Wednesday, December 17, 2008

What happened to Christmas, you guys?

I don't mean that in a "Christmas-is-too-commercial-it-should-be-about-families" kind of way because - 1) I like presents. and 2) Anyone who claims to really enjoy family Christmases is either 6-years-old or an alcoholic.

And I don't mean that in a "People-are-all-too-stressed-and-hurried-to-appreciate-the-season" kind of way because... hi, people are stressed and hurried 365, when was the last time a stranger held the door for you or went out of their way to be courteous to you? Never, right? That's another rant for another day.

I mean it in a "Where-the-hell-did-Christmas-go" kind of way.

When I was in school, we had a Christmas Concert where we performed Christmas music, and after a Jewish family moved to the area, I believe they threw in a Hanukah song. Everyone dressed up in their holiday best and the PTA sold cookies.

Tonight is my kid's school's Winter concert. Yep, Winter concert. Last year the school called it their Holiday concert and sang a couple traditional Christmas songs (Nothing too churchy) and a couple Hanukah songs (don't know the names of them, sue me) and a Japanese song. This year, my kid explained, there are a couple of students who happen to be Jehovah's Witnesses, so they can't mention any holiday stuff, so they're singing several non-holiday songs and another Japanese song (which, in and of itself, is kind of odd because there aren't any Japanese students at the school). They can't even sing holiday songs like "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" (because it mentions that Christian figure, Santa Clause) or "Jingle Bells" (how this one is religious, I'll never know)

I'm all for not-infringing upon anyone's beliefs, but... it's not like Jehovah's Witnesses aren't aware of Christmas and Hanukah. We haven't exactly been keeping them secrets. I'm assuming that every year Jehovah Moms and Dads have to explain to their Junior Jehovahs why they can't beg some fat guy in a red suit for a new video game system like everyone else in their class. And that's cool, that's their choice. Why shouldn't it also be their choice to NOT sing the overtly holiday songs? I mean, if the class were singing a song I found to be offensive (I guess anything by Toby Keith?), I'd have no problem telling my kid that he could sit that one out. Easy Peasy. Or, hey, I could just not send him to the concert. Even easier.

Last week or so, I watched an exchange on Twitter wherein a Jewish woman declared a non-Jewish woman an asshole for sending out Christmas cards to people she knows to be not-Christian. Basically, the woman was saying that if you send out [whatever holiday you celebrate] cards, you should only send them to people who celebrate [whatever holiday you celebrate]. If there is anyone else you know who celebrates something else, you need to get them specific cards for [whatever holiday they celebrate]. This seemed... jackassinine to me. I happen to celebrate Christmas, but if someone sends me a Happy Hanukah card, I'll stick it up with all of my Christmas cards, not de-friend this person. Are we, as a society, so policitally correct/easily offended that we can't even accept warm wishes from a friend unless it comes in the exact shade of religion that to which we subscribe? I'm at the point where I won't even wish someone a Merry Christmas for fear of offending that person.

I wasn't aware that we were guaranteed religious freedom with the stipulation that we keep it to ourselves.

Of course, I'm probably not even allowed to complain about this because I happen to celebrate Christmas and this country still leans towards being Christian-centric, so I would still technically be a part of the group who is doing the oppressing.

Bah-fucking-humbug, wake me up in January.

Labels: adventures in shitty parenting