http://dx.doi.org/10.17176/20161114-095332 https://staging.verfassungsblog.de/religious-installations-in-french-city-halls-a-christmas-crib-story/ Religious Installations in French City Halls: A Christmas Crib Story Guenfoud, Ibtissem eng 2016-11-11 electronic resource text/html ddc:342 Christmas Crib Conseil d'Etat laicism secularism separation of church and state Verfassungsblog Verfassungsblog--2366-7044 CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 Christmas, in certain circumstances, has its place in the Republic. Judges have agreed in a plenary session reviewing two different Court of Appeal cases (courtyard of Melun’s town hall and hall of the departmental council of Vendée) that a Christmas crib in a public building doesn’t a priori represent a threat to secularism. In fact, the installation is legal, says the Conseil d’Etat, provided that particular circumstances give it « a cultural, artistic or festive character ». The decision is questionable for two main reasons: its foundation is doubtful, and its outcome unsatisfactory.