Judith Wasow —
In my family I am referred to as the Grinch, and it is true. I hate Christmas.
Let me clarify. I think it is noble and admirable for Christians to celebrate the birth of Christ.
In my own religion, there are many holidays that we celebrate. This usually involves a family gathering, the consumption of much very unhealthy food and and, occasionally, attendance at a religious service. I believe this is the way Muslims do it and maybe Buddhists and Hindus too. These observances do not involve saturating the community at large with expressions of our faith.
What I hate is actually the Christmas season. Said season begins in October, when it is time to deck the halls. And the malls, and the gym, and the dentist office, and the library, and the restaurants, and even the city streets. No place is immune from supposedly festive decoration. And this is often, nay usually, accompanied by seasonal music. Some of it is traditional, and I admit, beautiful. But much of it has been rearranged to be jazzy, or rapped, or countrified, or even whined, as in the renditions by Bob Dylan, nee Zimmerman.
I am supposed to be charmed by a Medieval saint said to be watching me at all times! Like the decorations, there is no getting away from it. And we‘re talking months here.
This is the core of my distress. I know that I live in a Christian country, and I am generally OK with that. I am supposed to be protected by the separation of Church and State, though I find the erosion of that protection alarming. For most of the year, the ubiquity of Christianity does not impinge on my life in any significant way. But for the two months of the Christmas season, I am reminded daily that I am not a Christian, not of the majority, and, in fact, that I am a marginal citizen. I find this profoundly uncomfortable.
Some communities have tried for balance by introducing a token public observance of Chanukah. Let the record show that I object to that too. While I delight in being invited to the homes of friends to partake in their family celebration, I make that choice personally. The wholesale indulgence in the Christmas season leaves me no choice.
Bah Humbug!
Your article is well written and your points well taken. We agree with most of your views.
However, it is a lost cause.
Happy New Year.