Top Six Ebenezer Scrooges Of 2014

Every year, the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty gives the Ebenezer Award to the most ridiculous affront to Christmas or Hanukkah celebrations. So gas up your fireplace, grab a cup of hot chocolate, and enjoy our brief little romp through this year’s Scroogeyest contenders.

6. School Board removes religious holidays from school calendar

Via tumblr.com

If the Grinch were to actually steal Christmas, surely this is how he would do it. Christmas, Easter, Yom Kippur, Rosh Hashanah have all been stricken from next year’s school calendar in Montgomery County, MD, following a request from Muslim community leaders to give equal billing to the Muslim holy day of Eid al-Adha.

Uhh... no more school holidays? Excuse me while I...

NOOOOO!!!!

5. School officials confiscate a first grader's candy cane because it carries a religious message

Via tumblr.com

Last year, Merced Elementary School told a first grader that “Jesus is not allowed in school” after confiscating candy canes that he was giving his classmates, which included a religious message about the Christian origins of the “Legend of the Candy Cane.” The school continues to battle the family in court today.

What's this? A world where little kids handing out candy canes is an establishment of religion... WHAT'S THIS?!

Via tumblr.com

So utterly confused...

4. Cambridge school fires Santa

The day before Andrew Peabody School's Winter Concert, the school's principal notified parents that Santa would be removed from the program due to "a complaint." Merry Christmas Santa, YOU'RE FIRED. Classic Scrooge!

Don't worry though, Santa found another job.

Gotta do what you gotta do, with the economy and all...

3. North Carolina Courthouse removes nativity scene after 40 year run

A nativity that has marked every Christmas for nearly 40 years has been removed from outside a North Carolina courthouse following complaints from the Freedom From Religion Foundation. Ever feel like these guys are kinda ruining the holidays for the rest of us?

2. University of Maine bans decorations of Christmas trees, PRESENTS, menorahs, candy canes and *PRESENTS* in the name of "diversity"

Puzzled? We all were. Real campus diversity encourages students to live out and celebrate their deepest beliefs and convictions, rather than pretending they don’t exist.

But seriously, don't school officials have anything better to do than ban PRESENTS???

I hear jazzercise is in these days. Try it!

UPDATE: UMaine will allow all of these wonderful things after all (including presents). Good job guys! You get an EGGNOG TOAST!

And the 2014 Ebenezer Award goes to....

Come on now, you know you want it!

1. The City of Sioux Falls!! For saying that not only do snowplows keep our streets safe, they enforce religion too!

Via argusleader.com

Two private schools in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, have been asked to repaint city-owned snow plow blades after a group complained about student artwork with Christian themes. Stop bulldozing my religious sensibilities snowplow man!

But wait! Just like "A Christmas Carol", this story has a happy ending. The City of Sioux Falls had a Scrooge-like change of heart and mended their ways. The student artwork can stay. Another EGGNOG TOAST for you!!

Read more about the Becket Fund's annual Ebenezer Award here: http://www.becketfund.org/ebenezer