Portland’s long-running holiday tradition took on a noticeably different tone this year after city officials avoided using the phrase “Christmas tree” during the 41st annual lighting ceremony at Pioneer Courthouse Square, referring to it only as “the tree.”

The shift—reflected in the event’s advertising, program, and stage announcements—quickly sparked backlash online from residents who felt the city was distancing itself from the holiday altogether.

Thousands packed the square Friday night to watch the lighting of the 75-foot evergreen, decorated with 10,000 bulbs, but the word “Christmas” was never mentioned by organizers, hosts, or featured speakers throughout the event. Even the opening remarks centered instead on Native American Heritage Day, with a representative from the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs welcoming the crowd and introducing younger tribal members, all of whom referred to the occasion simply as “the tree lighting.”

From there, the ceremony continued to diverge from typical holiday programming. A speaker draped in a Palestinian flag took the microphone and led attendees in a “Free Palestine” chant before performing the “Strong Woman Song” alongside children—explaining that representation of tribal matriarchs felt “appropriate” in that moment.

“This is the perfect time to bring this up,” she told the crowd. “There are a lot of genocides going on.”

While the atmosphere lacked many of the traditional Christmas references found at similar events across the country, organizers did bring out a Santa Claus, who posed for photos and joined families in singing holiday classics such as “Deck the Halls” and “Angels We Have Heard on High.”

Nearly an hour into the ceremony, Portland Mayor Keith Wilson appeared on stage with city representatives and Santa to activate the 10,000 lights adorning the tree. The lighting itself went smoothly, but online reactions were swift and divided.

“They can’t even say Christmas tree in Portland. They call it ‘the tree,’” one user wrote on X.
Another added, “Why does everything have to be so divisive??!!”
A third chimed in: “It’s a Christmas tree, it’s always been a Christmas tree, and it will always be a Christmas tree.”

Despite the criticism, the city has not yet addressed why Christmas was absent from this year’s ceremony, nor whether the terminology will remain in future celebrations. For many Portlanders, however, the message felt clear:

This year, a Christmas tree was lit—but the word Christmas never made it to the stage.