The Inkling Volume 2

Chr istmas: Religious or Co mmercial
By Katie Kirkpat-
A glowing star that guides three wise men across the
desert. Angels singing the Hallelujah chorus, shining
down from the heavens. Mary and Joseph welcoming
shepherds to see the baby Jesus as he smiles from
the manger.
Mariah Carey and Wham! blaring at full volume on the
car. The frantic rush to buy and wrap gifts for
everyone you know. The week where every house in
the village lights up. The tree, the snow, the jumpers
and Father Christmas.
Which of these sounds more like Christmas to you?
As we edge further and further away from a world
where everyone goes to church on Christmas
morning, is religion still the ‘true’ meaning of
Christmas? The rise of commercialism and the decline
in Christianity has left many people wondering what
role the holiday now plays in society. Christmas is by
definition a Christian holiday - but is that still how we
see it? What are you thinking about as you hang your
baubles and open your advent calender?
A recent survey by the Guardian found that less than
10% of adults under twenty four identify as Christian.
Although statistics for older generations are always
higher, the UK has seen an unprecedented decline in
religion for every demographic over the past decade.
In an age of cynicism, the concepts of God, Heaven
and miracles really do seem out of reach. Perhaps the
catastrophes of recent years have also contributed to
our lack of belief: many people find it difficult to
believe a God that would allow racism, gun crime,
hurricanes and wildfires. It has also become
increasingly evident in the past few years that younger
generations tend to be more politically left-leaning;
with recent campaigns, such as those for LGBT+
rights, the values of Christianity can become to seem
more than a little outdated. It’s safe to say that the UK
is no longer the overwhelmingly Christian country it
once was.
And yet Christmas seems to be as grandiose an
occasion as ever. Families of all ages and faiths
engage in both Christian and commercial traditions.
It’s not unusual to see people who do not identify as
Christian attending hymn services, celebrating advent
and reading the Christmas story, while in the same
way most Christians enjoy events such as Black
Friday, as well as commercial Christmas music and
festive parties. Christmas has become a clumsy, but
cheerful, amalgamation of religious ideas and general
celebration...and most of the time, people from both
sides seem pretty happy about it.
However, every now and then a controversy arises
that calls into question the place of this Christian
festival in the twenty-first century. Such a thing
occurred in 2015, when coffee chain Starbucks came
under fire for their holiday cups design. The company
are known for festive designs that show Christmas in
a more traditional, elaborate way, so when they came
out with a cup that was plain red some people were
not pleased. Many American Christians became
enraged with the company, claiming that the chain
‘wanted to take Christ and Christmas off their cups’.
Starbucks had no obligation to celebrate the season in
a Christian way, and yet people felt entitled to this nod
to traditional festive values. It is a Christian festival,
but do companies still have a duty to acknowledge
this?
I’ve been singing hymns since September in choirs. At
my CofE primary school I was praised for drawing
Mary and Joseph instead of a bauble or a reindeer. It
seems that the religious aspects of Christmas are still
widespread, but that doesn’t mean they’re being
forced upon people. You don’t need to be religious to
appreciate Christmas’ original meaning.
The question many people are frightened to ask is
this: will Christmas live on as religion declines? The
festival is inextricably rooted in the Christian faith, but
I, for one, believe it has a future regardless of religion.
Christmas is so entwined in our winter culture that
December would seem empty without it - imagine the
month passing with no shopping, no build-up, no
traditions.The festivities have now surpassed their
Christian roots and become a cultural phenomenon all
over the world.
So what is the ‘message’ of Christmas today? For
some, it definitely is about the birth of Jesus, and
that’s wonderful. We certainly shouldn’t forget where
all the celebrations came from. But for many people,
Christmas is just a time for family, friends and
festivities...and food. We should all be able to
celebrate Christmas together, regardless of our
personal views. So this year take a moment. Pause
the holiday music (be it Wizzard or the King’s College
choir) and find out what your Christmas is all about.