It’s the time of year when stores paint their windows with fake snow and cover every inch of their display in festive cheer in an effort to seduce consumers into spending every last penny in an effort to buy that perfect Christmas. Christmas has long been a topic of great debate. The puritans made the celebration of Christmas through “forbearing labor or feasting or [celebrating] in any other way” a crime (Cohen). The holiday then began to gain more respect as a respectable holiday after the introduction of St. Nickolas and the domesticity of the event. More recently the later part of December has come to be know as the holiday season, rather than the Christmas season in an attempt to show respect for other religions and the religious celebrations of those religions.
The most notable religious ceremony in the United States that occurs during the “holiday season”, aside form Christmas is Hanukah. However, to those who practice Judaism Hanukah is not a major holiday. Rabbi Joshua Eli Plaut, who studies the commercialization of Hanukah, stated, “Hanukkah has always been a minor holiday, not on par with the Jewish New Year, the Day of Atonement and not even on par with other high holidays"(Manekin). This minor Jewish holiday that has been cast into eminence in the united sates owes its prestige to the commercialization of the “holiday season”. The rampant consumerism of the American Christmas carried over into Hanukah forming commercialized holiday that is more of a cultural than religious event.
The conflict between Christmas and the Jews culture is not isolated to modern American culture. In European comminutes, according to Plaut, it was often the case the Jews would either isolate themselves from Christmas, or accept the holiday on cultural, rather than religious grounds and host Christmas parties of bring Christmas trees into their homes (Manekin).
This awkward relationship between different religions, the attempt to from a cohesive culture, and in America to use this culture to fuel consumerism has come to be exemplified by the phrase “happy holidays”. Sores that capitalize on the advantageous situation of consumers that are more willing to buy freely in this time of year have adopted the phrase, or other similar phrases, to entice as large a percentage of the population as possible with out offending any possible customers. Implicit in this modus operandi is the American cultural presumption that religion can be truncated and separated from popular culture. While it is true that form may people that meaning of Christmas has everything to do with the presents, or consumer culture of America, and nothing to do with religion. This does not, however, mean that that foundation of the holiday is in any way exculpable of its religious pretext, particularly when observing that American cultural attempt to avoid confrontation or alienation of those people who are not Christian.
This then is paradox of happy holidays in American culture. The holiday season had transformed into more of a cultural rather than religious event, with a strong religious pretext. By becoming a consumption-based holiday Christmas has created the spirit of consumerism associated with the time period that has then trans-mutated Hanukah into a major holiday on a cultural bases, rather than a religious bases. “Happy holidays” has then come to me something bizarre and particular to American culture. It essentially means to enjoy spending money on gifts for the sake of culture, any cultural events that occur in December, and any religious pretext that may be associated with those gifts.
Works Cited:
Cohen, Adam. "This Season's War Cry: Commercialize Christmas, or Else." This Season's War Cry: Commercialize Christmas, or Else - New York Times. 4 Dec. 2005. The New York Times. 4 Dec. 2008 http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/04/opinion/04sun3.html
Manekin, Michael. "Hanukkah bolstered by Christmas rivalry." Hanukkah bolstered by Christmas rivalry Oakland tribune Find articles on Bnet. 15 Dec. 2006. Oakland Tribune. 4 Dec. 2008 http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4176/is_/ai_n16903960
Mckee, Steven. "An Unreasonable Fear of Christmas." Business Week. 7 Dec. 2006. Sales and Market. 4 Dec. 2008 http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/dec2006/sb20061207_345299.htm?campaign_id=bier_smc.g3a.rssd1207zz
1 comment:
In the coming weeks of December, the allure of the approaching holiday season will become nearly unavoidable to consumers. It is always fascinating how a religious holiday, such as Christmas, has transformed into an entire season that is controlled by America's consumer culture. While attending Catholic school as a child, I was constantly aware of the religious meaning behind such a holiday, which has no become blurred by images of sale signs and crowded shopping malls. In attempt to not provide a disincentive to shop, corporations are constantly reminding consumers to have a "happy holiday season". It is also interesting to question why Christmas, with its images of Santa Claus and decorated trees, has gained so much popularity over Hanukah. The emergence of the "holiday season" is a direct result of the combination of culture and religion when put against an economic backdrop. In a sense, Christmas has provided the stimulus for the encouragement of a time of year that can be celebrated by all, regardless of religious background. In a cross-cultural sense, this example examines two areas of culture that have become now become combined, religion and business. Obviously, religion provided the basis for the celebration of the holiday, but it was the addition of economics that created the "holiday season". Therefore, the holidays exist in two different worlds, both the traditional and the modern, with the consumer driven area beginning to gain preference.
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