Dec 21 2008
Christmyths I’d Like to See Cleared Up
I enjoy Christmas. I really do. But there are certain things about the season that just drive me absolutely bonkers. It’s such a paradoxical season trapped between religion and materialism, it truly brings out the bizarreness of our society. Here are some of the things that I think that people need to get straight this holiday season.
Calling Someone Who Hates Christmas a Scrooge
This is one of those common insults you hear thrown about during the Christmas season. What drives me crazy about it is that it makes me want to scream at them “Did you read the whole f*$cking movie or read the entire book or just stop when he’s still an asshole?”. The whole point of the story is that at the end, “nobody kept the spirit of Christmas like Ebenezer Scrooge”. It makes as much sense as saying to an aggressive psychopath “You’re such a Ghandi”.
December 25 is the day Jesus was born!
Nope. Fact is that they don’t have an exact date. And historians agree that they even miscalculated the year (he wasn’t born 2008 years ago, they missed by a couple). Ironically, the date was picked to coincide with the winter solstice or a Roman Festival.
Calling Someone Who Hates Christmas a Grinch
Again! Do you just stop watching after he steals everything? The point is his heart grows three sizes and he, the Grinch himself, carves the roast beast! Another person who gets screwed by previous bad actions. Did you know the Noble Prize was created because Alfred Noble wanted to be remembered for something other than creating TNT? Maybe the Grinch needs to something that dramatic. Or get a better publicist.
Christmas is about the gifts!
Unless you’re giving someone gold, frankincense or myrrh, you’re breaking away from a pretty old tradition. On the other hand, you can see even back on the very first Christmas, you have the one person who out does the others and the gifts that the recipient really doesn’t know what to do with.
Mary: You really shouldn’t have! The gold is too much…really! (aside to Joseph) What the hell is frankincense? Do you think we can exchange it?
Jesus, Mary and Joseph were your average white folk.
It’s not just this time of year that I notice this, but the abundance of nativity scenes certainly adds to this perception. Even with walking on water, turning water into wine and the miracle of the loaves and fishes, nothing would have gotten Jesus noticed faster than being a white dude in his particular part of the world. As an added touch, most nativity scenes have white angels, white shepherds and a token black wise man, with the other wise men who are also white.
Saint Nicholas is a big fat guy in a red suit that has magical flying reindeer.
This is one of the biggest things that has really changed what Christmas was supposed to mean I think. I don’t have anything against Santa and I love that my kids still believe. But I’m not sure what he really has to do with what Christmas or why his image is about one gazillion times more prevalent than Jesus. And the reindeer part is clearly the result of drugs or what happens when you keep telling a ridiculous lie - you just have to get more bizarre to cover up the inevitable questions.
The Christmas Tree is Significant
I’m sure lots of people out there know the origins of the Christmas tree, but I don’t. I know it’s a pretty safe bet that Bethlehem was not know for it’s evergreen forests. Our holidays have developed some pretty bizarre rituals and traditions (let’s celebrate Easter by having a giant rabbit hide chocolate eggs!) and the tree is no less a head scratcher when you look at the origins of the season.
I think we should do it old school, burn candles on the christmas tree… that was a great idea.
I don’t know that calling an aggressive psychopath a Ghandi is an accurate comparison to Scrooge, as Scrooge actually, in the beginning of this Classic Christmas story, was a stingy, abrasive, and selfish ba humbug. May when calling someone who doesn’t enjoy the season a Scrooge, people are also making the inference that they hope the person, like Scrooge becomes happier in the season.
Well it wouldn’t be 2008 years anyway because he lived for about 33 years ;P, Plus it is a Celebration of his birth, it was not uncommon in the past, before our superior record keeping, for people to pick an arbitrary date to celebrate their birth because they just didn’t know. But yes…Christmas was piggy-backed onto a few Pagan rituals….but come on…it works. It is tradition…and in many ways, and many parts of lives, tradition is more important than reality. And that is just fine.
Again, similar argument as with the Scrooge reference. A friendly reminder to someone who is killing the Christmas feeling for themselves and possibly others around them, that hey! You aren’t really like this, but you sure are acting grouchy now (ala Grinch and Scrooge weren’t really bad at heart, they just needed to be shown or reminded what it is all REALLY about)
No Christmas is not about the gifts….it is about giving and sharing. And Gold, Frankie, and Myrrh (Actually a little known accordion trio from Bay Bulls, Newfoundland & Labrador) were not the only gifts, Shepherds gave their respect and probably a lamp chop, even lowly animals gave up their stalls and managers, apparently a drummer played a roll a two, I hear there was an angel or two sang on high…they gave their time, and let’s face it, Christmas is one of their busy seasons. I never let anyone else’s spending habits effect me. That is up to them, I am going to give to people I love to show them that during this season of giving and taking time, I appreciate them, I also make it a point to slow down my life and make contact with people.
We all know Jesus and is family are portrayed as white because of traditional views established so far back in the day it is crazy. It is all relative…since we will never know exactly what he looked like; why not think of him as what you feel comfortable with. There are all sorts of colours when it comes to nativities available…..Faith is not about being historically or scientifically correct, it is about you feeling and believing and finding comfort. And again how the majority decide to portray something like gift giving or the colour of Jesus’ skin is only superficial, because it is all about how you choose to think of things.
Santa Claus is a conglomeration of so many cultural, religious icons and traditions, including the most popular Coca Cola version. What he stands for is more meaningful then the way he looks. For me this is why he exists, because he means something… He reminds us about giving. Why is he more prevalent then Jesus? Why do people who don’t have faith celebrate Christmas, why do some people of different faiths Celebrate Christmas? True some people want the presents; they want to be part of this huge global event. Maybe only those who celebrate their belief in Jesus should be part of the Christmas season….Santa is more prevalent because people enjoy giving and receiving and not everyone is digging on Jesus, and as the world gets smaller and cultures mix so wonderfully, so will traditions…..
I believe the tree is originally German. If you want to argue about the whole Bethlehem thing, good lord I wonder if they had roast turkey and cranberries sauce, or forks and knives, or toilets….all these things help me celebrate Christmas. And thank God I don’t have to travel to see people on a donkey…
Christmas has been around for a long time, and has come through multiple cultures, from all over the world, and in Canada we are blessed to have people of many cultures living side by side and able to share…..I love that Christmas has become so diverse and encompassing… Because in this world we need stuff like that.
It is diverse enough that families can build their own traditions, and make their own decisions around giving. The only pressures are the ones you let yourself feel. Society doesn’t determine what Christmas is, no matter what kind of money is spent on the marketing campaign…The big show goes on in the homes of families….