By Paul Samson
The season of giving has, ironically, turned into the season of “the greatest deals” at the local mall. As we have come to the close of this year, we have once again reached that time when churches hang signs and wreaths reading, “Keep Christ in Christmas.”
Yet in a country where inclusivity is becoming increasingly important and religious holidays become more secularized, the “Keep Christ in Christmas” slogan seems to not be enough to maintain the foundations of Christianity. Rather, it appears today that Christians need to do a little bit more than to just keep “Christ” in Christmas — they have got to keep “Christmas” in Christmas. As the secular industries become more inclined to use all-inclusive phrases such as “Holiday Tree,” practicing Christians lose the sight and true practice of one of their most important liturgical celebrations.
When a tradition is adapted completely bereft of its intended meaning, it is not so much a cultural appreciation as much as it is appropriation. Whether or not people like to hear it, an adaptation of the Christmas season that removes its core Christian values is in itself a form of cultural appropriation, such as when the “Christmas tree” becomes the “Holiday Tree,” as well as when religious foundations are purposely not brought up for fear of excluding others. These practices undermine the holiday, degrading it of its original purposes; but that does not mean Christianity excludes non-Christians.
The secularization of the holiday is nonetheless understandable. According to a study conducted by the Pew Research Center in 2014, 70.6 percent of Americans identify as Christians. In a country where nearly three-quarters of the population celebrate a holiday, it is understandable that the remaining 30 percent feel compelled to take part in all the excitement.
This is where a tremendous misunderstanding comes into play. The religious foundations of Christmas and the resulting religious barriers do not, in fact, exclude non-Christians from its celebration. For a religion that constantly preaches “all are welcome,” it would be actually hypocritical for Christians not to invite individuals of other backgrounds to celebrate the season. Christians should welcome all others to enjoy Christmas with them, regardless of religion. In doing so, they should not attempt to inject others with biblical doctrine, but should instead encourage the recognition and celebration of the underlying meanings of Jesus’s birth. The religious holiday is not merely a day for family, decorations and gift-giving — though we are all guilty of associating it with of most these practices. Christmas represents far more than merely a spirit of giving, which has become the key meaning for the season over time. Rather, it celebrates the power of humility. As is widely known, the Nativity tells the story of a young woman named Mary who gives birth to a child in a stable, surrounded by sheep and oxen. She dresses her son in swaddling clothes and lays him in a manger out of which animals had taken their feed. The birth of Christ is, in no way, shape or form, a birth fit for a King, and thus serves as an example of how all should attempt to be humble in their positions.
The Nativity story tells of heavenly angels who appear to shepherds, singing, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace and good will toward men.” Jesus’ birth in a quiet stable on a quiet night is peaceful in its very nature, and, as the angels’ song states, encourages a peaceful world for all humankind.
The idea of giving has nonetheless persisted throughout the centuries of the holiday’s celebration; it has, however, contributed unquestionably to the secularization of the season. The mall rushes and fights for discounts preoccupy even the most devout Christians, counteracting a giving spirit with impatience, stress and even violence in the most extreme cases. Essentially, the dominant qualities that people exhibit during the Christmas season are the polar opposite of what its foundations encourage.
The secularization of Christmas through Black Friday deals and Christmas sales is an issue for which all people, including Christians themselves, can be held accountable. This Christmas season, Christians such as myself should encourage people of all backgrounds to join us as we celebrate not merely the birth of Christ, but its humble and peaceful themes that can apply to anyone.
This past election season has exhibited the tremendous division that exists amongst the American people. In this time of political division, our country could sincerely use the genuine peace, generosity and humility that Christmas represents. An all-around acknowledgement of the religious meanings within the holiday would foster respect for such religious practices. An all-around celebration of Christmas’s underlying values would further emphasize our common values as an American people; similarly, a non-Jewish celebration of Chanukah should respect Judaism by upholding the holiday’s foundational values without appropriating or removing any of its facets. No matter what religious, racial or ethnic backgrounds all people are welcome to celebrate either the religious or symbolic meanings of the Christmas holiday. These non-Christian celebrations should, however, maintain respect for Christians, and should not therefore mandate that even the names of its traditions should be all-inclusive.
This December, whether you are Christian or not, make it an effort to keep “Christmas” in Christmas — for those of Christian religion, this day is far more than just a “holiday.”
Paul Samson, FCRH ’19, is an economics major from Long Island, New York.
