Holiday trimmings Harmless

To the editors:

Noah Oppenheim ("Take Down the `Winter" Decorations," Opinion, Dec. 11) makes a point that has been raised many times before. It usually pops up in late November, when the decorations begin to appear, but by mid-December nearly everyone has forgotten about it. Why? Because as the "short, dreary, cold days and downright frigid nights" of the New England winter weigh more heavily on our spirits, people of all faiths and atheists alike realize they would rather see a cheerfully decorated holiday tree in the dining hall than nothing at all.

The decorations that grace the Harvard campus are quite often the work of spirited individuals, not a dictatorial administration hell-bent (if you'll excuse the pun) on religious conformity.