Last night I watched the annual Christmas pageant on TV – along with the Chung Wah association and the Hare Krishnas were all manner of people walking the streets of Perth to ‘celebrate Christmas’.
This Sunday we also have our local carols by candlelight (thankfully I will be away!) and the local churches have no participation at all in it, as it is being run by the developers.
I’m open to the possibility that somewhere in all of this people may experience God – but I’m also sick of seeing this dilution of the Christmas occasion to the point where its really just a pagan festival with some religious overtones.
Why don’t we stop this nonsense of calling it Christmas and call it ‘Family Celebration Day’ or something similar.
I actually don’t like Christmas much and I think its partly because I feel really ripped off when people lob in a day that could have real significance for me and turn it into a meaningless event – or worse still distort the meaning to make it into something totally removed from the original intent.
If we’re going to call it Christmas then let’s get real about it.
Otherwise call the day something else and let those who do find the time significant get on with what it means to them.
Not impressed…