SNL star David Spade blasts mall for 'anti-Christian' holiday display

Comedian and Saturday Night Live alum David Spade has criticized a Christmas tree-lighting ceremony that took place at a "dopey" mall, saying that organizers actively avoided any mention of the Christian holiday during the ceremony. 

In a recent episode of Spade and fellow comedian Dana Carvey’s "Fly on the Wall" podcast, Spade said, "I will say that Christmas is taking a little bit of a beating lately. It is December and I saw the other day there was a tree-lighting ceremony for the Christmas tree in some dopey mall but it said tree-lighting ceremony, and they were careful not to say the word Christmas during the whole ceremony."

Spade continued, "Why? So it’s just a tree? And you go, I would understand if you said, 'They’re doing the tree lighting at the Grove or whatever. You go, 'Okay.' But to consciously avoid that, then what is the tree for? A December to Remember? Is it a Lexus dealership? Why do we have — for the whole month? Isn't it for Christmas?"

Carvey noted that he and Spade knew people of other religions who did not take issue with Christmas trees, saying, "I’ve never met someone from another religious faith that was upset about a Christmas tree."

"I’d say stop that bullsh*t," said Spade, to which Carvey replied, "Yeah, cause everyone loves Santa and the tree and all the trappings. And then if you’re of faith, it’s about Christianity, but I think at this point in America, it’s just Christmas, it’s a fun holiday."

"I don't like the anti-Christian feel because Christmas to me wasn't really about that because," said Spade, "because I am Christian." Carvey described Spade as a "secular" and "lapsed" Christian, and Spade said he was "just more spiritual."

"Like this is where we get to hammer it? You can’t say that about anyone else," said Spade, who added, "we’re taking a beating down in Africa. It’s like this is not the year to be Christian, I will tell you that."

"That's for sure," Carvey said. "There's a lot of that going on."

At the end of November, Portland, Oregon came under fire for hosting a "Tree Lighting Ceremony," removing nearly all references to Christmas. Advertising for the event did not feature the word Christmas, and most speakers on stage did not mention the holiday.

Some speakers instead acknowledged Native American Heritage Day, chanted "Free Palestine," and spoke on how "The tree that we stand beside was once rooted in its own home… trees, rivers, mountains, all living beings are family more than the objects and more than the symbols that they might stand for."