The War on Christmas in Texas
The school board President Cameron Bryon of the Carroll School District in Texas is on a soapbox. He wants the district to declare that the upcoming break for children and teachers is to be recognized as a “Christmas Break” and not a Holiday Break, Winter Break, or some other such neutral designation.
At the December 18 School Board meeting Mr. Bryon said, “I have, as I’m sure we all have, received several correspondence this month from the district referring to a ‘winter break,’ ‘winter parties,’ ‘holiday break,’ ‘holiday parties’ -- everything but ‘Christmas break’ and ‘Christmas parties.’ It’s Christmas and New Year’s break, and I think the district should refer to it as such.”
I’m not sure if Mr. Bryon knows but most school districts throughout the United States already refer to their traditional December break as a “Christmas Break.” Just look at the official school calendars from a random selection of school districts (yes, I actually spent time doing this), and most of them have in black-n-white right on the calendar, CHRISTMAS BREAK.
But I suppose this reality would undercut the need of Bryon and many other “persecuted” folks out there to make an issue of something that isn’t an issue. Bryon and others want to represent this issue as a prime example of an “anti-Christian” bias within society.
A Shrinking Majority
Although I don’t give two partridges in a pear tree what schools call their December break, I am curious why Christians are so possessive and selfish about their holiday. I have news for my Christian friends. As a proportion of the population, Christians are a shrinking majority. The U.S.'s Christian majority has been shrinking for decades. A Pew Research Center study shows that as of 2020, about 64% of Americans identify as Christian. Fifty years ago, that number was 90%. Perhaps this is the motivation behind their obsession with calling the winter holiday “Christmas.” They sense their shrinking numbers and shrinking privilege and it makes them nervous.
I choose to use the phrase “Happy Holidays” unless I know that someone is a Christian and celebrates it as such. I’ll happily say “Merry Christmas” to that person. But I also recognize that December hosts many different and diverse holidays for various groups of people within our country and I think it is important to create a climate and culture of inclusion. I don’t believe it is “politically correct” to be neutral about the holidays, it is just basic human decency and common sense. Christians are not the only ones that inhabit the United States.
Christians do not own the holidays and don’t get to dictate what our language is around this time of year. How does Mr. Bryon of the Carroll School District know what the religious or cultural backgrounds of all the families are? Is he interested in the Jewish families, or the atheists, Buddhists, or Muslims that might live in that community?
Or is he only interested in imposing a unitary cultural perspective on all families in the school district that elevates his own religious tradition because he feels insecure about the declining number of Christians within the country? Imposing “Christmas Break” onto the calendar maybe helps him to retain a sense of his supposed preference as the majority religion at the expense of those who don’t celebrate that holiday.
Holidays In December
Let’s just do a quick review of the diverse holidays that are celebrated in December. Certainly, Christmas has always been central to American society because the number of people who identify as Christians has always been overwhelming. But that reality is changing, and it isn’t a bad change. Becoming more diverse doesn’t weaken us, it strengthens the culture despite the neuroses of the Mr. Bryon’s of the country.
Yule (Dec. 21-Jan.1)
Wiccans and Neo-Pagans celebrate the winter solstice (the darkest day of the year, on Dec. 21) through the festival of Yule. The winter solstice marks the shortest day and longest night of the year; Yule celebrates the re-emergence of the sun and the days beginning to grow longer again. The festival was first celebrated in Scandinavia as a Norse festival. Much of what might be considered “Christmas Decoration” is rooted in the Yule Celebration.
Boxing Day (Dec. 26)
A British tradition that occurs the day after Christmas and dates back to the 1800s when Queen Victoria ruled the throne. At the time, it was a day to ensure that upper-class Britons gave servants and workers a day off, in addition to giving them a present. The holiday has since evolved into a more commercial occasion for gift-giving.
Kwanzaa (Dec. 26-Jan. 1)
The week-long holiday of Kwanzaa honors African American heritage; it’s a cultural holiday as opposed to a religious one. Black nationalist Maulana Karenga created Kwanzaa in 1966 as a way to unite the African American community following the Watts Rebellion in a predominantly Black Los Angeles neighborhood. Karenga laid out seven key principles for Kwanzaa: unity; self-determination; collective responsibility; cooperative economics; purpose; creativity; and faith. Its name comes from the Swahili phrase “matunda ya kwanza,” which translates to “first fruits.”
Zarathosht Diso (Dec. 26)
Founded by the Prophet Zoroaster more than 3,000 years ago, Zoroastrianism is one of the world’s oldest monotheistic religions. Zoroastrians honor the death of their prophet on this day, typically by visiting a fire temple and offering prayers.
Hanukkah (Dec. 18-26)
The eight-day Jewish holiday of Hanukkah begins Dec. 18. A central part of the Jewish Festival of Lights entails the lighting of a nine-branched menorah each night. (The ninth candle is used to light the others.) Customary foods include latkes (potato pancakes), sufganiyot (jam-filled donuts) and brisket. Children often play with a dreidel (a spinning top with Hebrew letters).
Feast Day of Our Lady Guadalupe (Dec. 12)
Mexicans and Mexican Americans often celebrate the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the patron saint of Mexico who symbolizes patriotism and devotion. Millions of pilgrims typically visit the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in December to celebrate the festival, which marks one of several apparitions of the Virgin Mary that some Catholic believers say was witnessed by an Indigenous Mexican man in 1531.
Bodhi Day (Dec. 8)
Also known as Rohatsu, this Buddhist tradition honors the day in which the Buddha—Siddartha Gautauma—is said to have achieved enlightenment. Many Buddhists celebrate it through meditation.
St. Nicholas Day (Dec. 5 or 6)
Also known as the Feast of Saint Nicholas, Christians honor the birthday of Saint Nicholas—the inspiration behind Santa Claus, given his proclivity towards gift-giving.
Immaculate Conception Day (Dec. 8)
Catholics celebrate the day of Immaculate Conception to honor the Virgin Mary, who is believed to have been born without original sin. The day is often celebrated by going to church and feasting.
The Pretend War on Christmas
These are just a few of the many holidays that are celebrated in December. I left out two of my favorites which are National Lager Day on December 10. “Lagering” is the cold storage of beer. During medieval times, caves were used for storage. Then there is National Sangria Day on December 20, but alas, I digress…
There is a strong misconception that the “Happy Holidays” greeting diminishes or excludes those celebrating Christmas. It doesn’t. Both greetings are meant to spread good cheer based on someone’s religious, cultural, or personal preferences regarding which holiday they recognize or if they celebrate Christmas because of their personal choice.
Saying “Happy Holidays” is not an attempt to wage war on Christmas or those celebrating it. This may be hard for some of my Christian friends to comprehend so here is a schematic to show what I mean:
Since I was raised to be respectful and thoughtful toward other people, I’ll just go ahead and say, “Happy Holidays.” No apologies and no regret. Enjoy the Holidays!
Totally agree with you on that.