(no subject)

[hatman]

I've been seeing Christmas all over the place this month. Macy's has had a nook with a tree and all since the beginning November. One of the local radio stations has been on an all-Christmas playlist for some time now. I've been seeing Christmas ads on TV since before Halloween. And I live in New Jersey, where there's no shortage of Jews, and there are healthy and growing populations of Muslims and Hindus, too.

It used to be that Christmas season started in mid-December or so. Then it expanded to encompass the rest of the month. I'd almost gotten used to the idea of its inescapable presence for six weeks starting at the end of Thanksgiving. But now it's spread to all of November and seems to have a decent foothold in October.

I don't want to quash your celebration, but I don't like having it crammed down my throat. Just about everyone has some kind of holiday around winter solstice time. It'd be nice if we all acknowledged that variety together, in its proper time. But instead we have this ever-spreading monocultural commercialized juggernaut.

From where I'm standing, there's no war on Christmas. Christmas has declared war on the rest of the calendar, and it seems to be winning.

Comments

[pgwfolc.livejournal.com]

Sent to the NYT:

It used to be that Christmas Season started in mid-December or so. Then it expanded to encompass the rest of the month. I'd almost gotten used to the idea of its inescapable presence (store displays, radio songs, TV ads) for six weeks starting at the end of Thanksgiving. But now it's spread to all of November and seems to have a decent foothold in October.

I don't want to quash your celebration, but I don't like having it crammed down my throat. Just about everyone has some kind of holiday around winter solstice. It'd be nice if we all acknowledged that variety together, in its proper time. But instead we have this ever-spreading monocultural commercialized juggernaut. It seems like, instead of a War On Christmas, Christmas has declared war on the rest of the calendar.

It should be a time of celebration, of reflection, of family and friends. A time to bring light, warmth, and joy to the heart of winter. We should wish each other "Happy Holidays!" in cheerful exultation of this common thread in our religious and ethnic diversity. The phrase should be understood to have special meaning. "Whatever the name of your holiday, whatever it means to you, may it be a happy one, and may it bring us all together."

This year, don't just accept Christmas for what it has become. Do your part to renew the true spirit of the season. And, when it's time, I hope you have Happy Holidays.

We'll see if anything comes of it. :)

[kb91.livejournal.com]

Well, I certainly like it! I hope they print it. If not, it will definitely due to space, not quality of writing. :)

[pgwfolc.livejournal.com]

Thanks! *beams* :)

We'll see. Their autoresponse says that they'll get back to me within 3 business days if they're going to use it. If not, I can consider myself free to submit to another paper. In which case I'll probably try the main NJ paper, and maybe the one in Florida again.