Winter Solstice: caught in a crossfire

As the wheel turns, the merry month of December is now upon us. ‘Tis the season for many things – one of which is a swell in public religious discourse.  Is the Christmas tree really a Pagan tradition?  Have the holidays become overly commercialized?  News outlets and blog sites are brimming with articles discussing and dissecting the traditional American holiday hullaballoo. One of these media side-shows is the negotiation of the Christian nativity scene.  When located on private property, the crèche causes no alarm.  However nativity scenes are often found in public spaces such as parks, squares, and government buildings.