During the 2013 Session of the Texas Legislature,House Bill 308—the “Merry Christmas Bill”—was filed to protect Texans’ right to acknowledge traditional winter holidays like Christmas and Chanukah on public and private school grounds. The bill allows students, parents, teachers and administrators the freedom to acknowledge these traditional winter holidays without fear of litigation or punishment and restores common sense by placing U.S. Supreme Court precedent into state law.
But it all started with a first-grader in Houston named Reagan who came home from school one day and had a conversation with his Dad.
“This bill originated when I picked up my first grade son from school last year and asked him how his day went. He told me that his class had decorated their holiday tree with holiday ornaments. When I asked what a holiday tree was, he told me it was the same as a Christmas tree. After inquiring with school officials as to why the term ‘Holiday Tree’ was being used, it became apparent that the school was fearful of litigation.”~ Texas State Representative Dwayne Bohac
Since it was introduced, the “Merry Christmas Bill” has gained state and national attention. To build further public support for the measure, MerryChristmasBill.com was launched and thousands of Texans—along with fellow Americans from around the country—signed the online petition to show their support.