Last night I got to sit back on the couch & watch the 11 o'clock news with my parents and a 40 year old Japanese woman.
Not only did I get to see footage of the aforementioned Mr. Day in court for his arraignment today (charges included lighting a cigarette in the bathroom, interfering with flight attendants, and kicking the backs of passengers' seats), but I was also surprised to see my town on all of the Boston news stations. I had missed all of the excitement, but my town is in a bit of a tiff right now.
Apparently, the administrators at the middle school are trying to "get rid of" Christmas. The principal got word of the selection of songs from Jesus Christ Superstar that were to be sung at the Winter concert this past week, and said that they couldn't sing them because they were religious. There was also some play put on by the middle school, and they made the students refer to the Christmas tree as a magical tree, and the elves in the play had to have their hats changed from red and green to white and green.
This whole issue makes my blood pressure go up more than...ummm, I can't think, but it goes up a lot. I completely see how people are annoyed with the administrators trying to avoid mention of Christmas in school stuff. Because the fact is, it's not a holiday tree, or a magical tree...it's a Christmas tree. I wrote about this whole thing when I first started my blog a year ago. I do like it when people acknowledge that not everyone celebrates Christmas, and are sensitive of that, but if you mean Christmas, you should say Christmas. When Kate and I bought our Christmas/holiday/magical tree a few weeks ago (at a church nonetheless), the guy selling it wished up Happy Holidays. Now theoretically, people buying Christmas trees celebrate Christmas. I think that's an ok time to wish people a merry christmas. But for a talk show host to show you how to make a red and green holiday wreath? That's clearly Christmas, so don't try to pass it off as recognizing all holidays.
So yeah, back to Medway. The whole thing could have been a lot more easily settled if they hadn't allowed them to put on a play that involved elves and a Christmas tree in the first place..because you know what? That's Christmas. So by trying to make kids call it a magical tree, and taking the red out of the red and green elf hats, you're really not fooling anyone, and obviously that's going to upset people. I think it was completely stupid, not to mention insensitive, to have a Christmas tree, elves, and Jesus Christ superstar in a winter concert anyway.
So now we've got live reports outside of my old school, while a group of kids and parents are standing out there with protest signs & singing christmas...er, magical carols. And to top it off, Jerry Falwell's group that's trying to protect Christmas (the liberty something or other) is getting involved too. Hooray for Medway.
And as I reread this, I'm realizing this is a very negative way to go into Christmas eve, so I apologize. It's not that I dislike Christmas at all. I dislike the fact that I don't get to enjoy it the way I'd like to, and I know that makes me a little scrooge-like. But I've always been hyper-aware of people's attempt, or lack of attempt, to recognize other holidays. Hanukkah is not at all a major holiday. It is a little speckling of a holiday, and is really mostly for kids. Adults don't exchange presents typically. So I don't really care that Christmas gets all the hype around now...if not for the fact that the overwhelming majority of Americans celebrate it, then because of the fact that it's a major holiday for Christians. But I just get upset when people are insensitive to the fact that I don't celebrate it. I get a little annoyed when I get cards, especially from people who know me, that wish me a Merry Christmas.
However, as it is 15 minutes until Christmas Eve, I do wish anyone who celebrate it a very merry Christmas. And if you don't, I wish you happy movies/Chinese food/skiing/or other ways to enjoy the usually crowded places minus the crowds.
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