Last year, Governor Ahhhhnold announced that HE grew up calling this thing a Christmas tree, and he's going to call the thing on the Capitol lawn a Christmas tree. No one will argue with The Terminator.
And, by golly, the world did not end when he said so.
Then again, we've had a very large menorah on the Capitol steps for years with a big ceremony to light it, so it's obvious that we're not endorsing a single state religion.
Actually, both radical ends knee jerk and persist. It's the chicken/egg thing again. And I'm not sure you can call it the far liberal left trying to be so politically correct. All-encompassing, maybe. But I haven't heard any hard-left person get all hung up about the word "Christmas." Dianne
I think it makes perfect sense. Not everyone is Christian. Why should those who are not Christian be any more inundated with ALL CHRISTMAS ALL THE TIME!!! than they already are? Why should those who are not Christian have to sing Christian songs at school? Why should scholars have to date everything relative to the birth of Christ, regardless of whether their readers or the scholars themselves are Christian?
Best wishes, Ericka
For the same reason that Miss Alcee made those of us who were not French sing French songs -- to learn to appreciate another culture.
In the dim and distant past when I was at school, children of different faiths were excused morning assembly (when the hymns and prayers were held). Nowadays, I understand that they don`t even HAVE it!
Pat P
Well, for one thing, christian music - for western ears - is some of the most glorious songs/music ever written, especially during the baroque period. But even the more modern Brahms. Or the medieval period. I tend to look at these songs more for the "music" than the actual words (often in German or Latin). In fact, I loved it when I had to learn the foreign words, because then I could pretend I wasn't singing about whatever it is that christians sing about.
As long as it is interspersed with other works, I see no problem. In fact, I was dismayed by our local school's rather bland Christmas program a few years ago. No "meaty" music at all. And certainly not a variety of sounds/songs. To forsake all christian music is rather a silly notion. I'd just like to see other types incorporated.
One of my favorites is "There's No Place Like Home". (No, I don't classify that as necessarily "other", it's just one of my personal favorites of the season).
Dianne
I remember I always wished I was a Catholic! I would go running to get to school before the doors to Assembly were closed ( I still hate to get up early). The Catholic kids got to wait outside until prayers and the reading was over, and then go in for the mundane daily stuff!
gillian
Bad form to add to my own post, but I forgot to tell Pat that I actually found my school Hymnal the other day, with the school crest on the front!
Gillian
Speaking of lights, someone synchronized their Christmas house lights to music. It's really something to see! I can't find a proper link so, if anyone would like me to send them the file, just email me (my address isn't munged) and put "Christmas light show" in the subj. and I'll happily forward it.
Joan
Joan,
Cheryl sent this to me. It was a wmv file, and I will try to forward it on to you!
Gillian
Joan E. wrote:
Thank you Ericka. I particularly agree with you about the AD/CE bit. I think that changing the Christmas songs to holiday though is not the answer. They are still Christmas songs to me. I guess I'd be more likely to be upset at singing a mass in Latin or an evangelical sort of hymn like "Onward Christian Soldiers" than a Christmas carol (at least most of them.)
What really annoys me and many Jews I know is trying to make Hanukkah the Christmas analog. Hanukkah is a relatively minor festival unlike Christmas. Personally I'm all for the secular Christmas stuff - the goodwill, the giving to charities, the love and understanding in our families - etc.
Alison
Here's the link on Snopes, so you don't have to email it around:
Sue
Susan Hartman/Dirty Linen The Magazine of Folk and World Music
Lucille
Thanks, but I *have* it. I just can't attach a .wmv file on here, y'know, and was looking for a *website* addy I could post here so others could see it! :)
It's really cool, isn't it?
Joan
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