I feel like being non-Christian around Christmas time must be like being Black all the time. What I mean by this is that during this season Christmas is default. The main decorations in malls and offices around the country are Christmas trees. Not many stop to place a menorah or kinara (for that matter, I've just realized that "kinara" isn't even listed as a word in the spell check on this computer). In December is when a non-Christian feels most intensely that they are a minority, or not part of the default.
I think I can accurately equate this to being of a minority race or person of color, on a regular basis. This has nothing to do with racism at all, but just the feeling of knowing that you are not in the majority, or not the default. In a simple thing like purchasing make-up, a dark skinned woman will find that the "regular" foundation is in a shade for white women, and that her color must be found in the "alternative" shades. On the same token, pagan celebrations, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa are all seen by the mainstream as "alternatives" to Christmas.
I'm trying to be mindful, more this year than I've probably ever been before (because of two new lovely Jewish co-workers) of being all-inclusive in my holiday cheer, saying "holiday" rather than "Christmas" and acknowledging the dates of other's holiday festivities. But, I can't help but be excited about my holiday, CHRISTMAS. It's a joyous occasion to celebrate the birth of my savior and I'd like to scream from the rooftops about him. My excitement stems from CHRISTMAS, my joy of the season comes from that. And all the other pretty notions of family, giving, love, etc. are subcategories to the birth of the Light.
I think I can accurately equate this to being of a minority race or person of color, on a regular basis. This has nothing to do with racism at all, but just the feeling of knowing that you are not in the majority, or not the default. In a simple thing like purchasing make-up, a dark skinned woman will find that the "regular" foundation is in a shade for white women, and that her color must be found in the "alternative" shades. On the same token, pagan celebrations, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa are all seen by the mainstream as "alternatives" to Christmas.
I'm trying to be mindful, more this year than I've probably ever been before (because of two new lovely Jewish co-workers) of being all-inclusive in my holiday cheer, saying "holiday" rather than "Christmas" and acknowledging the dates of other's holiday festivities. But, I can't help but be excited about my holiday, CHRISTMAS. It's a joyous occasion to celebrate the birth of my savior and I'd like to scream from the rooftops about him. My excitement stems from CHRISTMAS, my joy of the season comes from that. And all the other pretty notions of family, giving, love, etc. are subcategories to the birth of the Light.
The funny thing is that businesses try so hard to act like they're celebrating the "holidays" and not just Christmas. Hanukkah was at the beginning of December this year and it's not even a really big holiday.
ReplyDeleteAnd yet, we have churches who are making a "naughty list" of stores and businesses they think are trying to "take the Christ out of Christmas" by saying Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas.
None of it makes any sense to me.
@Bee - I'm definitely an advocate of being as inclusive as possible. As far as churches being upset that stores are saying Happy Holidays rather than Merry Christmas, I said it in a post last week, it isn't the store's job to uphold Christmas and Christ, it is believers jobs to do that.
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