A once controversial Christmas show is back at this NJ planetarium

From the "This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things Department."

Many years ago (and I guess before my time because I certainly don’t remember this), “Christmas Star” shows used to be held at planetariums around the country, and they were very popular.

They would replicate the night sky at the time of the birth of Jesus, and yes, the sky looked different then, as NorthJersey.com's Jim Beckerman pointed out this month in an article about the history of these Christmas shows. There were breathtaking shows in the 1960s at Hayden Planetarium in New York and the Fels Planetarium in Philadelphia in the 1930s.

Today, very few planetariums do Christmas Star shows. Why?

They’re not politically correct.

In the 1970s, Newark Museum’s planetarium, as well as planetariums across the country, received complaints that running these shows when there were other religions in the communities was not inclusive or appropriate, according to NorthJersey.com interviews with people who worked at the planetariums at the time.

One public planetarium in New Jersey is still running a Christmas Star show: the Planetarium at Raritan Valley Community College.

“The Christmas Star” happens on Dec. 14 and Dec. 21, both Saturdays at 7 p.m.

From the planetarium's website:

Over the years, many people have tried to explain the appearance of the Star of Bethlehem, as described in the Bible. Was it an exploding star, a comet or some other natural event in the sky? Potential natural explanations for the Star of Bethlehem and common modern-day misconceptions are discussed. The program includes a brief tour of the current night sky. (Recommended for ages 10 to adult)

It’s nice someone is still doing it.

EDITOR'S NOTE: An earlier version of this article should have credited NorthJersey.com.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Jeff Deminski only.

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