The Satanic Temple Of New Hampshire And Vermont Installs Sol Invictus Display In Downtown Concord

CONCORD, NH — A new holiday display was installed in Downtown Concord outside the Statehouse: The Satanic Temple of New Hampshire and Vermont’s Sol Invictus wreath.

The display was installed on Saturday at the city plaza, marking the second year the org offered a display. It will remain in place until Dec. 31, the org said.

This is the second year the org has offered a holiday display in Concord. Last year, the display was destroyed several times. Three people were also arrested on criminal mischief charges, connected to the incidents.

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“The display is not just for our congregation,” co-congregation leader Minister Vivian Hess-Mahan, who also offered an invocation Saturday, said, “it’s for the community. We, like any other religion and organization, are allowed to participate in this public forum, and we are proud to stand with these other displays. The ‘Live Free or Die’ state is made up of a wide variety of people and traditions. It is an absolute honor to be included.”

The wreath features lilacs, the state flower, and a pentagram in its center. It also has a QR code at its base for donations to “The Devil’s Pantry,” an emergency food drive.

State Rep. Ellen Read, D-Newmarket, who also represents Portsmouth, said the Statehouse needed to remain inclusive to all. As a “secular lawmaker,” she believed the city should not “appear to endorse” one religion or another. Read added, “we must ensure that no single perspective dominates the public conversation and that all groups feel safe and represented in their own government.”

It is unknown at the time of publication whether similar displays have been or will be installed in Newmarket or Portsmouth, where Read lives. The Satanic Temple’s flag was flown in Somersworth on Halloween.

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