Old-Fashioned Christmas?

Most Americans have a romanticized view of Christmas celebrations fueled by Bing Crosby's White Christmas and Clement Clarke Moore's Twas The Night Before Christmas. We see Christmas as a time of universal joy and family accord, even if we know of instances when that does not happen. We wax eloquently about celebrating an "Old Fashioned" Christmas.

But, how old fashioned a celebration do we want to have? The Boston Globe ran a story last weekend reminding us all that our romantized, idealized view of Christmas did not always prevail. The story can be found at: http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2009/12/20/christmas_was_a_riot/.

The author, Stephen Nissenbaum, reminds us that:
-- For about 25 years in the 17th century, the Puritans of Massachusetts banned any celebration of Christmas because, in part, there is no scriptural admonition for Christians to celebrate the birth of Jesus.
-- Boston minister, Cotton Mather, saw Christmas as merely being an excuse for dancing and drunkenness, chambering [sexual activities] and wantonness.
-- In the 18th century, gangs of men in disguise on Christmas Day roamed from house to house demanding money or alcohol at the threat of violence.
-- And, that the promotion of items to purchase to give to others as Christmas gifts can be dated to the early 19th century.

We may want a purer and more spiritual celebration of Christmas, but looking for an old-fashioned Christmas is not necessarily be the answer.

Merry Chistmas everyone!

New Way To Proclaim CHRIST-mas

For years, I have critized how our culture has commercialized Christmas. I shudder at the introduction of Christmas ornaments, decorations, and gift-giving ideas weeks before Halloween. I have worked diligently to communicate a better way to celebrate Christmas to churches I have served.

This week, I was alerted to a new company that seeks to provide the perfect solution to this dilemma by a member of our church. She had seen reference to www.bosscreations.net on The Colbert Report. According to their website:

The Christian holiday, Christmas, is intended to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. However, over the years the decorations and celebrations for this holiday have become increasingly commercial and unrelated to Christ. Unfortunately, the holiday has become less about Jesus and more about gifts and Santa Claus.

At Boss Creations, it is our mission to help you bring the Word of God into your home during the Christian holiday seasons. We hope that you will share the Word with your family and friends and that you will begin new holiday traditions with Christ as the central figure.

In recent years, our Christmas holiday has been made to become a generic holiday for all religions with many being forced to call it a "Holiday" season instead of Christmas season. We, as Christians, must take a stand and rescue our religious holiday. We at Boss Creations believe that one way to do this is to decorate with more Christian-themed holiday decorations including The CHRIST-mas Tree.

We have figured a way to enhance the tradition of decorating a tree for Jesus at Christmas by adding a cross that acts as a reminder of Him. By changing our tree to include a cross, we are making a statement that we want to keep our Christmas holiday! Our new tree and decorations ideas will not only help to enhance our celebration of the Christmas holiday but will help to enlighten those who may decorate for Christmas but may not be "Christians."

I would encourage you to visit their web-site to see their collection, including their CHRIST-mas tree.

This leads me to wonder. Are our options for the celebration of Christmas limited to excessive consumer spending or the use of evangelistic messages in our decorations? Is the use of such decorations the only way - or the best way - to honor Christ at Christmas?

This would certainly qualify as another battle in the War on Christmas, so what do you think? Would you use such a tree or do you have another way to honor Jesus the Christ at Christmas?

A New Front in the 'War On Christmas'

Rabbi Brad Hirschfield in his blog on Belief Net referenced an article in Haaretz, an Israeli newspaper. The article, written by Morten Bethelsen, can be found at: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1135512.html.

Seems that a group in Israel, the Lobby For Jewish Values, has been distributing fliers condemning the celebration of Christmas by Israeli Jews and calling for a boycott of restaurants and hotels that put up Christmas trees and use Christian symbols. Further, this group is trying to have the kashrut certification, the kosher certificate, of restaurants that utilize Christmas decorations. This, of course, would have a devastating affect on a restaurant in Israel.

Quoting from the fliers, The people of Israel have given their soul over the years in order to maintain the values of the Torah of Israel and the Jewish identity. You should also continue to follow this path of the Jewish people's tradition and not give in to the clownish atmosphere of the end of the civil year. And certainly not help those businesses that sell or put up the foolish symbols of Christianity.

What the foolish symbols are is not defined, but the intent of the warning is quite clear. These people believe that one cannot be a good Jew and have anything to do with Christmas. In this way, they are the mirror image of the conservative Christians in America who say that one cannot be a good Christian and wish someone a "Happy Holiday" instead of "Merry Christmas."

Again, from the Haaretz article, Samuel Scott, working at the Refuah Institute, raises this issue: The Jewish state wants to be two things: a Jewish state and a free, democratic state. But what is the solution when these competing priorities conflict? If all Israelis start celebrating Christmas (either as Christians or as secularized revelers), then it will arguably no longer be a Jewish state. If the government bans everyone from having anything to do with the holiday, then it will no longer be a free state.

Do those conservative Christians in our country believe that, if people quit saying "Merry Christmas", America will somehow lose some status as a Christian nation? And, what do we do with the reality of America as a country that welcomes all people of any faith or no faith? Do we want to force all of them to say "Merry Christmas" or else?

What do you think?