Taking Back Christmas
Merry Christmas!
Yeah, I said it. I didn’t say “Happy Holidays,” and I didn’t say “Season’s Greetings!” Christmastime is here and the reason for the season is not that there’s snow on the ground, festive lights on your house, carolers singing at your front door, and Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer’s nose is glowing bright.
Nope. It isn’t even about giving or the special feeling you get by sharing with others and spending time with the ones you love.
I’m sure many of you, like me, have grown up watching all the feel-good movies about the Christmas season from The Muppet Christmas Carol to I’ll Be Home for Christmas. They have presented us with a celebration of wintertime, not Christmas, more often than not. These movies glorified a made-up idea of what the Christmas season is about—showing people celebrating a time they share with loved ones and enjoying fun little holiday traditions. Fun traditions cannot substitute for what this holiday is really about—can they?
Recently released, this December 1st was The Nativity Story. Now we are getting somewhere, folks.
I mean, come on, it’s not like we go all-out decorating our homes, garages, and yards, giving gifts to each other, and sky-rocketing up the electric bill with brilliant light displays in celebration of the winter season! Christmas is the celebration of our Lord’s birthday. We ought to acknowledge that and not cover it up with commercialized images and politically correct, censored greetings. What we have now is a bunch of cliché traditions making up what the modern child sees as “Christmas.”
What if every time our father had a birthday, we spent the whole week preparing and decorating and getting ready to celebrate it, yet we never wished him a “Happy Birthday?” That is to say—we put on a big festival, celebrating that time of year, without ever acknowledging the fact that it is actually our father’s birthday that we are celebrating; that it is because of our father—not all the fun little traditions or the festive decorations—that we are happy.
The celebration of Christ’s birth has evolved into a politically correct version that is frankly sickening—a mutant form of commemorating this time of year has emerged within society, due to fear. Yes, fear.
Companies have commercialized Christmas, turning it into a season that they can benefit from fiscally. Often corporations shy away from acknowledging—let alone celebrating—what Christmas is really about for fear of possibly offending others. The idea is that you want to appeal to a large audience with the product you are selling and in order to do so and make many sales, you want to keep everyone happy and feeling included. Thus, instead of seeing Jesus’ face on Christmas cards you see a fat, jolly snowman that hasn’t died for you on the cross and no, he is not the Son of God—but he does look pretty cute.
Are you kidding me? What kind of substitution is a re-forming of snow—to God, Himself?
Why, in a society so concerned with preserving the culture, religions and identity of ethnicities outside of the Western world, is the Christian American culture made the exception to the preservation of diversity?
When you go to Africa, Egypt, China, or any other country—do you expect them to abandon traditions that are uniquely popular in their culture so as to not offend you? No, of course not. In fact, you would probably be saddened at the neutralizing of their practices and the smothering of who they are and what they stand for.
You don’t go to Africa to see a clone of the U.S. You go because you want to experience a very different culture in its fullness, including its unique traditions. Considering that 83 percent of Americans consider themselves Christian, I am assuming Christianity is not only something one should expect to see in America—it is something one should embrace and celebrate as part of what makes America—America.
Yes, it may come as a bit of news flash, especially considering what we usually get as news, but the fact is that America was founded upon many fundamentally Christian principles. In 1776, the Declaration of Independence was signed stating, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
I’d have to say, America’s done pretty well. It is the only nation in which you can freely choose to acknowledge God. If you’re not Christian, fine—that does not mean I cannot show that I am, just as you may show that you are whatever you may happen to be. It’s the freedom that America was founded upon that makes this possible; this freedom is what makes America beautiful.
Saying “Merry Christmas” isn’t saying, “My God is better than yours.” It isn’t saying, “I am better than you and I don’t care what your spiritual beliefs are.” It’s celebrating one of the most pivotal events in the history of human existence. Without the birth of Christ we would not be able to participate in the fruits of eternal life. Heck, you would need to start saying “Happy Winter”—the cold would be all you’d have to celebrate.
So, I hope you all got the memo. This year’s Christmas isn’t much different from last year’s, so if you read last year’s memo—you are most likely on top of what you can and cannot do during Christmas time. Oops, I mean during the Holiday Season….
The Politically Correct Guide to celebrating Christmas in 2006:
- Never wish anyone a “Merry Christmas.”
- Take December 25th off to observe the “Winter Holiday.”
- Remember to explore the celebrations and holidays of all your co-workers who are not Christian.
- In addition to being aware of other cultures and peoples’ traditions, go one step further and incorporate these into your own!
- Decorate your yard with environmentally friendly lawn décor, being sure to avoid any religious scenes, unless of course they have to do with something outside of Christianity. Nativity scenes are an absolute “no-no.” A broadened view of spirituality is best.
- Skip the tree—fake or real. Both do damage to the environment and the idea behind the Christmas tree is too closely related to Christ to be inclusive of all guests to your home.
- No more Santa Clause. He is just one step away from St. Nicholas and we know what that means—a step too close to exclusion.
- No candy canes. Don’t even look into their history—it is beyond offensive to the non-Christian.
- Never use the word “Christmas” in any type of greeting or naming of a social event.
We must follow the above rules this year and every year, because to not do so would be: A.) Offensive, B.) Exclusive, C.) Un-politically correct, and D.) Harmful to the egos and sensitive emotions of young children.
I am not saying I disregard the religions or beliefs of others. I think that is obvious enough and hopefully clearly illustrated in the way I live my life that I am not only interested in what others believe, but truly respecting of it.
Yet, I also know that there is a blatant stifling and smothering of something very important to me taking place in today’s society: my faith. How hard is it, really, to see that our current obsession with being politically correct is going to ruin what makes America a diverse, thriving, culturally rich, and strong country? Since when did “diversity” become exclusive?