Town official resigns after tree lighting ceremony renamed to include ‘Christmas’

Mayor Carl Hokanson praised Storey’s work and said she was entitled to her beliefs, but that the municipality has the right to call the event what it wants.

But calling the ceremony surrounding the decorated, star-capped pine a Christmas tree lighting “cuts non-Christians out of the loop” and puts “religion back into the public event”, Storey said in a statement to the Roselle Park News. “Changing the name … clearly disrespects them all and hijacks the tree lighting for one religion”.

Storey, who was raised Catholic but is now a “non-believer” and has never hidden that fact, said the issue was a matter of principle.

In Union County, Roselle Park Councilwoman-At-Large Charlene Storey officially submitted her resignation Saturday after her fellow council members held a vote to change the name of the event from “Annual Holiday Tree Lighting” to “Annual Christmas Tree Lighting”, according to the Roselle Park News.

Roselle Park News reports that Storey is receiving backlash for her views, but the former councilwoman explained that it has nothing to do with being politically correct, but more so to do with the city excluding others. Her resignation takes effect January 7.

Information from: NJ Advance Media. “For 64 years of my life, it was a Christmas tree”.

‘I don’t mean to offend anybody in any way, shape or form, but it is a Christmas tree, ‘ Hokanson said.

Hokanson will create a new committee on diversity in the borough and Storey will chair it, the two said.

The Roselle Park Council voted 4 to 2 to change the name of their “Tree Lighting Ceremony” to “Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony”. The official name of the ceremony taking place was a “holiday tree” lighting ceremony – that is what it has been called for the last 20 years.

Storey could not be reached for comment at the writing of this article.