Customs are important to a people for several reasons usually attached to some value system, either secular or sacred, but felt to be highly valued to practitioners of customs. During my professional life I was briefed before entering some countries, relative to customs that were sensitive to the people, perhaps to the government. (I remain embarrassed for many Americans who violate the customs of other nations they visit.) The customs I was warned about were often protected by law even in what were declared to be pluralistic societies. Because some customs are foreign to citizens in minority to the majority context, and they may imply error or even belligerency, there arises some tension for those who do not follow the dominant traditions. That tension might carry over to visiting individuals or groups, even to some citizens. The military sent to a foreign land is briefed on customs which, if broken, may lead to other issues of import. If observed, customs are used to make friends. In any event, the issue needs to be understood, and observance is helpful to effectiveness, friendship and influence.
The range of customs in a pluralistic society is great, pressed in further by the limitations of time. There seem to be more customs than there are days to honor them all. One grows and another fades. What do we have left for undying meaning? During my lifetime changes have ranged in many customs being added, some crowding others. Variety, sometimes contradictory, attending this or that custom or groups of customs creates other tensions. For my purpose here, I obviously would choose, because of the date, the customs related to the bundle identified with Christianity, especially Christmas and Easter.
Early in American church life there were some harsh rules in eastern colonies that prohibited church members from observing Christmas. Luther had made the day popular with a Christmas tree and family revelry, but the revelry enlarged in time and the religious meaning diluted. The answer for the clergy was to rail against the distortions of the Nativity in revelry. Various emphases followed. Following American independence, objections became less stringent. Various writers, composing outside of biblical contexts, revived the human celebration of Christmas. The most effective, that won the day, was the story from Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol. (I love the story, and have delivered its major movements in oral readings from memory many times.) Some students of literature and history believe that Dickens saved Christmas for us to develop in its present form. This sort of literature made attractive bows to the Christian or spiritual meaning, so took hold to make it a force in life at various levels, including economic. The error is that Scrooge is remembered in his pre-nightmare persona, rather than after his redemptive dream.
Because of the meaning of custom and the effort to find greater unity for a national body there is tendency to homogenize culture. It appears to be happening at the time of this writing. This is being written two days before Christmas falls on Sunday, 2011. The morning paper noted that many churches will be closed this Sunday as we accent family and home, with gifts and banqueting. The article concluded by noting the contradiction of customs. Devout Christians want to emphasize that this is the day that celebrates Christ’s birth. It may be the day when even those churches holding services will have their smallest audiences. One pastor simply noted that he will have a few hymns, a short sermon, and everyone will go home. We are reluctant to overdo critique, if the church is serving well on the other days of the year. However, one feels concern that a reduction is contradictory to custom for Advent. There may be need for serious discussion about the meaning of Advent, and some feature of the holiday that accents the essential meaning. Giving toys to children, as attractive as that is, will not inform the children about the real meaning of the day. A Jewish friend, professor at Washington State University, noted to me that the Jews and the Christians had the same problems for Christmas and Hanukkah, except Jewish children expected a gift each day for ten days. By the tenth, gifts are modest indeed, he said – and the meaning of the season may also be reduced. Our feelings are regretful of the important losses, even for those who know the meanings best. The point here is that if there is no spiritual emphasis in the day, it isn’t Christmas. It’s something else. *Mark W. Lee, Sr. — 2016, 2020