Festivus And Other Nonsense

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Festivus And Other Nonsense

By Meri Ulrich
Nov. 28, 2005

On Seinfeld, George's father (played by Jerry Stiller) didn't believe in celebrating traditional holidays so he created "Festivus". It was symbolized by using an aluminum pole and testing various feats of strength. It was a very funny bit for a sitcom. I laughed, I cried...well, you get the point.

Little did I know that in the year 2005 I would actually experience "Festivus". On many of the cable media venues and even in book form it has been pointed out that some secularists are actually trying to remove any mention of the traditional Judeo-Christian holidays from some commercial establishments and from schools.

What is this, "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas" come to life? I grew up with Christmas trees and decorations and I never failed to sing Carols with my classmates and I'm NOT even a Christian. I loved to color Easter eggs and get stuffed bunny toys, and delicious candy in my Easter basket every year. I sat on Santa's lap as did my children and my grandchildren. Not once did any of us EVER pray in front of the decorations and Christmas trees in our homes or department stores nor did we pray in front of the person dressed in the Santa Suit or the Easter Bunny costume at the Mall. I never saw anyone else praying or acting in a religious way in these situations either.

Suddenly, it's NOT okay to say "Merry Christmas" and we can only say "Happy Holiday"? Suddenly the traditions that I have grown up with are to be no more?

What can possibly be gained by some secularist groups who want to do exactly what they are accusing the non-secularists of doing...imposing THEIR will on everyone else. Never mind that "everyone else" happens to be the majority of people in our country.

Retail outlets and large corporations make most of their profits during the Christmas season so which of them in their right minds would remove something as expected and anticipated as Christmas from their stores?

Christmas Trees, Santa's and decorations are NOT religious and do not represent the birth of Christ. That is usually done in a house of worship through preaching, teaching and praying. The Easter Bunny, colored eggs and baskets of candy are not representative of the resurrection of Christ and that too is accomplished in a house of worship. Blue and white Chanukah wrap and the dradel are not representative of Jewish people worshiping God and remembering what the holiday is all about. That is done in a Temple. Ramadan is celebrated in a Mosque and Kwanza...well, I don't really know where Kwanza is celebrated but I'm fairly certain that it's not practiced at Macy's or Target.

If we are forced to remove all of the traditions that we have known all of our lives how will that better society or mankind? Won't it simply be yet another step toward becoming an unfeeling society without anything to look forward to?

I love to shop for Christmas and Chanukah gifts and I love to give them to my family. I love to fill a brightly colored basket full of dyed eggs and candy for my grandchildren and they love receiving all of the above.

I do not go to a Church or a Temple but I still understand the meaning behind the holidays. By seeing some guy dressed in a Santa Suit and saying, "Ho, Ho, Ho" I am not demeaning anyone's beliefs or my own. What I am doing is simply getting into the spirit of giving and sharing and enjoying the company of others in a way that is less terse and unfeeling during the rest of the year. It's nice to hear a greeter at some store say, "Merry Christmas" and it doesn't matter that it isn't my particular holiday. It just makes me smile and feel better.

To all of you "Grinches" out there who would like nothing better than to take this away from me I say "Bah humbug". May the ghosts of Christmas past haunt you in your dreams...unless dreaming is also forbidden?

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About the author: Meri has a Medical/Legal background and is a former forensic researcher specializing in psychological profiling.

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