Merry Christmas and a Happy Secularization. store in the United States without being reminded that Christmas is looming just around the

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1 Marchant 1 Kate Marchant Sarah Mesle WRIT 340 October 3, 2016 Merry Christmas and a Happy Secularization Beginning around the first day of November, when Halloween merchandise is cleared from the main shelves and relegated to clearance bins, it becomes nearly impossible to enter a store in the United States without being reminded that Christmas is looming just around the corner. Step into your local Wal-Mart or Target or Macy s and you ll find yourself barraged with tinsel, holly, and ornaments and, perhaps, a twelve-foot tall inflatable Santa Claus you can purchase for your lawn or roof. While it s a globally celebrated holiday, Christmas is especially popular in the United States, where nine out of ten people regardless of religious affiliation participate in the annual festivities of tree-decorating, stocking-stuffing, and merrymaking. 1 Preparation for Christmas can begin weeks or even months in advance. Between driving out to a local tree lot to strap a Douglas Fir to the top of the family minivan and scooping up hotcommodity toys before they sell out for the season, Americans go to great measures to prepare for a single burst of gift unwrapping. This kind of mass consumerism, a trademark of the modern Christmas, has recently received criticism from Pope Francis. His homily at last year s Christmas Eve Mass argued for a more ascetic lifestyle. Pope Francis said, In a society so often intoxicated by consumerism and hedonism, wealth and extravagance, appearances and narcissism, this Child calls us to act 1 Celebrating Christmas and the Holidays, Then and Now, Pew Research Center, December 18, 2013, accessed October 2, 2016,

2 Marchant 2 soberly, in other words, in a way that is simple, balanced, consistent, capable of seeing and doing what is essential. 2 Such sentiments are echoed by Bill Talen, a performance artist and author who is better known by his persona Reverend Billy of the Church of Stop Shopping. Reverend Billy is an activist who, while not actually tied to any branch of Christianity, has been protesting large corporations through performance since the late 1990s attempting exorcisms at banks; leading a gospel-like choir that sings about the pitfalls of capitalism; dubbing Mickey Mouse the anti-christ. Reverend Billy asserts: We live in this era of corruption, hiding in plain sight. All public activities are controlled by players who pay for control. The public has no role except as consumers. 3 The claim that consumerism has corrupted Christmas is one that has grown in prevalence in recent years, coinciding with the development of a burgeoning secular movement. But to argue that Christmas has somehow fallen in moral standing because it has been commercialized is to ignore the long history of shifting Christmas traditions and to pretend that societal values are stagnant and permanent. Many historians agree that Christmas actually originated as a pagan festival called Yule, which celebrated the rebirth of the sun and the elongation of the days. 4 In the darkest time of the year December, when days are short and cold Germanic pagans would chop down evergreen trees, perhaps the only sign of green left in more desolate climates, and decorate them with light. 5 The Christian Church, in an attempt to weed out paganism, outlawed these festivals. When 2 Francis, Holy Mass on the Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord, (Vatican City, Italy: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2015). 3 Reverend Billy, Corruption and Christmas, The Huffington Post, November 17, 2011, accessed October 2, 2016, 4 WB Hannon, Christmas and Its Folk-Lore, The Irish Monthly Vol. 52 No. 607, January 1924, pp Christmas is Tradition, The Science News-Letter Vol. 66 No. 24, December 11, 1954, pp

3 Marchant 3 the pagans refused to relinquish their Yuletide traditions, the Church decided to let people continue to celebrate in late December, but claimed the holiday for Christianity and rewrote the stories behind the festivities. 6 This is why, despite biblical evidence indicating Jesus Christ s birthday was actually sometime in the summer, Christians celebrate during the darkest time of the year. 7 While Christmas, or some form of it, has existed for centuries, the folklore behind it has changed over time. As the values and beliefs of a society change, so too do its traditions. For proof of this, we need look no further than one of the most recognizable Christmas icons: the folkloric figure modernly known as Santa Claus. The existence of a mythical wintertime paternal figure precedes the Christianization of Yule, a celebration that was closely associated with the Norse god Odin. Often depicted as a formidable Viking god with a thick white beard, Odin would lead the Wild Hunt, a mythological midwinter excursion, on his steed, an eight-legged horse called Sleipner. 8 For the pagans who celebrated Yule with animal sacrifice and feasting, hunting in the bleak of winter was a daunting but necessary task for survival; Odin s perseverance provided hope and motivation. After the Christianization of Yule festivities, aspects of Odin eventually became interwoven with the historical Christian figure Saint Nicholas, a Greek bishop who was known for his hidden giftgiving and rumored miracle-working. 9 The modern American Santa Claus is an amalgamation of myths. He bears Odin s beard, but is remarkably more jovial and warm, possessing Saint Nicholas affinity for children. Just as pagan children of centuries past would leave boots full of 6 Victoria S. Johnson, Windows on the World: Merry Christmas, Elementary English Vol. 42 No. 8, December 1965, pp Hannon, Christmas and Its Folk-Lore. 8 Hilda R. Ellis Davidson, Scandinavian Folklore in Britain, Journal of the Folklore Institute Vol. 7 No.2/3, August 1970, pp William D. Crump, Saint Nicholas in The Christmas Encyclopedia (Jefferson: McFarland & Company, Inc., 2013).

4 Marchant 4 carrots for the eight-legged Sleipner, children today leave carrots for Santa s eight reindeer Rudolph is a twentieth-century addition to the original eight and hang stockings over the fireplace to be filled with gifts or coal, depending on their behavior as judged on a Christian morality scale. 10 Aspects of these traditions are echoed abroad. In Holland, children also leave boots by the fireplace and await reward or punishment at hands of the Dutch Sinterklaas, who is helped by a team of six to eight black men (a remnant of the Dutch slave trade) rather than reindeer. 11 The changing mythology of Santa Claus illustrates the evolution of social values that we attach to one of the western world s most popular holidays. So how can Christmas be corrupted if, at its heart, the holiday stands as an ever-changing celebration and reflection of social values? Perhaps the trouble originates in the clash between Christianity and a growing secular community. In a 2014 poll, the Pew Research Center found that roughly 71% of Americans identified as Christian, as opposed to the 78% reported in The poll found that Southern states tended to be more religious in Mississippi, for example, 83% of those surveyed identified as Christian, while 14% claimed no religious affiliation. 13 Northern and western states, on the other hand, proved more divided; Massachusetts struck a ratio of 58% Christian to 32% non-religious. 14 While Christianity is still the numerically and culturally dominant religion in the United States, a recent rise in secularism and social awareness of other religions has created a kind of culture clash. 10 Marshall Cavendish, Peoples of Europe: Lithuania-Netherlands, Vol. 6 (Tarrytown: Marshall Cavendish Corporation, 2003). 11 David Sedaris, Six to Eight Black Men in Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim (Boston: Little Brown & Co., January 1, 2004). 12 Religious Landscapes Study, Pew Research Center, accessed October 2, 2016, 13 Religious Landscapes Study. 14 Religious Landscapes Study.

5 Marchant 5 The culture clash between those who support a Christian society and those who support secularization was recently exemplified in the case of a controversial coffee cup. Last year, on the first of November, Starbucks released its annual holiday cup design a minimalist two-tone gradient of red paired with the iconic circular mermaid logo in green and white. The cups were met with animosity and outrage from a vocal online presence of Christians who claimed, in part, that the absence of Christmas iconography in the new design was an attack on the holiday. Comedian and media critic Stephen Colbert was quick to critique such claims on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert: Yes, they got rid of the Christian religious symbols like snowflakes and snowmen. I think we all remember the story of when baby Jesus was visited by the three wise Frosties. 15 Colbert s tongue-in-cheek commentary makes a point. Previous designs on Starbucks holiday cups have not been overtly Christian. Even though Christmas ornaments and the silhouettes of pine needles might allude to the holiday practice of decorating a tree, Starbucks has never adorned its merchandise with crosses or babies in mangers. Jeffrey Fields, the vice president of Design and Content at Starbucks, released a statement regarding the cups that appeared on the Starbucks website: In the past, we have told stories with our holiday cups designs. This year we wanted to usher in the holidays with a purity of design that welcomes all of our stories. 16 Fields comments released along with the holiday cups acknowledge a growing trend in recognizing non-christian holiday practices. The recent push to question Christianity s social sovereignty and to untangle Christian mythologies from certain areas such as public schools and courts of law has been met with vicious backlash from those who support a 15 The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, episode 42, dir. Jim Hoskinson, writ. Jay Katsir and Opus Moreschi, CBS, November "The Story Behind the Design of Starbucks Red Holiday Cups," Starbucks Newsroom, November 8, 2015, accessed October 2, 2016,

6 Marchant 6 Christocentric society; for these people, Starbucks holiday cup design presented yet another attack on Christianity, another subtle phasing-out of Merry Christmas in exchange for the more inclusive and secular Happy Holidays. The claim that Christmas is somehow under attack or being corrupted stems from the growing presence of a secular community. Whether or not an individual believes Christmas is being corrupted depends up his or her personal alignment with either the secular or theistic system of beliefs. It is true that Christmas has been commercialized this is apparent during the fourth economic quarter of the year, when many companies see their largest profits and embrace Black Friday and Cyber Monday as if they are holidays all their own. It is also true that some companies, like Starbucks, have disaffiliated with certain religions in order to appeal to a broader consumer base. But the suggestion that consumerism has bred an obsession with material goods that is harming the moral character of Christmas is absurd. Christmas gift-giving is not a North American introduction to the holiday canon. For centuries, the wintertime celebration in both its Christian and pre-christian forms has centered around the exchange of food, clothes, and superfluous goods. In the Gospel of Matthew, the Three Wise Men bring the newborn Jesus gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 17 Saint Nicholas, too, was known for gift-giving; so much so that following his death, any gift received under mysterious circumstances was automatically attributed to the spirit of St. Nicholas. 18 We must acknowledge that the exchange of material goods alone does not illustrate a kind of corruption of Christmas. What lies at the root of the concern that Christmas is being tainted or destroyed is a visible shift in social attitudes toward religion. Just as paganism was overcome by Christianity, it may be the case that secularism and non-theism overcome Christianity as the dominant belief system. 17 Gospel of Matthew 2:11 18 Crump, Saint Nicholas.

7 Marchant 7 Though some Christians may become anxious or agitated at the thought of such a radical shift, it is essential to remember that secularism is not inherently bad or morally corrupt. In fact, the argument could be made that today s increasingly secular Christmas festivities focus not on the piety and moral purity of the individual, but on interpersonal relationships. There is much to be said about the lengths Americans go to in order to perpetuate the mythology of Santa Claus. According to the Pew Research Center, one-fifth of Americans surveyed in 2013 identify as the parent or guardian of a child who believes in Santa Claus; of these parents, 69% said they pretend that Santa Claus visits and delivers presents. 19 This deception entails numerous steps: setting aside finances for the season, making time to shop privately, wrapping or packaging the gifts in hiding, and sneaking often very late at night or very early in the morning these presents under the Christmas tree. It is a deception that requires a great deal of commitment, and offers no reward for the parent of guardian aside from the experience of watching children unwrap these presents. Americans find something worthwhile about Santa Claus. We produce and consume countless movies, television show episodes, and books about him. We participate in Secret Santa gift exchanges at school or work or even within our families or friend groups. And it seems to be our friends and families who play the most important role in our Christmas practices; when asked what aspect of Christmas they most looked forward to, only 4% of Americans cited exchanging gifts; the majority, about 69%, said they were eager to spend time with friends and family. 20 So perhaps Christmas is, to those who value a pure Christian holiday (if such a thing even exists), corrupted by consumerism, in the sense that Christmas is becoming detached from more religious messages. But this detachment does not correlate to a loss of morals or a degradation of 19 Celebrating Christmas and the Holidays, Then and Now. 20 Celebrating Christmas and the Holidays, Then and Now.

8 Marchant 8 society. Christmas is, as it has been for centuries, a reflection of changing social values. What has gone unchanged, even in the face of secularism and increasing commercialization, is the holiday s ability to unify communities and bring enjoyment to those who celebrate.

9 Marchant 9 Bibliography Christmas is Tradition. The Science News-Letter Vol. 66 No. 24. December 11, pp Crump, William D. Saint Nicholas in The Christmas Encyclopedia (Jefferson: McFarland & Company, Inc., 2013). Davidson, Hilda R. Ellis. Scandinavian Folklore in Britain. Journal of the Folklore Institute Vol. 7 No.2/3. August pp Francis. Holy Mass on the Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord. (Vatican City, Italy: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2015). Gospel of Matthew 2:11. Hannon, WB. Christmas and Its Folk-Lore. The Irish Monthly Vol. 52 No January pp Johnson, Victoria S. Windows on the World: Merry Christmas. Elementary English Vol. 42 No. 8. December pp Marshall Cavendish. Peoples of Europe: Lithuania-Netherlands, Vol. 6 (Tarrytown: Marshall Cavendish Corporation, 2003). Religious Landscapes Study. Pew Research Center. Accessed October 2, Reverend Billy. Corruption and Christmas. The Huffington Post. November 17, Accessed October 2, Sedaris, David. Six to Eight Black Men in Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim (Boston: Little Brown & Co., January 1, 2004). The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Episode 42. Dir. Jim Hoskinson. Writ. Jay Katsir and Opus Moreschi. CBS. November "The Story Behind the Design of Starbucks Red Holiday Cups." Starbucks Newsroom. November 8, Accessed October 2,

Gift Giving It is sometimes said that the tradition of gift-giving started with the 3 wise men, who visited Jesus and gave him gifts of myrrh, frankin

Gift Giving It is sometimes said that the tradition of gift-giving started with the 3 wise men, who visited Jesus and gave him gifts of myrrh, frankin Christmas Christmas, as most of us know, is the Christian tradition honoring the birth of Christ though it is not celebrated solely as such in our modern society. To us, Christmas represents a time of