Dear Editor,
It is interesting to note that around the time I penned a letter asking for a little more sensitivity towards the Christian devout regarding Christmas, and receiving much criticism for daring to add to the voices that wish to see Christmas as a more spiritual occasion, Ruel Johnson writes on how the religious community has failed society.
In response, first I suggest Mr Johnson consider that maybe religious guidance would be falling on deaf ears as my letter did with GT&T, while bringing out those who follow “God and mammon”, in full force. Perhaps too the religious community needs to rethink how they can gain the attention of the populace on matters of such national importance.
Secondly, while F Pedro trots out the usual facts regarding Christmas, his history lesson is incomplete. I will try to be brief: Dismayed by the continuous descent of the season into drinking and wild partying by the Middle Ages, the church in the 18th century issued several decrees trying to make it a more religious and solemn period. In the 19th century Christmas also became more family oriented. When Christmas arrived fully in the New World it was solemn, where going to Mass and a quiet day with family was of utmost importance, before being adapted by New World inhabitants. It was from around the middle of the 20th century that the secular aspect of Christmas fully took root to become what we recognize today.
I also disagree with Mr Pedro’s claim that anyone can celebrate a religious occasion any way they please because the state made it a national holiday. That is most disrespectful to anyone whose religion is important to them. The state made the day a holiday out of respect for and acknowledgement of an event that is important to a particular group of people, and the populace is expected to maintain that respect. It is called respect for another’s religious beliefs, not occasions for a free-for-all or marketing gimmicks.
In fact, during the colonial period the state had banned the religious festival of Tadjah after secularists took it over and it had become an occasion for excessive drinking. In more recent times, one of the reasons the Miss Diwali Beauty Pageant was discontinued was because some considered its focus was not relevant to the Diwali celebrations and its increasing secular slant (alcohol and partying) was detracting from the religious aspect. The ‘Bring Christ back into Christmas’ movement and the ‘Jesus is the reason for the season’ slogans are today’s Christian responses to the increasing secularization of Christmas.
Additionally, despite how Mr Pedro may try to spin his reasoning, religious holidays are first and foremost religious holy days. Not because Mr Pedro receives gifts at Christmas, watches the Diwali Motorcade, throws water during Phagwah or enjoys the Eid cuisine after Ramadan can he suppose that is the all of the holiday.
The fact that Christmas means different things to different people should also mean that when they plan their marketing strategies, GT&T as a national company with its civic responsibilities, should consider not only the apparently secular many but also the voices of the seemingly religious few.
Money is not all I want for Christmas. Despite its appeal (and the cynics or secularists out there), money does not always bring the peace and happiness the season expresses. All I want for Christmas is not money, but also that each one of us has a happy and peaceful Christmas.
Yours faithfully,
Andrea Ally
