Letters: Two takes on the Christmas season
A visitor looks at decorations at the Christmas market at the Old Town Square in Prague, Czech Republic, on Dec. 2. Credit: MARTIN DIVISEK/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutt / MARTIN DIVISEK/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock
I read your Dec. 1 business story “Spirits of the season” with outrage and sadness.
Every day, greedy business people and those trying to secularize Christmas succeed in new ways — and we Christians let it happen.
Advent calendars originated in the 19th century as a way of preparing for the coming of Jesus. They were usually made of paper or cardboard, with 24 “windows” to open, one per day, leading up to Dec. 25. Behind each window would be an inspirational scripture reading or religious picture depicting the Christmas story.
As a child, I remember the joy each evening as my family gathered to open the next part of the story. We all knew what the last window would show, but were excited anyway to see the baby in the manger.
Years later, Jesus was forgotten as children were rewarded with a toy or candy behind each window. I thought that was bad enough, but now I see that the latest calendars are cardboard boxes with doors that contain wine, beer and prosecco for “nostalgic adults who want to count down the days.”
Really? Grow up and show an example for your children. Put Christ back in Christmas (and your Advent calendar).
Elizabeth Barnosky, Huntington
Shoppers wait in line for Apple iPhone purchases during a Black Friday sale at a Target store in Newport, Kentucky, on Nov. 23. Credit: AP / John Minchillo
Those of us who don’t wholeheartedly embrace the festivity of the season are often called Grinch or Scrooge. It’s important to remember that not everyone is in the same mindset as those who love Christmas. Some of us don’t love it. Which makes it a difficult time for many.
It’s not that we don’t feel the spirit of giving; it’s that we maybe see this holiday more as a time of getting. We see that not everyone has money, not everyone has family, not everyone has friends. It may irk us just a little when a person with holiday fever claims we are cold and heartless. And it may bother us quite a lot when we are labeled mean or selfish.
People don’t like the holidays for many reasons. Bad experiences, financial struggles, loss of a loved one, to name a few. If you’re a Christmas lover, great. No one’s criticizing you for it. Yet, by the same token, those who tolerate this time of year, counting the days until it is over, should not be judged. And don’t call us Grinch or Scrooge. Honestly, we’re more like Spock.
Elizabeth Aquino, Amityville
