Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Xmas trees in Cohousing

[areinert (areinert]

About 2 minutes after I hit enter I realized I was gonna sound like a 
jerk. I meant to respond to a delightfully blithe, tongue in cheek 
comment (Jewish, noting the unnoted Christmas tree) in what I meant to be 
a similar blithe tone. But it wasn't.  But. This business of we-can't-say 
the-name-of-this-cultures-biggest-holiday because there's symbolism and 
tacit assumptions that can offend some, is preposterous.

Item:  In Seattle Public schools, you can't officially write "Christmas". 
You have to use "winter holidays, the holidays", or some such strained
circumlocution to avoid using the C-word. But Kwanza, a relatively obscure
tradition indigenous to some African tribes, is offically promoted. 
Meanwhile, the full withering blast of Commercialmas is going on out
there.  C'mon, this is sheer preposterousness in the name of political
correctness.  That emperor is wearing very silly clothes.  That sort of
political correctness makes a mockery of the intent of multicultural
awareness and respect, and provides comic grist for the Rush's and Newts
of the world.  *Lighten up*. 

Not having a Christmas tree because it is symbolism inferred as oppressive
by a minority, is subjecting cultural oppression on the majority, for most
of whom it is simply a loved element of cultural tradition.  That
oppressive symbolism can be inferred does not make it intended by the
practicioner. 

> In the US and western Europe Christmas IS now mainly secular holiday,
not withstanding or denying that most of the traditional elements (trees,
Santas, kreshes) are derived from religious symbolism, or that many people
invest it with sincere religion.  But arguing that elements of Christmas
traditon be banned because Christmas is culturally opressive sounds like
Christian-rightist arguments that the US should be a theocracy because the
phrase, "endowed by their Creator", is in the Declaration of 
Independence. Or, to stretch it, but I mean this, that Salman Rushdie 
should be assassinated because he insulted Islam.  I thought that 
avoiding intolerance was the point. 

It's easy to wax righteously apopleptic in writing, as I find myself now
doing.  In REAL LIFE, if you were in the community and protested sincerely
and respectfully to me that you found Christmas trees in the common house
repugnant, I would (I hope) graciously accede to your request while
suppressing my (private) annoyance. But I'd prefer an atmosphere where you
and I wouldn't have to perpetually walk on eggshells about differing
elements of lifestyle, where I would be equally welcome at Seters, Wiccan
solstice ceremonies, St.  Nicholas day, (I have been made so), Ramadan,
Wiccan solstice ceremonies, or the myriad of potential different
traditions.  And if, after a mug of beer/mead/wine/saki... I would not
become a pariah for saying something indiscreet, ignorant, or tasteless,
about some element of a tradition or culture someone else holds dear. I
"celebrate"  Christmas, but I don't believe in immaculate conception,
transubstantiation, the divinity of Buddah, the panoply of Hindu gods, the
Angel Moroni, the living holy spirit of beech trees, ....  And I don't
think I should defer my cultural traditions to the potentially offended
sensibilities of (dis)believers in those things, nor they to me.

Arne Reinert