If you were in the Penn Bookstore last Tuesday, you might have spotted me - a little Asian girl standing by the glossy stacks of discounted Christmas cards. Would it be striped candy canes or mistletoe this year? Skiing snowmen? Kittens in Santa hats?
I'm agnostic- but Christmas cards carry a certain romance - all merry and festive. I appreciate them like I appreciate religious iconography or stepping inside a Gothic cathedral: I don't understand it, I don't believe it, but I love it anyways.
In the search for Christmas cards, I wanted to be strategic. Versatile. No frills, no crosses, no nonsense. In reality, the only ones that fit the bill were bleak Ansel Adams snowscapes. But wasn't that eclipsing the real point? I wanted to spread holiday cheer. Yet I didn't want to run the risk of excluding anyone.
During the holiday season, it's worth examining whether we want to be politically correct about Christmas. I would rather someone wish me a well-meant "Merry Christmas" than cover it up in public-relations gloss. We should separate true intolerance of other religions from simple festive goodwill.
In the hospital ward across from my little attic of a room in the Quad, the barren corridors have been lit up with Christmas trees. It's not politically correct, but it doesn't offend anyone. It's the festive mood. "It definitely provides a warm spirit. It's nice to see when you come in," Hospital Clinical-Resource Coordinator Carolyn Vossl said.
Most of us grew up with Christmas. If it wasn't in our homes, it was on our television screens, with Macaulay Culkin in Home Alone or reruns of It's a Wonderful Life. Regardless of our religious faiths, Jolly Saint Nick and his reindeer are part of the nation's popular culture. Singing about Rudolph has nothing to do with making a statement on God; giving gifts to other people has nothing to do with being Christian.
Last year, America tried to play it safe. Christmas trees were renamed "holiday trees." Wal-Mart instructed its employees to wish everyone "Happy Holidays." Religious groups boycotted. This year, we've reverted back to "Merry Christmas" - or any holiday greeting of your choice. Macy's, Target and Sears are echoing the trend in their advertising campaigns.
Silly retailers. As if changing the name would change the facts. You're really interested in our pocketbooks and boosting after-Christmas sales. We make the holiday synonymous with a shopping spree. Holiday sales equal presents, presents equal Christmas. The holiday is no longer just an expression of faith - it's growing into a secular cultural phenomenon.
"Getting presents is a great thing. I mean, doesn't everybody like that?" Religious Studies professor Ann Matter said.
Every year, a few people try to censor Santa Claus. They bust the nativities, crush the crŠches, smash the ornaments. Critics say the symbols make people feel uncomfortable or excluded. But the attempt to take religion out of public life only serves to make it taboo, sideline the importance of spirituality in people's lives and discourage us from sharing our holiday traditions.
In England, the divide between religion and public life is even starker. No Christmas stamps are issued by the national post office. Employees at Inland Revenue, the British equivalent of the IRS, are forbidden from giving Christmas parties. Town councils proposed that Christmas be merged with other religious holidays (Kwanza, Diwali, Hanukkah) and collectively renamed as "Winterval."
British Muslims and Christians alike protested this secularization of the holidays. By suppressing every schoolchild's favorite holiday, the state had given racists and xenophobes another outlet to hurl their rhetoric against British Muslims.
Instead, we should be honest - but not narrow-minded - about religion in the public sphere. If we don't mention it, it becomes taboo. We know it's there, but we're scared of talking about it lest the political correctness pundits denounce us. We come up with vague euphemisms for it - replacing "Merry Christmas" with "Happy Holidays" - but this only puts us out of touch with the diversity of our beliefs.
We need more excuses to smile in the grim and chilly days of winter. Don't censor Santa Claus.
Elizabeth Song is a College sophomore from Clemmons, N.C. Her e-mail address is song@dailypennsylvanian.com . Striking a Chord appears on Thursdays.
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