Secular Christmas anywhere?

[lupinesque]

No: HPFGUIDX 34188

Judy wrote:

> Now, I feel very strongly on the topic of whether there is such a 
> thing as a "secular Christmas."  I, like Jenny, am Jewish, and I, 
like 
> Jenny, say that Christmas is intrinsically a Christian holiday and 
can 
> not be made secular.  Let me clarify what I mean by that.  Are there 
> people who consider themselves non-religious, who celebrate 
Christmas? 
>  Of course; lots of them.  But is it fair to ask someone who is an 
> observant member of another faith to celebrate Christmas?  I 
> definitely don't think so.  I've often been pressured by 
> well-intentioned people who assure me that Christmas isn't really 
> religious and that therefore I should go ahead and celebrate it.  
> Sorry, no way.  My religion forbids it. 
> 
> Maybe this is what Jenny meant -- don't ask *her* to celebrate 
> Christmas, even in a "secular" way; non-Christians shouldn't be 
> required to celebrate Christmas at all. 

I agree, and this is why it seems off to me to describe Hogwarts's 
celebrations as secular.  If their spring break were called the 
Passover break, would we still be saying "but it's purely 
secular"?  It's an example of the invisibility of the dominant 
religion.  Christianity is so dominant in Britain (as here in the 
U.S.) that people can say "Easter break is purely secular"--unless 
they're sensitized by having, say, grown up Jewish, in which case they 
don't quite see it that way.

I think we just have a language problem; "secular" is the closest word 
for describing the Hogwarts celebrations, but it falls short because 
it implies a complete separation from the religious that just doesn't 
jibe with suits of armor singing "O come let us adore Him, Christ the 
Lord."  Let's try to make the distinction between Hogwarts's 
celebrations and a Christmas mass without also blurring the 
distinction between a secular holiday (e.g. Armistice Day) and a 
mostly-secularized celebration of Christian holy days.  

I have some thoughts about why the issue rankles for Jews and not for 
Pagans (or at least the one Pagan representative who's spoken up <g>), 
but that's for OTChatter.

Amy Z

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