For many Americans, ‘tis the season to fight for religious respect, recognition and political correctness. Instead of cheer and joy, the holiday season can sometime spark friction between different groups with religious and non-religious affiliations. In turn, the supposed most wonderful time of the year becomes the annual war on Christmas.
It’s undeniable that Christmas is, to put it nicely, overrepresented among religious holidays at the end of the year. Though this country is technically secular, the media, economy and even the government promote this holiday.
The First Amendment prohibits both the establishment of a national religion and the preference of one religion over others or over non-religion — and vice versa. That said, it seems odd that Christmas is a recognized federal holiday, but Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and other concurrent religious holidays are not. Furthermore, it is common for public elementary school students to perform “holiday” concerts comprised entirely of Christmas songs. In my hometown, an inescapable nativity scene is set up every year in the town center. These displays of Christmas can be seen as an endorsement of a particular religion, which some would say is unconstitutional.
From the media to Macy’s, the perpetual reminder of Christmas also creates a sort of religious hierarchy. It’s nearly impossible to avoid the Christmas hype without refusing to watch TV, listen to the radio, access the Internet or even walk outside. Meanwhile, other religious symbols, such as a menorah for Hanukkah or colorful African cloth for Kwanzaa, are nowhere to be found.
This implicit message — that Christianity is the preferable religion — is not one I would want instilled in young children, or anyone else for that matter. But while invoking unconstitutionality or religious hierarchy is indeed a powerful argument, some Christmas-complainers fail to consider that for many people, the holiday is a strictly secular celebration.
For Christians, the holiday celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. My family, and many others across the country, still take part in Christmas traditions such as exchanging gifts, tree decorating and hanging stockings. But we do it for reasons of tradition rather than religion. In this sense, the argument that Christianity is the endorsed religion during the holidays is void because, for some people, there is no religious attachment.
But whether the meaning of Christmas has a religious connotation or not, other beliefs are still barely represented, and I don’t know of a solution to the problem. It’s an awkward situation: When private practices — such as opening presents or sitting on Santa’s lap — become so public, it risks excluding those who don’t share the practices of the majority.
Much of the fervor is due to the retail market and the media exploiting Christmastime to attract the most people and increase profit. This may be politically, and even morally, incorrect, but it’s completely legal. Fostering a sense of inclusion for different sets of beliefs is never easy.
Though the Christmas controversy is vexing and troublesome, arguing over it is against the holiday spirit. The disproportionate shoving of Christmas into our faces can be unjust and offensive to people, but it does not deprive anyone of their freedom. Whether you are religious or not, the holidays are apropos of honoring and commemorating your religion or lack thereof, traditions, values and fortune, whatever they may be.
Every year, I look forward to Christmas music and my brother’s spot-on rendition of “Mr. Grinch.” We’re both away at school, so I’ll have to wait a few more weeks to enjoy the tradition this year. You see, to us, the holidays are about family, and that’s all we will ever need them to be. As long as my brother doesn’t try to sing anything else.
Brittany Campbell is a government and politics and philosophy major. She can be reached at campbell@umdbk.com.
