This post was written as a response to libbiali as she wrote "Wow, Louie, I don't know how things are in Canada, but I'm in California, and Christmas is alive and well here."
"Well, libbiali, It's nice to hear that Christmas is alive and well in California, but Christmas isn't doing so well here.
I would say Christmas was doing a lot better around here 20some years ago. I remember going to town and man was the city ever dressed up! Going down a certain street there were big green and red banners with streamers that spanned the street declaring 'Merry Christmas', huge decorated stars depicting the star of Bethlehem, nativity figurines, and wishes of peace and goodwill on earth. Just the sight of all those colorful decorations made you feel all warm and fuzzy and Christmassy.
Now those same streets are bare but for a few sparsely spaced decorated candles and greenery on top of lamp poles. Further down the street small banners state: 'Tis The Season'.
Season of what? Is Christmas a bad word? Has is declined that much in importance?
Storekeepers had their stores dressed to the hilt with Christmas decorations, Overhead speakers belted out Christmas Carols and songs, O Little Star of Bethlehem and Silent Night, clerks were dressed up and extra friendly, cheerful and helpful, and every customer received a very robust and meaningful 'Merry Christmas' and answered in kind. There seemed to be a special bond between all who wished each other a 'Merry Christmas'. Excitement filled the air, there was no doubt that this was a special holiday.
Today these same stores are busier than ever, but the buzz is missing. You have to look hard for decorations, signs of 'Merry Christmas' and nativity figures are nonexistent. Store flyers have now inserted the word 'Holiday' where not so long ago it read 'Christmas'. It's all Holiday Savings, Holiday Stocking Stuffers, Holiday Gifts, Holiday Trees, Holiday this and Holiday that. People, what is wrong with the word Christmas? Overhead speakers now sing generic tunes for fear of offending potential customers, store policy commands check-out and courtesy clerks to wish customers 'Happy Holidays' instead of 'Merry Christmas'.
Walking into places of business you just felt that something important was going on. Decorated Christmas trees were prominently displayed, handshakes and 'Merry Christmases' were all around, it was a special time of year and everybody was affected by Christmas.
But alas, those times are gone, except for a few exceptions here and there, where store and business owners still hold the values of Christmas, where you can still get a warm and heartfelt 'Merry Christmas' but these places are few and far between.
So libbiali, the Question is 'Who stole Christmas? And why?
Are we not still a Christian Country? Did not the first flag that flew on this Great Land bear a cross?
Or is it that we are now a multicultural society and do not want to offend anyone?
Or is all this just natural progression that we as a society have now accepted adultery, abortions, gay rights and gay marriages, and don't want to be reminded of Christian values shared by our founding fathers, with the Birth of Jesus Christ : Christ-Mas, or even of His death : Easter, which has now turned into 'Spring Break' or 'Spring Holiday' , but that is the subject for a whole other rant."
This reminds me, some years ago in Winnipeg there was this big debate whether to rename the Christmas tree at city hall, Holiday Tree. Now I'm not sure if they were running out of things to debate at city hall, but the mayor at the time thankfully put a halt to this, "If it walks like a duck, talks like a duck and looks like a duck, then it must be a duck. Therefore it will stay a Christmas tree!"
ReplyDeleteWishing you and your family a merry Christmas, and id like to thank you for being a reader to my blog Amish Stories. Richard
ReplyDeleteWell. I'm not sure I'd jump from "Christmas is different" straight to "Who stole Christmas?"-- unless every time you lose your car keys, you wonder who stole them. Though maybe you mean, in the sense that the Grinch stole Christmas, and in that case, you may remember, he discovered that he could steal all the presents, decorations and food, and Christmas would still come.
ReplyDeleteI do sympathize. I find some things about Christmas different, too, and I'm a lot older than you are. A LOT. But even when I was growing up, and this was a small town, and much more homogeneous, "Happy Holidays" was understood as a courteous way to wish someone joy who might not be celebrating Christmas, per se. But it was also a broad greeting, one that included New Year, etc. as part of the whole season: the season of Christmas that runs (at least) all the way through Twelfth Night.
Nowadays, our area is much more diverse, so it's true that many people do not celebrate Christmas, at least as a religious holiday. And personally, I want it to stay clear that Christmas IS a religious holiday: I enjoy hearing "The First Noel" played in the background on the Weather Channel, but I hope I never hear of a Nativity Scene anywhere near an obscenity like Black Friday.
I wrote on my blog that we couldn't find the town Christmas tree this year, and we also noticed there are no decorations up in one of the old shopping centers. And that is strictly economic: 20 years ago, as you said, people felt happy and secure; now, half the houses in town are foreclosed, and the city is chronically broke.
It may be somewhat different in Canada, where there was, I think, something akin to an established church. That's not true here, so school, or even town, Christmas celebrations rarely went in for much religious imagery. But the town is still full of Christmas, and full of good cheer, notwithstanding. Now, I want so much to know how Christmas is on your colony. I'll bet it's wonderful.
Oh, and Merry Christmas!
And Merry Christmas to you and yours as well!
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