"A December to remember?": David Spade criticizes the local mall for omitting Christmas from the tree-lighting ceremony

A passing comment from David Spade has turned into a larger holiday conversation after the comedian questioned why a local mall went out of its way to avoid mentioning Christmas during a tree-lighting ceremony. The remark, delivered with Spade’s trademark sarcasm, came during a recent episode of the Fly on the Wall podcast, which he co-hosts with fellow Saturday Night Live alum Dana Carvey.

What started as a humorous observation quickly expanded into a broader discussion about inclusivity, tradition, and what Spade described as an increasingly “anti-Christian feel” surrounding the holiday season. The quote at the center of the moment, “A December to remember?”,  landed because it captured both his disbelief and his comedic instinct to poke holes in carefully worded public events.

The exchange balanced humor with frustration, blending punchlines with pointed observations about language, faith, and how far institutions go to avoid offending anyone during the holidays.

A holiday without the holiday: David Spade sounds off on the podcast moment

The moment that sparked David Spade’s reaction wasn’t loud or controversial on its own. It was subtle. During a visit to a local shopping mall in December, the comedian noticed that a Christmas tree-lighting ceremony carefully avoided using the word “Christmas” altogether. That deliberate choice, more than the event itself, became the focus of his frustration when he later discussed it on Fly on the Wall.

Spade explained that while he understands neutral branding in certain public spaces, this situation felt different. The event was clearly centered around a Christmas tree, yet the holiday itself was never acknowledged. That contradiction led him to question what the celebration was even meant to represent. 

"So it's just a tree?" And you go, I would understand if you said, 'They're doing the tree lighting at [a certain mall] or whatever. You go, ‘OK.’ But to consciously avoid that, then what is the tree for?” 

Spade asked before delivering the line that quickly became the standout moment of the conversation: 

"A December to Remember? Is it a Lexus dealership? Why do we have — for the whole month? Isn't it for Christmas?"

The joke landed because it highlighted how vague and corporate the event felt once the holiday was stripped of its name. Later in the discussion, Spade made it clear that his issue wasn’t about excluding others. In his view, Christmas has long functioned as both a religious and cultural tradition in the United States, one that people of many backgrounds participate in without offense. 

“I don’t like the anti-Christian feel,” he said. 

Spade noted that the effort to avoid the word entirely felt less inclusive and more dismissive. By the end of the segment, Spade circled back to a simple point. Calling a Christmas tree a Christmas tree shouldn’t be controversial. For him, the humor came easily, but the concern underneath it was real.

David Spade’s career explored

Moments like this are hardly surprising for David Spade, whose career has long thrived on pointing out social contradictions with cutting wit. After rising to prominence on Saturday Night Live in the early ’90s, Spade became known for sharp characters and segments like Hollywood Minute, where sarcasm was the entire point.

His film career cemented that persona through roles in Tommy Boy, Black Sheep, Joe Dirt, and later ensemble comedies like Grown Ups. On television, he earned Emmy nominations for Just Shoot Me! and found long-running success with Rules of Engagement. Even in voice work, from The Emperor’s New Groove to Hotel Transylvania, Spade’s delivery remains instantly recognizable.

In recent years, podcasts have given him a looser format to explore cultural topics without a punchline deadline. Fly on the Wall, which he co-hosts with Dana Carvey, blends comedy nostalgia with candid discussion, allowing Spade to shift between jokes and genuine commentary. His remarks about Christmas fit neatly into that space, where humor and opinion often overlap. What keeps moments like this resonant is Spade’s consistency. Whether mocking Hollywood, cancel culture, or holiday marketing, he approaches each topic with the same skeptical eye. 

Delivered through humor but grounded in genuine frustration, the jab from the podcast reflects why David Spade remains culturally relevant decades into his career. Interested viewers can check out the whole podcast episode above or visit their official Youtube channel.