Christmas has been a part of the life of every single person I know, whether they celebrate it or not. I can’t think of anyone that finds Christmas offensive, but some people do. Complaints have driven stores such as Wal-Mart and Target to reconsider their ways of approaching customers. Some have even decided to substitute the typical “Merry Christmas” with “Happy Holidays.” The large corporations that helped make Santa a retail superstar are now shying away from the holiday they so ironically took advantage of for years.
Christians like Bill O’Reilly, Jerry Falwell and Bill Donohue, as well as part-time Santas around the country, have been offended by such corporate decisions. Older generations seem to be troubled the most, but people of all ages have chosen to stand up against the actions of the supposedly inconsiderate, tradition-killing superstores. There is a general fear that something so treasured could be snatched and shattered to pieces by “corporate arrogance.”
Even though the dominant religion in America is Christianity, this is not a reason for businesses to cater only to Christian customers. It would not be fair to force a religion on anyone. That would be doing the same thing that is shunned upon when done in other countries. People of all religions should be able to visit a store and buy something without having to feel “less American” or “alienated”, as a student wrote in Hilltopics.
To me, Christmas is a special time that brings great memories. I look forward to it every year. It seems odd that some are offended by a holiday I grew up with, but businesses don’t have the luxury to think that way. Businesses are there to make a profit.
Many believe that there is a war to take Jesus out of the holiday. The problem is that for most people, Christmas is not really about Jesus or what He did anymore. Christmas has sadly become a time for material satisfaction. It represents a consumerist secular attitude as much as it represents a good time of sharing with the family.
I do not know whether there really is a war on Christmas imparted by prayer haters. Perhaps there is a movement against Christianity and their tactic is to re-baptize the usual “Christmas tree” as a mere “Holiday tree.” Regardless, I think that if we are scared of losing what is holy or special to us, then we should focus on searching our own hearts and minds instead of Wal-Mart’s press releases.
It is not Wal-Mart’s duty to celebrate anything and it has freedom to do as it pleases, even if it uses “fairness” as a pretext. If Chick-Fil-A can close on Sundays as a day of rest, other businesses should be allowed to let their employees greet customers however they consider appropriate. In the same way, it is up to each individual to choose how, where, and why he/she celebrates “the holidays.”
Christians should try to affect the world in a positive way, not just criticize and look down on others and their choices. It is also important to mention that there are bigger issues to be preoccupied with. Poverty, AIDS, suicide, anorexia, and racism, as well as the excessive consumerism of our culture and the lack of freedom in other parts of the world, deserve much more attention.
As a Christian, I think it is up to us to be a light, and up to us to celebrate the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus (not just in December). It is up to Wal-Mart to have enough boxes of cereal on Wednesdays and clean its bathrooms consistently. I think “Happy Holidays” is appropriate because it includes everyone. As for me, I will keep celebrating Christmas, and I will keep celebrating what Jesus did. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.
Juan Contreras is a senior marketing major. He may be contacted at [email protected].
