So I was driving past the bell tower in the city yesterday and I noticed they’ve put a big gold star on top like it’s a freakish glass and metal Christmas tree. Which, okay, fine. I’m cool with that. But given the scale of the tower the star is huge. Naturally, I started to ponder how they got it up there. Some kind of winch?
Rick: Crane, maybe.
Me: Seems like a lot of effort to go to. But I guess if you had the crane out already for putting up the other decorations…
And then I started to frown. Because I’d started thinking about the decorations instead of just vaguely muttering, Oh. Pretty.
The city puts them up every year. They’re mostly the same but sometimes they design new stuff. Lights and sparklies and whatever.
And here’s the thing. Sometimes I get into arguments about what governments decide to spend money on. A lot of the time these arguments are with myself while others look on with confusion and, at times, a bit of awe (at how nuts I am). Because the ruthless part of me says, Why on earth does the government give writing grants and things like that? That’s so impractical and wasteful when they could be spending it on useful, important things like schools and hospitals. But then, I am a writer and I am appropriately grateful for the fact that apparently some part of my government is trying to back the arts. Plus, I know the arguments about the value of culture and society morale and… I get it, okay? Sometimes the fluffy, fruity things are just as worthwhile as the practical things.
But Christmas decorations? I’m not sure that qualifies. I mean, for one thing, why Christmas? There are lots of holidays. If they wanted to randomly choose one to celebrate couldn’t they pick one that was a little more inclusive? If they’re trying to inspire warm fuzzy feelings in people there have to better ways than by openly, lavishly celebrating a holiday that only part of their populace is into.
And by that point I was glaring up at the star and muttering, Uncool, man.
Me: I am judging the city of Perth.
Rick: I think you’d have to judge a lot of cities.
Me: Fine. I’m judging the municipal authorities of most of the western world.
And then Rick laughed at me. Because he does that. But you guys’ll be honest with me, right? Tell me, does this whole Christmas-decorating-the-city thing seem kinda hinky to you?
Kandace Mavrick
Paul McLaughlan
Greg T
19/12/2013
I can’t immediately think of a holiday more inclusive than Christmas; basically every society and religion have celebrated something in that period if only because of the nearby solstice, and Christmas is the one that that the West appears to have defaulted on in terms of branding (it’s like using “Xerox” or “Google” as a verb even if we didn’t literally use the Xerox or Google brands).
Some may think Christmas is a Christian thing; but clearly it’s not now. Society has up and said, “No thanks, we want a secular version of this but we like some of the tradition and symbolism associated with your way of doing, so it’s ours now, thanks.” Like we did with marriage.
Kandace Mavrick
19/12/2013
I don’t think Christmas is an exclusively Christian holiday. I’m not sure it ever has been given the way it was written over a pagan festival. And yeah, there are a number of holidays celebrated in this period. But I’m talking about what are obviously and specifically Christmas decorations. Saying, “Oh you can pretend they’re for celebrating Hanukkah/your preferred holiday celebration” doesn’t make them appropriate. The fact that it’s a default doesn’t make it right. It’s exactly what I’m complaining about.
Minkie
19/12/2013
Christmas is NOT an inclusionist celebration. It is explicitly Christian. The decorations are generally christian focused. When they are not, they are Still solidly “Western”. If it was cost trivial – it would still offend me because of the bias. I am also offended that the Public Holidays that it brings with it. Can I take my christmas holiday on Hanukah instead? Howabout on the Solstice? I am also annoyed by the invasiveness of the “Christmas spirit” – Apparently it is uncool to respond to “Merry Christmas ” with “Fuck off with your Cannibal Death religion”
-> Button
Kandace Mavrick
19/12/2013
Well I do think, “Fuck off with your cannibal death religion” is a bit harsh. They’re allowed to celebrate their cannibal death religion if they want. I just have some reservations about the government backing that play personally.
(Also I totally think we should be able to specify which holidays we want to have free of work and which ones we don’t care about. That would be cool.)
Craig
19/12/2013
I’d be cool-ish with it if it was a bit more interesting and creative. But stars and wreaths? Really. Let the department stores and retail precincts do that, they can’t seem to help themselves anyway. I don’t see the point in council spending on it personally.
BTW, I totally CAN specify which holidays I want as work-free time and which I don’t. In fact, if I choose weird ones my job will tend to love that because it makes shift scheduling easier. So yeah, more people should get that, it’s cool.
arkayspark
20/12/2013
The Christmas holiday though historically Christian has very little to do with that now for most people …mostly Father Christmas rather than the stable. It is a time we have as time off work…at the same time as many others so we can have family and friend get togethers. Not all money should be spent on roads and bolstering the fatcats on Elizabeth Quay. Sometimes it can be spent on just fun! None of this money could be spent on schools..that’s a state responsibility. Very little city money is spent on children or child-like wonder.
And for those of us who do believe in divine love it’s a time to remind ourselves and others of the possibility of new beginnings and sharing of joy. It’s a custom of this country that miraculously hasn’t been removed by economic rationalism (yet). When we visit other parts of the world we enjoy their customs. Don’t wipe out all customs because you don’t share them. Because there are lots of ways of looking of the world don’t destroy the ones you don’t agree with. Christianity is about joy, love, life and peace…all things all people enjoy. What’s a star or two
Kandace Mavrick
20/12/2013
Okay, but I’m not talking about whether or not Christmas is a secular holiday. And I’m not saying they shouldn’t decorate the city. I’m not even saying they shouldn’t use Christmas decorations. But there’s a distinct proportion of our populace who don’t celebrate Christmas either religiously or secularly. If you’re claiming that it’s supposed to be about a holiday for everyone why don’t the decorations reflect that? Why don’t they include iconography that belongs to the traditions of anyone else?
arkayspark
20/12/2013
Like our Ramadan http://www.stpaulsbeaconsfield.org.au/resourc/gallery/131130fair/Pages/2.html on the graffiti wall of St Paul’s Anglican Chuch
Kandace Mavrick
20/12/2013
Yes. Very nice.
Terios
06/01/2014
In the past they were publically celebrating what the great majority of the population celebrated in their own homes, and what that great majority would like celebrated in public. These days the proportion of the population celebrating that may have gone down, but there isn’t a more inclusive thing that a greater proportion of the population would prefer to celebrate. The only answer to your problem would seem to be have no public celebration at all.
Kandace Mavrick
06/01/2014
I don’t know. I’m thinking they could broaden their concept of holiday decorations to include iconography from other traditions. That could be cool. Or celebrate a different holiday every year. ‘It’s the way we’ve always done it’ doesn’t fly for me as a reason to keep doing it that way.