Christmas Event of Ole Miss Renamed Because of Too Much Christian Connotation
The University of Mississippi has renamed its "A Grand Ole Christmas" event after it was deemed as "too Christian."
Ole Miss has been celebrating "A Grand Ole Christmas" on its campus for six years, but this time, the university has changed the event's name to "Hotty Toddy Holidays." The University of Mississippi said it wanted the event to be more inclusive, according to Breitbart.
"A Grand Ole Christmas" is the yearly tree-lighting ceremony being held by the University of Mississippi on its campus. Stories about the renaming of the Christmas event to "Hotty Toddy Holidays" quickly made its rounds on the Internet after the announcement, AL.com reports.
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Kayp Maye, the Student Activities Association's co-director of special events, told News Watch 99 in an interview that the former name of the holiday event "connoted too much Christianity," the report details.
Another change in the school event is the replacement of the traditional Christmas colors with red, silver, and blue. This is part of Ole Miss' aim to "attract a more mature audience" through a Winter Wonderland theme, the report explains.
Brandi Hephner LaBanc, the school's vice chancellor of student affairs, quickly leaped to Maye's defense after the decision to rename the Christmas event drew criticism from the public. LaBlanc explained that the issue was just blown out of proportion and that he previously did not have enough time to respond thoughtfully to the issue, the report relays.
"This is a 21-year-old student who wanted to make all students feel welcome and come to this annual event," Breitbart quotes LaBlanc's statement. "… It is unfortunate that these reports … have misrepresented the nature of the event and his intent as a Christian to welcome people of all faiths and backgrounds."
LaBlanc added that the student organization still honors Christmas traditions but wants to make all students feel welcome to join the holiday event.
