Feature Article December 11, 2002
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What's in a Name?There has been much publicity in recent weeks over attempts by various levels of government to eliminate Christian references from their official seasonal activities.
In one case, the Royal Canadian mint substituted the Twelve Days of Giving for the Twelve Days of Christmas in a TV ad promoting coins as Christmas gifts. In another case the City of Kingston has reportedly eliminated their traditional Crhe from the Christmas display at City Hall this year.
These and other acts are intended to demonstrate that all levels of government in this country are thoroughly secular and do not favour one religious group over others. I believe they have only had the opposite effect.
If the expectation is that by changing some of the language around Christmas all non-Christians will feel that the holidays are now shared by all, it is bound to fail. All of us who do not share a Christian heritage, and I include myself among this number, know quite a bit about Christmas. It is unavoidable. We do not need to have some of the words changed so we can feel a part of it. We do not need to feel a part of it at all. Whatever our views towards it, we willingly take the days off that come our way.
This country has a strong Christian past and the traditions around Christmas are firmly ingrained in the culture. This is not a difficult thing for non-Christians to accept, and it does not denigrate or degrade any one of us.
Whatever Christmas has become, it is a celebration that fits neatly into the collective psyche of a northern nation. It is important to a great many people, bringing them together and bringing families together. It is not something that anyone need apologise for.
The Jewish holidays that my family celebrates are important to us, and we make no apology for them. We do not need to hear politicians wish our community well on those holidays, but we appreciate it when they do.
There are many language uses in our society that denigrate people and they are often used in ignorance, without intending harm. When someone says they were jewed down on the price of something, or were gypped in a deal, this places negative stereotypes about Jews and Gypsies inside the heart of our culture, in its language. I personally support the idea of politically correct language when it means addressing these biases embedded in the language.
Christian iconography, the word Christmas, and all the positive statements about Christian culture that abound over this Christian holy time, say something positive about a large group within our society. Im afraid that the foolish attempts by the state to eliminate these references can only lead to a backlash against the important societal goal of eliminating racism and cultural intolerance.
