Stop Taking Christmas From The Christmas Season

The holiday season is a joyous time of year when everyone is in their best mood, and good grace and cheerfulness are in abundance. Strangers that pass by each other on the street corner wave and spread good tidings, while countless individuals donate their time to local soup kitchens or to collect donations to help the needy and less fortunate.

However, it seems like during this time of year, especially recently in the American political climate, many special-interest groups are looking to essentially censor Christmas and subject Christian traditions to meaningless dogma not worthy of recognition. These groups would much rather have the people who celebrate the holidays praise their materialistic, faith-based worldview and bow down to their humanistic doctrine of intolerance.

It becomes disheartening when the liberal left preaches tolerance and understanding amongst all individuals, yet fails to accept traditions that approximately three-fourths of the United States citizenry embraces. It is hypocrisy in its purest form and speaks volumes about how the only acceptable worldview in the eyes of these secularists is a worldview devoid of all that does not coalesce with their own faith and beliefs.

Some elementary schools across the country have taken the liberty to rewrite holiday classics like ‘Silent Night’ and have banned children from wearing red and green to school because they are identified as “Christmas colors.” It is shameful and disgraceful that these students are not allowed to express their religious underpinnings and that it is so hard to accept differing perspectives in our public schools. Tolerance is synonymous with inclusion, and these students are essentially being shunned because of what they decide to embrace.

Such censorship of Christmas even hits closer to home and is evident on our campus grounds. Students and faculty were invited to attend the “Holiday Tree” lighting ceremony last week. The tree has always been identified with Christmas, not Hanukah, Kwanzaa or any other holiday. “Christmas tree” is the proper and common name for that holiday decoration, and subjecting it to an alternative definition is a slap in the face and a pathetic attempt to politely tell Christians that their tradition must be modified for the sake of political correctness. I find it hard to believe that secularists are dumbfounded at why Christians would get upset over the new definition. I have a sneaking suspicion that Jews would take offense if the Menorah was ever renamed the “holiday candle holder.”

No one is calling for everyone to accept the Christian faith and buy into all the precepts the religion has to offer. That couldn’t be further from reality. What most Christians want is an official recognition and acceptance of their holiday traditions without secularists trying to meddle in and redefine Christmas.

So make sure to celebrate diversity this season. Learn the traditions and understand the differences. Changing the customs of the Christmas holiday is the antithesis of acceptance. Enjoy this time of year, and I wish you all the best.