Christmas is a controversial word. Or so says the New York City Department of Education.

Divorce. Dinosaurs, Birthdays. Religion. Halloween. Christmas. Television. These are a few of the 50-plus words and references the New York City Department of Education is hoping to ban from the city’s standardized tests.

The banned word list was made public – and attracted considerable criticism – when the city’s education department recently released this year’s “request for proposal” The request for proposal is sent to test publishers around the country trying to get the job of revamping math and English tests for the City of New York.

The Department of Education’s says that avoiding sensitive words on tests is nothing new, and that New York City is not the only locale to do so. California avoids the use of the word “weed” on tests and Florida avoids the phrases that use “Hurricane” or “Wildfires,” according to a statement by the New York City Department of Education.

In its request for proposal, the NYC Department of Education explained it wanted to avoid certain words if the “the topic is controversial among the adult population and might not be acceptable in a state-mandated testing situation; the topic has been overused in standardized tests or textbooks and is thus overly familiar and/or boring to students; the topic appears biased against (or toward) some group of people.”

Matthew Mittenthal, a spokesman for the NYC Department of Education, said this is the fifth year they have created such a list. He said such topics “could evoke unpleasant emotions in the students.”

“Dinosaurs” evoking unpleasant emotions? The New York Post speculated that the “dinosaurs” could “call to mind evolution, which might upset fundamentalists.”

But what the tabloid failed to realize is that those “fundamentalists” who oppose evolution on religious grounds, believe wholeheartedly in dinosaurs.

Young Earth creationists, or Biblical creationists as they prefer to be called, often point to dinosaurs in making their arguments. They say dinosaurs and humans roamed Earth together, citing legends of dragons and say the fossil record shows the earth is 6,000 years old, though few paleontologists and geologists share this theory.

At the Creation Museum in Petersburg, Kentucky, the heart of the Young Earth Creationism movement, dinosaur models and exhibits fill the museum displays and gift shop.

Apparently many of the words on New York’s list were avoided because of faith-based concerns.

For instance, the use of the word “birthday” or the phrase “birthday celebrations” may offend Jehovah’s Witnesses, who do not celebrate birthdays. A spokesperson for the Jehovah’s Witnesses declined to comment on the use of the word “birthday.”

The Department of Education would not go on the record to explain the specific reasons for each word, which has left many to speculate and draw their own conclusions.

Halloween may suggest paganism; divorce may conjure up uneasy feelings for children in the midst of a divorce within their family. One phrase that may surprise many, the term “Rock ‘n’ Roll” was on the “avoid” list.

And not good news for Italians: the Department of Education also advised avoiding references to types of food, such as pepperoni, products they said “persons of some religions or cultures may not indulge in.”

The Department of Education said, “This is standard language that has been used by test publishers for many years and allows our students to complete practice exams without distraction.”

Stanford University Professor Sam Wineburg is an expert in the field of education and director of the Stanford History Education Group.

When reached by phone said Wineburg, after a brief pause on the line, “the purpose of education is to create unpleasant experiences in us. … The Latin meaning if education is ‘to go out.’ Education is not about making us feel warm and fuzzy inside.”

Wineburg questioned the idea that the New York City Department of Education would want to “shield kids from these types of encounters.” He said the goal of education is to “prepare them,” adding “this is how we dumb down public schools”

Over the past four weeks DefendChristmas.com has received a steady stream of threats about anti-Christmas protests and activities in 2012. This is the earliest such threats have been received. The threats center around some of the most noteworthy events in the media’s declared “war on Christmas” from last year from nativity scenes on public lands in California and Texas and to Christian-themed displays in Warren, Michigan.

“We receive word of planned protests all the time,” noted Jeff Westover of My Merry Christmas.com, a sister site to DefendChristmas.com. “But what makes these notices unique is that they are coming so early in the year, they appear to be coordinated and we’re receiving them through multiple sites in our network. Someone out there wants people to know Christmas 2012 will be anything but peaceful.”

Two events seemed to dominate the season of 2011: a famous annual display in Santa Monica, California was displaced in 2011 and replaced by a largely atheist-themed holiday display. A traditional nativity scene was included in that display but it was considerably smaller and notably located far from its usual prominent spot. City officials there said the organizations behind that change either filed late or were simply picked last in a lottery that determined display placement.

Another high-profile event of 2011 was about a nativity display on a courthouse lawn in Athens, Texas where national news organizations provided coverage when thousands of Christians rallied to support the display. The Freedom from Religion Foundation lost that battle and many of the emails coming in claim they will not be denied in 2012.

“The Texas display is the one that still keeps the email flowing,” Westover confirms. “Election year politics are usually blamed for an increase in anti-Christmas sentiment and this year it will be worse because of so many anti-religious ties in the political discourse. With the President’s controversial proposals requring religious-based employers to provide abortion and contraceptive services in insurance plans the anti-religion rhetoric is at an all-time high and we expect that to carry over into Christmas in a bigger way in 2012.”

Priceless.

At the center of yet another atheist-led drama is a nativity that is currently stationed inside Warren, Michigan City Hall. If the Christian-based imagery is going to be present, atheists contend that the town must also allow other religions displays that represent different viewpoints. The Freedom from Religion Foundation — making headlines and threats coast-to-coast this Christmas — has promised legal action if they continue to be ignored on the issue.

So, to level the playing field, they wish to post a sign that says (you may recall this same message from other nativity dramas, as this is frequently used by the FFRF):

“At this season of the Winter Solstice, let reason prevail. There are no gods, no devils, no angels, no heaven or hell. There is only our natural world. Religion is but myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds.”

Douglas Marshall, a member of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, is claiming that Warren Mayor Jim Fouts is discriminating against atheists and nonbelievers, while engaging in illegal censorship. So far, the mayor has ignored Marshall’s requests to post the sign.

While the local atheist has apparently tried to place the sign inside city hall, it has been removed, as he does not have the permission to do so. If Fouts continues to ignore the request to place the sign inside of the government building, the FFRF has pledged to file a lawsuit in the coming days.

A Massachusetts school system is embroiled in a war on Christmas debate after Santa Claus was initially banned from visiting elementary school children over “religious” concerns.

Since 1960 firefighters in the town of Saugus dressed up like Santa Claus and visited every elementary school handing out coloring books. But on Monday, the school superintendent told firefighters that they would not be welcomed into the classrooms.

“Certainly everyone acknowledges their holiday in a special way they want. But there is a conflict between the church and the state in that regard,” Superintendent Richard Langlois told MyFoxBoston.com.

However, Santa Claus is not a religious figure – and is not mentioned anywhere in the Biblical story of the birth of Jesus.

Regardless, the superintendent stood by his decision until word began to spread across the community. By late Monday, Santa had been given a temporary reprieve. The Saugus School Committee is expected to address the issue next month – meaning Santa’s days may be numbered.

“I couldn’t believe it,” firefighter Mark Gannon told MyFoxBoston.com. “There are so many things in the world going on – to see that all of a sudden Santa can’t go to the schools – what else are we going to give up?”

Gannon said he’s been participating in the Christmas tradition for the past 14 years – and said the children absolutely love to see Old Saint Nick.

“It’s a great thing,” he said.

Superintendent Langlois defended his Santa ban – saying he was simply enforcing the rules..

“I’m carrying out the orders of the school community,” he said. “I’m not overstepping my bounds.”

But the firefighters said there is absolutely nothing religious about what they are doing.

“There’s no religious content in the coloring books,” Gannon said, noting that the coloring books feature characters like Strawberry Shortcake.

At least one school committee member is supporting the firefighters, calling the Santa controversy a case of political correctness gone amuck.