Even as we are trying to contain Santa in North America, he is out of the bag in other secular countries. The interesting sightings I had were in Hindu-dominated India. In the last few years, I have been to India twice at Christmas time and, to my utter shock, I found lean, dark Santas jingling bells in shopping plazas. Stores were selling Christmas cards, Christmas trees and ornaments. My nieces and nephews were getting ready for Christmas concerts put on by secular schools. A friend was booked solid at this time of the year playing Santa at different Christmas parties. It didn’t seem as if anybody was particularly bothered by it either. Although Christmas in India will never catch up to Diwali (a major Hindu and Sikh religious holiday of North American Christmas proportions), it is taking hold in urban centres as a significant religious holiday. It is not just the minority Christians or Christian schools giving it life, but it is an aspect of the North American cultural frenzy that is engaging people through Hollywood movies, television and the Internet. I have no doubt that merchants drive the trend to make full use of a remarkable business opportunity By the same token, I can’t help but think that Diwali and Baisakhi are catching on here, driven by large numbers of those faiths. Colourful parades attract tens of thousands of people on Lower Mainland streets and Indian merchants make the most of it. It’s not only ethnic stores. This fall, Save-on-Foods in Abbotsford had flyers with not only Diwali greetings but also Diwali specials on different grocery items. An Abbotsford vendor selling Halloween fireworks also displayed a Diwali greeting. Christians are happy to become a part of those events with friends and community members. In elementary schools, teachers are trying to somehow mark all different religious holidays like Diwali, Ramadan and Hanukkah. Just when we are taking baby steps in marvelling in the spirit of all these holidays irrespective of our own faiths, there is a huge fuss about taking the word “Christmas” out of our winter holiday season. A Royal Canadian Mint ad has substituted the word “giving” for “Christmas” in the song The 12 Days of Christmas. Public institutions throughout our country are struggling with whether to put up a tree at all or to call it a “holiday” tree to delete any references to Christianity in the holiday season. Schools are being directed to stay religiously neutral. If it is all designed to make a non-Christian like me feel any more included, I am afraid the purpose is lost. I applaud the intent but question the wisdom. Christmas has no personal religious significance for me, but it is a North American cultural experience and I am happily caught up in it. I would be lonely in the dark, dreary winter without the Christmas lights, the Santas, the reindeers and the hub-bub of malls. I also appreciate how religiously important it is to a vast majority of the people around me. I rarely make a turkey dinner on Christmas Eve, but enjoy some sort of a feast with family and friends. I don’t go to church for special Christmas services, but exchange heart-warming greetings with neighbours and friends who do. And no matter how hard I try to stay away from the whole idea of gift exchange, I somehow get caught up in it. I look forward to the work-related get-togethers, the secret Santas. These are all Christmas symbols for me. It’s insane to give the season any name except Christmas. I have nothing against “holiday season,” which is more global. But it should be an add-on, not a substitute. Christmas has woven traditions and customs. To be truly inclusive and sensitive, let it keep its special spot. Also let us find a way to commemorate other religious holidays falling not only during this season but throughout the year. Even though I am a non-Christian, the only part of me that feels threatened is my wallet. I can live with that.
