I write this in the midst of the so-called holiday season, well into December, on the second night of Chanukah. Because I work in the retail sector, awareness of this season began a couple of days before Halloween, when Christmas decorations went up around the mall, soon followed by seasonal music. I might add that several friends of varied Christian denominations also made their dismay known, underscoring the commercialization of religious observances and the dilution of their meaning in our society.
It is Christmas season. I make no bones about that. I believe that the solemnity and importance of the day should be respected by all.
I observe Chanukah, a minor holiday on the Jewish calendar albeit one with its own important messages from which we should learn, and which should, likewise, be respected for what it is.
But it is the “Holiday Season,” and this is an America that largely believes in inclusivity and ecumenicism. These are nice values to hold, and I try to promote them in whatever ways I can. But at what point does this inclusivity become counterproductive?
Last week, a friend shared with me a story posted by a friend of hers on Facebook. It was of a group of Protestant seminarians with a brass quartet and carolers, while one dressed as Santa handed out Chanukah gelt.
A few days before, another friend commented on the term “Holiday Trees.” The White House has many of these “Holiday Trees.” As far as my Catholic friend and I are concerned, there is only one holiday at this time of year that has trees associated with it, and it sure isn’t Chanukah!
And for years, we have been hearing about “Christmachanukwanzakah” on sitcoms. Our religious observances have all been tossed into a blender and turned into fodder for humor in an America that that seems uncomfortable with religious observance and is confused about religious dignity and diversity.
Let’s take a moment to look at Chanukah and what it means. In the days following the division of the empire of Alexander the Great, Judaea fell under the rule of the Seleucid Dynasty. Alexander’s rule was known to have respected the different nations and their religions during his conquest. During the rule of the Seleucid emperor Antiochus IV Epiphanes, this policy changed, and it had a profoundly disturbing affect on many, though not all, Jews in Judaea. Jews who chose to remain faithful to their religion and would not yield to the incursions of the Hellenistic pagan cult often suffered martyrdom, while the Temple in Jerusalem was defiled. A small group rallied the faithful to fight against the forces of the emperor and succeeded in liberating the Temple from the pagan rulers and their Jewish supporters. Chanukah celebrates this moment, when Jews successfully fought for the right to maintain their rites and reclaimed the Temple. (On a side note, the war continued for another two and a half years, ending in victory, but leading to other problems.)
In other words, Chanukah celebrates a Jewish effort to maintain their uniqueness in the face of forces that sought to obliterate that uniqueness.
Inclusivity can be a good thing, but it also has its limits. When we turn seasonally coincidental holidays into a melange, we do more than a disservice to people of faith, we obfuscate the important messages and meanings behind those holidays. Rather, we need to learn how to respect both diversity and distinctiveness, first by developing a better understanding of our own faith traditions, and then by learning about those of others around us. But first, we must learn to treat our own traditions, and ourselves, with the dignity that they, and we, deserve.
