Is There a War on Christmas?

We hear a lot of talk these days about a so called “War on Christmas.”  It’s everywhere and there’s mounting evidence of it. 

The special lighting of the “Holiday Tree,” a long time tradition in Rhode Island, has come under fire.  And a conservative Christian group called American Family Association in Michigan has even made out a “Naughty List” which included such retailers as Banana Republic, Barnes & Noble, Family Dollar, Foot Locker, GAP Stores, L.L. Bean, Limited Brands, Office Depot, Old Navy, Radio Shack, Staples, Super Valu and Victoria’s Secret.

It appears as if these retailers and the Governor of Rhode Island are in hot water because they failed to use the term ‘Christmas.’  That’s right.  That one little word changes everything.

And I also noticed that those who are overly critical of these businesses or state leaders have said nothing with regard to the lack of similar Christian salutation in the NRA’s recent holiday greetings.  I guess it’s okay if the organization is well known for touting Christian values while pointing to the lack of virtues of any and every member of a certain political party. 

It was also overlooked that the Arizona chapter of the NRA had a “Guns & Santa” photo shoot with parents and children carrying their hunting rifles and handguns while surrounding Santa in front of the “Christmas” tree.  What will they do next year to switch it up a bit?  I see AK 47s surrounding the Nativity.  Maybe you can have your picture taken while cradling the baby Jesus in one arm and a Glock in the other.  But I digress.

As The Northern Light (an Anchorage University student newspaper) pointed out, the tradition of erecting a spruce tree and decorating it, is a pagan tradition that has been adopted by Christians to signify the birth of their Savior, Jesus Christ.  As a matter of fact, the whole holiday was borrowed from the pagans and was not a concept born out of the birth of the baby Jesus as that holy event didn’t happen in December.  It took place sometime in the fall when the people were required to come in to be counted for the census and be taxed for the money they made from the sale of their summer’s harvest. 

The tradition of celebrating December 25^th actually predates the birth of Christ.  It was originally celebrated as the birth of the ‘son-God’ Mithra, a pagan deity whose religious influence became widespread in the Roman Empire during the first few centuries A.D. 

Rome had absorbed this pagan religion and its rituals, converting this legacy to a celebration of the god, Saturn, and the rebirth of the sun god during the winter solstice period. The winter holiday beginning the week prior to December 25th became known as Saturnalia. The festival was characterized by gift-giving, feasting and singing as the priests of Saturn carried evergreen boughs, turned into wreaths, and sauntered in procession throughout the Roman temples.  It wasn’t until 336 A.D. that Emperor Constantine high-jacked this traditional, non-Christian holiday and labeled it Christmas.

Okay, so it has been a Christian holiday tradition for more than a thousand years and many of us Christians enjoy celebrating it and using it as a reason to remember our Son of God, Jesus Christ.  But is that any reason to force others to do the same?

There are many who don’t believe in the holiday, and for obvious reason, so they choose not to celebrate with us.  Keep in mind; it isn’t the true date of Jesus’ birth.  So why are we suddenly so super-sensitive about forcing our religion on everyone?  Why must every store and every elected official recognize this tradition of saying ‘Merry Christmas’ while ignoring the constitutional right of others who choose not to?  Why must every person in this country be forced to acknowledge it for the simple reason that we do?  They shouldn’t.

Being a Christian, I don’t find it objectionable in any way to smile at someone and say “Happy Holidays!”   

I find it ludicrous to get offended over the Governor of any state calling the spruce the pagans used to decorate in celebration of the birth of Mithra, a ‘Holiday Tree.’  And when my Jewish friends tell me “Merry Christmas” even though they don’t believe in Christmas, it doesn’t cause me guilt in the slightest sense to offer a “Happy Hanukkah” as well.  It’s just thoughtful, and it’s in keeping with the spirit of the season as well as the First Amendment of our Constitution that not only allows us to have freedom of religion but also freedom from religion.  Who are we to take anyone else’s rights away from them?

Tonight my boys will be singing in the ‘Christmas’ concert at their school. They will be singing songs about Jesus as well as other traditional Christmas songs that don’t mention the baby Jesus at all.  And I will sit there in the audience and clap for all of the songs, the ones that are Christian oriented and the ones that are centered on the pagan holiday as well, because it doesn’t really matter.  It doesn’t take away the idea of what the holiday means for me.  And anyone who is strong enough in their faith or beliefs shouldn’t worry about what those non-Christian words mean to them either. 

And that being said; I wonder if those who make the greatest fuss about the use of ‘Holiday’ instead of ‘Christmas’ are more concerned about the frailty of their own personal faith than those who dismiss it and go on with their religious celebrations.  Or do they just need something else to complain about because they feel there isn’t enough already. 

 

Let’s put our guns away and stop creating a dilemma where there is none.  It will help to make the holidays a little less stressful for us all.