The Real Threat to Christmas

I was watching “Miracle on 34th Street” (the original version with Natalie Wood as Susan) the other day. In one scene Kris Kringle complains about how commercialism is ruining Christmas. Alfred, the young janitor Kris has befriended, says, “Yeah, there are a lot of ‘ism’s out there, but commercialism is one of the woist.”

Certainly, I find that the greatest dangers to the true spirit of Christmas are not coming from some left wing conspiracy or “political correctness” but from some of those “ism’s” we see.

Let’s start with Alfred’s – Commercialism. As we noted in another posting, there is no way to actually separate the sacred from the secular in Christmas celebrations and, indeed, I’m not sure they can or should be separated. And part of the “secular” celebration of Christmas is the giving of gifts. What has started as a way to remember others in a special way, has turned into what a former pastor of mine called “an orgy of spending.” I knew one woman who would give a price tag to every gift when she was asked what she got. For instance, she wouldn’t say, “John, gave me a necklace.” Rather she would say, “John, gave me a $500 necklace.”

I know one woman who was offended that she was given the same gift as another woman in her office. She read some sort of insult into that fact. One wonders if the other woman who received the same gift felt the same way.

Indeed, it seems as if Christmas is defined by the gifts given. A Christmas tree without gifts under it seems barren. And Christmas Day is over once the gifts are opened in many households.

Businesses then respond to this and amplify it through their advertising and marketing of Christmas (whether they use the name or not) as being basically about the gifts given. Love = Expensive Gift seems to be the equation taught.

But that isn’t the only “ism” that is hurting Christmas. A second is secularism. I remember my mother telling a joke when I was a child about two women looking into a store window. Among the other Christmas decorations was a Nativity scene. One woman asked the other what that was, and the other woman explained. Upon hearing it, the first woman snorted in disgust, “They’re dragging religion into everything nowadays.”

Certainly, the secular is part and parcel of Christmas and always has been, but at it’s heart isthe sacred celebration of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. Even if one only sees him as a great teacher, he is worthy of the honor. However, in our popular culture you would think the holiday is about a jolly old fat man in a red suit. In fact, in more than one TV movie, Christmas is “saved” by someone helping out Santa in some way. At least, the book The Grinch Who Stole Christmas without mentioning the Nativity made the point that Christmas came without the decorations or gifts or dinner of “roast beast.”

Only one of the classic TV specials aired on the major networks even mentions Christ. That one is “A Charlie Brown Christmas” in which Charlie Brown in desperation asks if anyone knows the meaning of Christmas, and Linus steps into the light and tells the Christmas story.

I was watching a show on the Bravo network called something like “100 Things we Like about the Holidays.” Someone mentioned this special and said, “It seems like every other special sort of tap dances around this, but Linus says it outright.” Indeed, our whole society seems to be tap dancing around what we are celebrating.

While I am a big believer in the separation of Church and State, I have problems with Nativity Scene lawsuits. It’s like saying you can’t have a picture of Lincoln on display on Lincoln’s birthday. I can see fairness coming into play. You could add a menorah and some kwanza candles for the other holidays, but it seems odd that you have a birthday celebration and the one being honored is hardly ever mentioned.

Perhaps the greatest danger to Christmas is Activism and Fanaticism. And this comes from both the right and the left. I already mentioned in passing the Nativity scene lawsuits which marginalize the very core of the Christmas celebration. But the right wing, fundamentalists are not without fault here either. I’ve noticed that this year some Christians are almost militantly snapping “Merry Christmas” not so much as a greeting but as a quasi-political statement. Christmas itself has been co-opted by the conservatives as their own private property and are using it to drive a wedge between people of faith. By creating this false war on Christmas, they are hoping to undermine their political opponents. They are casting liberals in the role of a 21st century Scrooge trying to ban Christmas.

On the other hand for the past 20 years or so, there have been a core of Christian extremists who claim that Christmas is a pagan celebration and should not be celebrated. These condemn Christmas trees, decorations, gifts, and dinners as part of pagan debauchery because of the historical fact that Christmas was scheduled at about the same time as a Pagan celebration by the fourth century church in order to evangelize the pagans.

These are the real dangers to Christmas. The holiday will never be banned. It’s a big moneymaker. However, its vitality, its spirit, can be drained. But that can only happen if we let it. As for me, I choose to be joyful and try to remember the lessons of Peace, Love, and Joy taught by this season. I will remember the Christ child born in a manger, attended by angels and adored by shepherds and magi alike. I will also remember that child grown to an adult, teaching a wayward generation and eventually dying for my sins and being raised again giving me the hope of eternal life. I will remember my lessons of Christmas and none of the “ism’s” can take them away from me.