Nutter says market will get its name back

The Christmas crisis has ended.

After two days of personal reflection and a phone call to Germany, Mayor Nutter on Wednesday night announced that the C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S letters will go back up on a giant, sparkly sign erected on Dilworth Plaza.

Christmas Village is back, or will be sometime Thursday after its German operator agreed to restore the full name to the farmers-marketlike venue.

"I took some time to step back from all this and to think about it in its larger context," Nutter said during an interview in his office. "Christmas Village from my perspective is not a religious activity. . . . It is an outdoor fair."

He also said he had been influenced by Philadelphia's history as "a city of tolerance" and one that is multiethnic and multifaith. "Christmas means a lot of different things to different people," he said.

The mayor's comments were his first public remarks on a controversy that seemed to spread by the hour over the last three days. On Monday, Thomas Bauer of German American Marketing, who runs the 50-vendor village here, took down the word Christmas after conferring with city Managing Director Richard Negrin, who told him that some city workers and residents had complained about the sign.

By Wednesday, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia had released a statement expressing "disappointment" in "the city's decision" to remove the word Christmas. City Council was poised to consider a resolution Thursday calling for Christmas to be celebrated and recognized by the City of Philadelphia.

It was business as usual at the outdoor market Wednesday evening. Customers trickled through as vendors seemed eager to get back to selling their wares and not being interviewed about the clash.

Sheikha Maryam Kabeer Faye, a Sufi Muslim and vendor of garments at the market, said she was not bothered by the name and hoped something could come from the controversy.

"This is not a problem," she said. "This is an opportunity for deeper thinking about this."

Ashley Mang, 25, casually browsing some of the booths, said that the market was beautiful and that she didn't care what the place was called.

"I think people are too sensitive, on both ends," she said. "And in this day and age, how much of Christmas is about Christ anyway?"

"This is not a church thing. This is not a religion thing," said Mario Hausdorfer, 38, at his booth named "Old German Christmas," which features handblown-glass tree ornaments from Germany. "This is an outside thing for business," he said, referring to the market.

"We want to bring the German Christmas feeling to Philadelphia," said Karl Uebel, 48, a confections vendor who showcased a row of giant cookies, each with the words Frohe Weihnachten, or Merry Christmas.

A Jewish vendor who referred to herself as Fifi Siksik had a lit Hanukkah menorah in her booth of French and Italian costume jewelry, soaps, and leather goods.

She said she preferred Holiday Village because it sounded more inclusive, but wasn't going to fuss over it.

"This is supposed to be fun," she said. "It's not supposed to be political."

Since Monday, Nutter, his administration, and the city had been scorned and ridiculed locally and nationally over the Christmas controversy.

"I for one will not spend one cent of my money 'Christmas' shopping in the city of Philadelphia. I have lived and worked in this city for 95 percent of my life, and for the mayor and managing director to remove the word Christmas from the shopping village at Dilworth Plaza is a disgrace," city resident Barbara Terra wrote to The Inquirer.

"To remove the word Christmas is far more offensive to the people who celebrate the holiday than the small percentage of people who seem 'offended,' " similarly wrote Kevin Duda, an executive recruiter with a search firm across from City Hall. "Racial slurs are offensive. Celebrating and being proud of your religious holiday is far from offensive."

These voices - and others - were heard by Nutter.

He placed a phone call to Germany on Wednesday and asked 32-year-old Bauer, who is in his third year of running the village, to bring the sign back.

Bauer had said in a statement Tuesday night: "People have to go to public buildings. They shouldn't feel offended."

But Nutter said Bauer had agreed to put the Christmas back after their brief conversation. "He was very gracious," the mayor said.

Nutter also said he had not talked with Negrin before or immediately after Negrin's conversation with Bauer this week, or Bauer's subsequent action removing the letters.

The mayor said he was "respectful" of the feelings of those city workers and residents who objected to the sign. "At the same time, we have a number of employees or residents who are not complaining or enjoy this particular commercial enterprise," he said.

With Christmas back, City Councilwoman Joan Krajewski Wednesday night said she would withdraw a resolution she had proposed early in the day calling for Christmas to be "celebrated and respected, honored, recognized and remembered by the City of Philadelphia."

Krajewski spokeswoman Patty Pat Kozlowski said Nutter had called Krajewski, who was sick at home, to tell her the news. "He asked her not to introduce it, and she's going to be a good sport because that's what she wanted. She wanted the word Christmas put back in Christmas Village," Kozlowski said.

The debate over Christmas Village - which did not occur in the market's first two years - will almost certainly not be replayed next year.

That is because Bauer's contract is expiring, and because Dilworth Plaza is expected to undergo construction as part of a redesign that may last two to three years, Negrin said.

Bauer "is this great guy who saw a problem and was trying to help me solve a problem," Negrin said. "I never asked him to change the name. I never asked him to take Christmas down from the sign."

Earlier in the day, Negrin stood behind the rationale for removing the sign, saying it was to promote inclusion.

"My parents are dyed-in-the wool, Bible-thumping, born-again Christians. That's how I was raised," Negrin said. "But part of that tradition is also being respectful and thoughtful about others and how we can all find a way to celebrate our traditions . . . without alienating people, especially in the workplace."