It’s the time of year when our schedules are packed with social events, shopping and general Christmas craziness. Amidst the business, it’s easy to forget why we have these holidays, especially in a country like Canada, which is home to people from many cultural and religious traditions.
Prof. David Clemis of Mount Royal University believes the celebration still has value, which is not diminished by the existence of other traditions.
“The argument might be not why would you get rid of Christmas, but why wouldn’t you add Ramadan or Eid or Diwali, or other holidays that are important to other communities,” Clemis said.
This perspective on celebrating the holidays might seem like a new take on how to navigate the calendar in the modern era, but it is anything but new as there have already been efforts made to try new things.Â
“In the city of Birmingham [England] in 1997-1998, they ended Christmas celebrations and introduced what they called, Winter Festival. And really, it was basically a celebration of various holidays, including Ramadan, alongside various Christian holidays in a kind of, ecumenical broad-based, observance of holidays,” Clemis said.
However, as the English writer, philosopher and literary and art critic G.K. Chesterton once said, “never remove a fence until you understand why it was put there.” Does this still hold true for holidays or is this simple advice for navigating streets with construction fences?
The answer to such a question is personal in its nature and may have different meanings — or no meaning at all. Yet, the fact remains that so many people celebrate Christmas, or the holiday season, around the world — so it must have value in its nature.
When asked about the broad acceptance of the holiday in the West, Pastor Kevin Schwittai of Covenant Presbyterian Church said, “Even around the world today, you’ll see many Christians invite their non-Christians neighbours into their homes to spread that cheer and goodwill. We recognize that because God gave the gift of himself to us, that therefore then we can also give—we also can give gifts to others.”
Is this a reason for continuing to celebrate Christmas or is this merely an explanation for why it lasted until now?
While the decision needs to be made at the personal level for each person, the Calgary Journal’s Ryan McMillan took to the streets of Cochrane to explore this topic further.