Controversy has erupted in Portland following the decision to omit the traditional designation of “Christmas tree” during the city’s annual tree-lighting ceremony, simply calling it “the tree.”

On Friday evening, as thousands gathered in Pioneer Courthouse Square to witness Portland’s 41st annual tree-lighting event, officials and speakers conspicuously avoided using the term “Christmas” in both the ceremony and its promotional materials.

The event commenced with a heartfelt acknowledgment from a representative of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, who expressed gratitude to the assembled crowd for attending on Native American Heritage Day.

This introduction was followed by two younger tribal members who continued the theme, referring to the event as merely “the tree lighting” before passing the microphone to the next speaker.

One of the featured speakers, draped in a Palestinian flag, took the opportunity to engage the audience with a chant advocating for the liberation of Palestine.

“This is the perfect time to bring this up. There are a lot of genocides going on,” she said only moments into the tree lighting ceremony.

“Can I get a ‘free, free Palestine,” she asked, which some members of the crowd were heard obliging.

She then led the crowd in the “Strong Woman Song,” performing alongside two young children and another woman, noting that it “felt appropriate since we’re representing our matriarchs up here.”

Though the event seemed to lack the usual Christmas spirit most US cities embrace during the holiday season, the city made sure to trot out a Santa Claus, who posed with families and had a “sing-along of holiday carols,” which included “Angels We Have Heard on High,” and “Deck the Halls.”

Nearly an hour into the ceremony, Mayor Keith Wilson addressed the crowd and brought out Santa Claus and the city’s representatives before switching on the 10,000 bulbs on the 75-foot-tall tree.

While the ceremony appeared to go off without any incident, it did garner some criticism online.

“They can’t even say Christmas tree in Portland. They call it “the tree,’” one user wrote on X following the ceremony.

“WHY DOES everything have to be so DIVISIVE??!!” another questioned.

“It’s a Christmas tree, it’s always been a Christmas tree, and it will always be a Christmas tree,” wrote another.

“Just saw a Christmas parade in Texas and everyone was saying Merry Christmas. God bless Texas,” another user added.