Christmas? What Christmas?
Hi!! I’m back!
Did you all have a great Christmas?! Whaddya get?! Cuz, you know, outside of the whole thing with Jesus and all, that’s what really matters.
Speaking of which: It seems to me that this is the year that the phrase “Merry Christmas” died, finally choked to death by the vapid, opportunistic ambiguity of “Happy Holidays.”
To be clear: I like the sentiment behind “Happy Holidays.” I think it’s good and important to acknowledge that the “Christmas” season really is a holiday season; that it’s also the time of Hanukkah and Kwanzaa. I’ve got zero problem acknowledging that. What I do have a problem with is perfectly captured in an experience my wife and I had at Disneyland last week.
It was Christmas Eve day. Cat and I were at Disneyland with a couple friend we were visiting in Los Angeles. As you may know, every year Disneyland puts in its Main Street plaza a Christmas tree so huge it would freak out Paul Bunyan. The four of us happened to be in the shops near the tree when we heard the rich tones of the Omnipotent Disney Announcer announce that the lights on the tree were about to turn on. We and the other fifteen or twenty thousand other people in the immediate vicinity quickly crowded about the tree. Yay! The lighting of the Christmas tree!
The announcer began preparing us for the lovely spectacle, by talking about the power of wishing and hoping, and how good little boys and girls never yank the wings off fairies, or whatever. But he came to the Big Moment, and everyone held their breath as they waited for this magnificent, splendidly decorated tree to light up—and then he said, “And now, as we light the tree, let us all say in one voice, “‘Happy Holidays!’” And you could just feel everyone deflate as the tree was lit up. The reaction wouldn’t have been less enthusiastic if the thing hadn’t lit up at all.
People were all geared up to cry “Merry Christmas!” and were disappointed they didn’t get to. Telling people to say “Happy Holidays!” when a Christmas tree is lit is like having people sing “Old MacDonald” when a birthday cake is brought out. It’s just … FAIL.
Because that is a Christmas tree they were lighting. I don’t mind if Disneyland or anyone else wants to turn their Christmas tree into a “Holiday tree.” But then they need to make it a holiday tree. But that part of “Happy Holidays” never happens. No store or business puts a little Menorahs on its tree. I didn’t see any dradles on the Disneyland tree. Not a Kwanzaa communal cup brightened its boughs. It was strictly a Christmas tree. Those were Christmas decorations on that tree, and nothing else.
It drives me crazy the way retailers, businesses, and advertisers are delighted to keep all the stuff that marks Christmas as Christmas—the tree, the songs, the presents, the decorations, Santa Claus—to help them make money, but then in every last way distance themselves from the core of what Christmas is actually about. Either physically and truly include the other traditions, or call Christmas what it is. But don’t lie about what you’re doing. Don’t pretend to be what you’re not. Don’t take out the heart of something, and then ask us to enjoy just the outer shell of that thing.
The bottom line is that, like it or not, Christmas is a Christian holiday. It’s actually about the birth of Christ. That’s why it’s called Christmas, and not Holidaymas, or Cheermas, or Wishmas. That’s not a Hanukkah tree they put up every year at Disneyland—or that we see in every store, or that gets painted on every window. It’s a Christmas tree. Always has been. Always will be.
You can have him endorsing everything from a garden hose to pantyhose, and Santa Claus will still be Saint Nicholas. Still a saint. Still Christian.
I’m good for “Happy Holidays” meaning everyone’s holidays. But it’s You Know What to co-opt all the traditional Christmas symbols and markers, and at the same time refuse to acknowledge the reality of what they symbolize and mark. If Starbucks wants to pretend that Christmas is about nothing more substantial than wishes and hope, fine. But no fair hanging those words on Christmas ornaments, and then trying to pretend that it’s not really Christmas. That’s the sort of thing only bad little boys and girls do.
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Posted by Liz Edmundson on December 27, 2009 at 12:23 pm
Merry Christmas!
Posted by ~Julia~ on December 27, 2009 at 3:11 pm
Happy Christmahanukwanzaakah!
Posted by Judy on December 27, 2009 at 3:15 pm
Merry Christmas and Happy Festivus. I’m with you. I don’t care at all for political correctness. It’s not a holiday, it’s a holy day.
Posted by John Shore on December 27, 2009 at 6:08 pm
Judy: Festivus! Pretty much the funniest Seinfeld thing ever, yes. Ridiculously funny. The first time I saw it, I thought it was so funny i just froze. I couldn’t even laugh; it, like, short-circuited EVERYTHING in me it was so perfect. (And good line about “holiday/holy day.” Did you make that up?)
Posted by Robin on December 27, 2009 at 6:16 pm
ExACTly. Costco sent out an e-card ON Christmas, but it said “Happy Holidays.” And a Christmas tree is for Christmas. Ugh. It’s the stupid use of the phrase that is annoying, not its very existence.
Posted by James on December 27, 2009 at 6:41 pm
I hated this political correctness when I worked in retail years ago. We were supposed to say “Happy Holidays” so as not to offend anyone (I’m assuming), but when someone was buying Christmas cards it seemed silly. And honestly, who is going to be offended by “Merry Christmas”?
Posted by Christian on December 27, 2009 at 6:49 pm
John, so rarely do I disagree with you, but:
Christmas is not a Christian holiday. It is a combination of various pagan (not always a pejorative, btw) holidays celebrating the end of the darkest day of the year which means that light is on the way. A perfect holiday for converted Christians to convert to the celebration of Jesus’ birth (which means that the troubling incorrect winter birth date was not that arbitrary at all). But it was never originally a Christian holiday.
Nor is it now. The season owes more to Adam Smith than Jesus Christ. Just look at where you were when offended by the “PC-iness” of Happy Holidays – Disneyland for crissakes. You think they care anything about Jesus or God? They would be wishing you Happy Walt’s Day if it made more sense financially. (Hmm, now with a tie-in to Wal-Mart, that just might work….)
I don’t think that the Jesus who tossed the tables in the temple would be too happy with Macy’s, Gimbles, Bloomingdales, K-Mart (none of who’s founders ever believed in Jesus as Messiah) etc putting “Christ” into their marketing campaigns. Now the (Sam) Waltons are practicing Christians, I guess. Shame on them.
Have Xtra X-filled Merry Holiday, dude.
Posted by Pat on December 27, 2009 at 9:46 pm
Speaking of “real” reasons for the season – Happy winter solstice, everybody! Evergreens were cut down and decorated to celebrate the winter season by pagans long before they were “Christmas trees”. Maybe we should call them “solstice trees” – how about it? Hope your holidays are all filled with joy, whatever you choose to call them!
Posted by ~Julia~ on December 28, 2009 at 5:36 am
I never understood why some Christians have an absolute hissy that -gasp!- someone might have the audacity to respect someone else’s relgious event that lands on/about the same day….
Posted by skerrib on December 28, 2009 at 8:28 am
Excellent distinction John. Instead of honoring all the traditions, the way they did it honors none of them. I would think if Disney wanted to be truly inclusive they could do the tree lighting and yell “Merry Christmas!” AND a menorah lighting and yell “Happy Hannukah!”. Or something.
Posted by skerrib on December 28, 2009 at 8:29 am
(and if anyone could do a spectacular giant menorah, Disney could)
Posted by onemansbeliefs on December 28, 2009 at 3:54 pm
I do not find this surprising, because for a number of years now the “All Mighty Dollar” has gotten higher priority than God Almighty…
Posted by Tim on December 28, 2009 at 4:32 pm
Forgive me if I come off too serious or preachy… but I think we’ve all have figured out that ol’ Walt was a secular humanist. He still knew how to pander to an American public that still claims to be 80% Christian. He created one ideal of the peaceable kingdom viewed through the eyes of children that don’t really give a rip if their pals are white, black, yellow, red, purple, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, or people who kill gay baby whales for Jesus.
Jesus was a uniter. I love that.
If cheering “Happy Holidays” to a fake pine tree (with a net worth exceeding my own) takes away from that, I’ll eat some of your Grandma’s crappy dried out fruit cake.
Posted by ~Julia~ on December 28, 2009 at 7:38 pm
RE: ‘Because that is a Christmas tree they were lighting.’
What exactly makes a decorated dying conifer a ‘Christmas’ tree? Do round colored glass balls have a ‘Chrisitan Only’ trademark? Does tinsle come in ‘For Christians Only’ i packaging? Do strings of lights have ‘Not for Non-Christian Use’ restrictions?
If I put a star on top instead of an angel then do I have a Pagan tree? If I put a snowfake on it does it make it a Solsitice tree?
As someone pointed out, trees were decorated for Yule and other Solsitce traditions in other faiths. When did it become a Christian only thing?
For that matter, when did Christmas become a Christian only thing?
As a non-Christian child Christmas for me was about honoring loved ones and friends by showing your love for them with gifts. It was not about some religion I never practiced (and still dont). Christmas was about compassion. It was about helping others perhaps less fortunate than you. It was about the spirit of love; sharing love and friendship, compassion and kindness.
Christmas was about touching anothers’ with joy.
When did this become a Christian only thing?
Why does Christmas have to be a Christian only thing….?
Posted by JJ on December 28, 2009 at 7:45 pm
Common sense? How dare you.
Posted by Aurora on December 29, 2009 at 5:58 am
Hanukkah is one thing, although overblown in reaction to the mega-phenomenon that is Christmas.
But “Kwanzaa” deserves no respect, mention, or acknowledgement, especially not from Christians. It is not a real, legitimate holiday.
It was invented out of nothing in the 1960s, using no authentic traditions ever celebrated by any actual Africans, by an anti-American, anti-white, anti-Christian Marxist, who said openly that it was meant to be an alternative to Christmas, that Jesus was psychotic, and that Christianity was a white religion that black people should shun.
The fact that over time corporations and even government officials have been bamboozled into praising this hateful fraud that nobody actually celebrates is a sad statement of how gullible and nice people can be, and how afraid most are of being called “racist”.
Stop listing “Kwanzaa” in any list of holidays. Ignore it.
Posted by John Shore on December 29, 2009 at 8:41 am
Aurora: Are you African-American?
Posted by ric booth on December 29, 2009 at 9:08 am
Yeah, John.
Posted by John Shore on December 29, 2009 at 2:33 pm
HAH! Ric!!!
Posted by Judy on December 29, 2009 at 5:21 pm
Hey, John…no I didn’t make up the holiday/holy day thing. I read it somewhere…a bumper sticker? Online? I WISH I had made it up!
Posted by Karen Whatley on December 30, 2009 at 8:45 am
AMEN!!!!
Posted by charita on December 30, 2009 at 9:29 am
I feel that the true reason for the holiday, the fact that it is Christ’s birthday has been forgotten and the holiday has become just a time for everyone else to receive, I always believed Jesus was the reason for the season. If he had not been born, then he would not have died for my sins. I think his birth is a substantial event that should not be taken lightly or forgotten. So I say , “Happy birthday Jesus!”