Holiday menor…ahem, candles

[seasonsgreetings]

Have just heard that Boston will this year have a holiday tree, instead of a Christmas tree.

Does this mean that we will now have Holiday candles instead of a menorah (hannukah) or mishumaa saba (kwanzaa), holiday rabbit instead of the Easter bunny and holiday fat man instead of Santa Claus? Somehow it doesn’t seem to have the same ring…I can’t see myself bending down to my kids and saying “now, who want’s to go and see the fat man and sit on his knee?”

As far as I am aware, the other celebrations that take place around Christmas don’t celebrate with a tree decorated with glittery baubles and lights, so why is it being deemed neccessary to change the name to accommodate them? I’ll bet none of them are interested what we call our decorations.

I like to think that I am not a hypocrite in celebrating Christmas even though I am not a Christian, as I believe this particular celebration to have been stolen from the druids who celebrated the midwinter and the turning of the sun around this time, by drinking beer and eating feasts (now that’s my kinda party!) and most of the ways we celebrate don’t have anything to do with Christianity anyway. To me it’s a time to celebrate friends and family, give gifts and make merry. I don’t go to church on Christmas Eve, because I don’t go any other time of the year.

Am a little afraid of this move towards generalization of festive symbols. Why do age old traditions need to be constantly bastardized in the name of political correctness? And if you want a new tradition, why can’t there be a new name, instead of trashing an old one (I had to get the Mogul Smoker in here somewhere).

Growing up I don’t remember anything about Kwanzaa. I don’t know if it even existed outside of Africa back then, although it started in 1966. I am happy for the Black population to have their own Festival, it is all theirs, and they have their own traditions and rituals. I was always a little jelous of Jewish Hannukah – it seemed to be about people, family and equality, and I loved how it seemed to avoid the glitz and glam that Christmas has become.

One more thought, Christmas is one day (or two if you count Christmas Eve, which is more important to Continental Europeans, or three if you count Boxing Day, the traditional slouching around in the pub day for most Brits) while Hannukah and Kwanzaa both celebrate for a week. If we are standardising the holidays, should we not all celebrate for 5 days, and then call the whole thing off? And who does New Year belong to? And what about the Gregorians?