ARE THE PAGANS RIGHT?
I just received an email from a friend of mine to attend his families 'Holiday' Party on December 3rd. Now had I received it from anyone else, I perhaps would have just shirked it off. But this particular friend is a vehement anti-Christian...aggressively so. He also has a very big hatred for Catholics. Now at this party I know there will be a tree, eggnog, presents, a good deal of merriment and probably a lot of Christian-bashing going around.Ironically enough, this friend is also in the film industry and just helped produce a major release for the Christian film market that was released recently. Irony indeed.
On the flip side, I have another friend who is a devout Christian. His family has barely acknowledged the more 'secular elements' of Christmas in recent years. No tree, no turkey, maybe a ham and the odd gift...but no fuss. He goes to church on Christmas Day and that is his Christmas. It makes him content.
I myself was always raised as a Christmas fanatic. Turkey, gifts, Rankin-Bass cartoons, lights, the whole deal. But this year...something has shifted in me. I find it harder to get into the 'secular' aspect. The early commercials for the Bay with scads of pretty people 'doin' thier thang' just don't fill me with glee.
Paul Martin's attempt to keep 'Christmas in Canada' quite frankly disgusts me. I doubt he has the foggiest idea of what Christmas means. If this is what the Holiday at large has come to represent then perhaps I should no longer want it.
My question is this;
Is it time for Christians and Catholics to give up the notion of Santa Claus and commerciality being associated with Christmas?
I now have Jewish and Hindu friends that put up trees. Is it time for Christians to take the opposite tact to what they have been doing in recent years? Instead of insisting on wishing Merry Christmas to everyone...maybe they should refuse to wish it to anyone who in fact isn't a Christian or a Catholic. If they are invited to a 'Holiday' party, should they refuse to attend because they aren't pagan? Are the pagans right in saying that the commercial aspects of the season are thiers? Should Catholics and Christians be thankful for this?
I do not have the answers for these but merely put out the questions. As a Catholic it fills me with deep sadness that I am actually asking it...but I must.
I will no doubt have a tree up in my home this year but it is beginning to feel hollow to me. Like I am playing a game to which I no longer know the rules.
If the 'festive' elements of the 'Holiday Season' are now just a part of a secular, pagan culture that has nothing to do with the Christ child's birth...why should a Christian or Catholic acknowledge them?
posted by Nicol DuMoulin @ 10:39 PM
5 Comments:
Considering the day was originally pagan in the first place, based on the winter solstice...
I see your point. I love Christmas. Or perhaps I should say I enjoy Christmas. But in the face of society's relentless commitment to taking Christ out of the celebration maybe Christians should just take a big step back and let society celebrate the holiday season while we do what we should always be doing--worshipping Christ.
Nicol, your sentiment is one that is spreading, and not just in Canada. Go over to Jeff's Think Sink. Read the comments to "Historically Incorrect," especially the one Jeff left about the earlier writings.
Well posted.
Be polite and tolerant - but do not shy away from your faith:
- Wish people Merry Christmas
- Respond with a smile and correct information should your faith be insulted
- Seize every opportunity to live your faith in the presence of others, neither pushing not hiding it.
- Be prepared to be judged by your conduct, and remember that others will form their opinions on Christianity not on words, but by the right conduct of Christians they know.
Nicol,
I can certainly empathize with the feelings you've expressed in this post (having shared them), but feisty one that I am, I refuse to relinquish Christmas to the secular culture. So, instead, I choose to reclaim its original meaning (including the Church-'baptized' traditions like the Christmas tree) and celebrate using the many traditions our Catholic heritage has bequeathed to us, along with any other ones that strike my fancy! For example, the manger takes center stage in our home, with the tree off to one side (and I'd happily substitute a Charlie Brown tree for our 8-ft. monolith if it weren't for the loud protests my kids would make!), Advent includes an increasing number of traditions (as we discover them), from the wreath with nightly lighting and prayers, and the celebration of St. Nicholas' feast day (your namesake!). There are so many opportunities to witness to our faith at this time of year - most of them silently, through our actions and practices - who knows what may touch someone's heart? The grown-up's among our families have decided, for example, to purchase 'gifts' from the World Vision Christmas Catalog - and either limiting personal gifts to something we've made, or an 'under $5' gift - which requires more creativity.
'Post-Vatican-II baby' that I am, I find that I am continually tripping over new ways to celebrate and enrich our lives as I dig into the 'family vault' of our faith, and Advent is a great time to go treasure-hunting. My kids see it as a grand adventure, and love having so many different fun family traditions that we keep adding to each year. So, go out there and be a rebel - and may your heart be filled with the peace of the Christ child!
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