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A Unitarian Universalist congregation in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, may be a new ally in the Christmas wars. Someone at a recent service turned in the church for apparently violating the fire code, which prohibits trees at all places of assembly.

The Rev. Roberta Finkelstein, minister of South Church Unitarian Universalist, was not amused.

"It's sad that someone who accepted our hospitality and attended a concert here would be the instrument that resulted in the loss of one of our traditions," she said.Finkelstein confirmed that there has been talk about some kind of protest against the Fire Department's mandate. One of the suggestions that reportedly surfaced was that one of the trees be laid on its side outside the church with a sign on it that would read: "This congregation has celebrated the holiday season with evergreen trees as a central focus of its worship decoration since Rev. Charles Follen, Unitarian minister, erected the first Christmas tree in this country at his home in 1832 ...

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