religious groups, as well as the public, quickly condemned Newsom for giving in to threats and cancelling what was supposed to be a joyous event. Adding to backlash was Newsom’s decision to wall off the tree outside, with the California Highway Patrol watching over and signs being put up saying “Keep out, no trespassing.”

Since then, condemnation of Newsom’s actions have not let up. The condition of the holiday spots, usually popular with locals and visitors alike, have continually been seen more negatively to the association, with Newsom himself getting full blame. On Tuesday, religious liberty law firm Becket gave Newsom their annual Ebeneezer award, calling him the “Governor that stole Christmas and Hannukah“.

The Governor who stole Christmas and Hanukkah? That title, and Becket’s 2023 Ebenezer Award, goes to California Governor Gavin Newsom, who canceled the state’s annual in-person Christmas tree lighting in favor of a virtual event and skipped the menorah lighting over fears of… pic.twitter.com/4dg1q85LzN

— BECKET (@BECKETlaw) December 19, 2023

“In canceling one of California’s most cherished holiday traditions and skipping another, Newsom can rightly be dubbed the Governor who stole Christmas and Hanukkah,” added the law firm. “Each year the Christmas and Hanukkah season inspires a slew of outrageous offenses against the free exercise of religion. Newsom was the most outrageous offender against the spirit of the season.”

Others noted that while safety was a factor, Newsom simply gave into outside pressure on the off chance that the Palestinian groups did show up, and that he couldn’t handle some people protesting him.

“The Israeli war hasn’t exactly made things calm across the country,” said religious ceremony scholar Arthur Dunkelman to the Globe. “But the best way to combat that is with understanding. And a positive ceremony that brings in all faiths, especially with symbols of other religions being around as well, that is a no-brainer. You add in giving warm wishes for every ceremony during the lighting, and you have something very positive. All Newsom had to do was say ‘Our thoughts and prayers are with those suffering in the Middle East’ or something like that, and he would have been fine.”

“But Newsom gave into pressure. You shouldn’t do that, and he did. And in the process, he took away some great ceremonies that mean a lot to people. I mean, from a political standpoint, this is automatic good press. Even with protestors, the ceremony would have been chalked up as good for Newsom. A big part is how he cancelled it too.”

“This may just be a tree lighting to some, but it also showed Newsom giving in. Imagine if the President did this with the national tree or if the Mayor of New York did it to the one in Rockefeller Center. He deserves that Scrooge award.”

The 93rd annual tree lighting is due to be held in December of next year, with it currently planned to be public once again.