Recently, research for one of my classes sent me to a place I had never been before: The realm of right-wing “news,” otherwise known as the world of Bill O’Reilly.
My assignment for the class was to compare “The O’Reilly Factor” to “Real Time with Bill Maher” and consider why the two shows are appealing to young viewers. Having never seen “The O’Reilly Factor,” I went in search of video clips, and boy did I find them. For more than an hour, I found myself glued to my computer screen learning about a war that Americans are waging, a war that I honesty didn’t know existed – the “War on Christmas.”
After a little bit of poking around, I found that for several back segments the show’s topic has been this war on Christmas, anti-Christian bias and the diminishment of Christmas. In between his incessant rambling and screaming at guests, O’Reilly managed to raise a few interesting points.
Within these broadcasts, a lot of examples were given about how Christmas is being attacked both in government institutions and private companies. Private companies, more specifically private stores, let the decision of Christmas inclusion or exclusion be company policy. A privately owned store has every right to put up signs and decorations that say “Merry Christmas;” these stores are working to attract consumers, and that is precisely what they are doing by getting into the holiday spirit. If someone has a problem with Christmas decorations being displayed at a store, that person can simply shop elsewhere.
Now when you throw government institutions into the situation, it gets a little messier. Some argue that a Christmas tree outside of a public building is a clear sign of the mixing of church and state. Others argue that Christmas is a federal holiday and a national tradition, and there is no reason to bar it from government property. Both sides have many valid points and arguments and, when I listen to what they have to say, I often find
myself nodding along with both sides. As heated as people are about Christmas trees, otherwise known as holiday trees, in the public square, it is nothing compared to the debate about the holidays in public schools.
Should schools allow holiday decorations? Should schools hold holiday pageants? I think that if a school includes decorations and songs from various winter holidays there is no reason why the holiday season should be ignored. In fact, the holiday season is the perfect time to teach children about other cultures, to introduce them to other religions and other holidays. It really is an incredible learning opportunity to have so many cultures celebrating, in their own way, at the same time of year. Why not teach children about Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and other holidays? Why not take the time to teach them about other cultures?
All of this fighting over Christmas boils down to the fact that it is a Christian holiday, and not everyone in this country is Christian. But I say that Christmas is more than a Christian holiday. While on the surface Christmas, literally meaning “Mass of Christ,” is purely Christian, it has many more elements. Looking at it closely, Christmas is a unique blend of pagan traditions, Christianity and good old American consumerism.
Long before the birth of Jesus, people were celebrating the winter season. Across Europe, people would celebrate the winter solstice and the end of the worst of winter weather. They would worship their own god and take advantage of the fact that the wine and beer made during the year was finally
fermented and ready for drinking.
In the early years of Christianity, the birth of Jesus was not celebrated; Easter was the main holiday. It was in the fourth century that church officials decided that the birth of Jesus should be celebrated. The day of his birth is not mentioned in the bible, though the presence of shepherds tending to their flocks suggests spring time. Many believe that celebrating on Dec. 25 is an effort to adopt the traditions of a pagan festival. This chosen date was effectively integrating Christian beliefs with the established celebration on Dec. 25 of Mithra, the god of the unconquerable sun. Aside from the date, many Christmas traditions come from different
societies and different religions.
Christmas has become more than a Christian holiday; it is also a time to revel in the spirit of the season, spend time with the ones we love, and appreciate what we have. For many non-Christians, such as myself, the holiday may not be about the birth of Jesus, but it still means something. And, of course, the holidays are about consumerism.
This may not be a principle of the holidays that people harbor in their hearts, but it is definitely here; stores have had Christmas trees up since the Halloween spider webs came down. In the corporate world the holidays are about selling, and that is OK with me. We live in a capitalist country, and you have to expect companies to bank on the largest holiday and the biggest spending period.
Christmas is a great many things to many people and it is here to stay; so everyone, please stop fighting over Christmas. The country is not out to crush non-Christians. And the country is not out to repress Christianity. Let everyone celebrate in his or her own way and let government institutions join in the spirit with representations from all cultures. Lets all just have a Merry Christmas and a happy holiday season!

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