A Tale of Two Christmases

Growing up, I had a Buddhist friend, a Hindu friend, a few Jewish friends, and some Atheist friends. All of them celebrated Christmas.

Not Jesus-Christmas, obviously. We all celebrated the other one... Santa-Christmas. Shopping-Mall-Christmas. That nebulous, month-long state of mind that comes from smelling snow in the air and hearing the same 5 jingling songs until you want to choke Bing Crosby to death with a candy cane.

Capitalist Christmas, that once-a-year time which convinces you affection and companionship really can be better summed-up in a Playstation than in, say, heartfelt words. Or actual companionship. But boy, doesn't it feel good... that blissful moment when the wrapping paper flies, before everyone goes into separate rooms to figure out how to use their unnecessary new gizmos?

And yet some Christians get their tizzy up in a bunch about how Christmas has become less Jesus-centric. "Happy Holidays" isn't good enough for them. They won't be happy until Wal-Mart greeters shout "Happy Birthday, Jesus!" as shoppers enter the store. But Happy Holiday-ers aren't anti-Christmas. "Happy Holidays" takes only one more syllable to say than "Merry Christmas," and it includes so much more: New Years, Hannukah, Kwanzaa... even Ramadan (if it happens to fall on December).

The truth is, all holidays undergo diffusion as they increase in popularity. Initially, holidays start off as specific remembrances of events. Over time, traditions crop up and branch further and further away from a holiday's meaning. Easter used to be about Christ's resurrection, now it's about a giant rabbit who hides eggs (where the eggs come from is not explained).

This diffusion of meaning is obviously problematic for a religion's believers, but it is beneficial to society as a whole. Only Christians can get excited about Christ's resurrection. Everyone can enjoy chocolate eggs.

My main point is this: it is not society's job to adhere to the strict traditions of a group's holiday. Especially when doing so would mean excluding people from the fun. If you want to "put the Christ back in Christmas," by all means, have at it. Put a manger on your lawn. Spread the gospel. Sit your kids down and explain to them why the guy with the brown beard is cooler than the guy with the white one. But don't expect the entire world to conform to how you want to celebrate Christmas. Let the nonbelievers have a little fun, too.

It's a holiday about peace on earth and goodwill toward men, remember?