Why are Retailers Embarrassed About Christmas?

11.20.02 | mlmr

[mlmr]

The Christmas stock is out in the stores. There are scads of snowmen, Santas, reindeer and other items craving for your dollar. But interestingly enough, when one asks for religious Christmas items, at most stores, which serve a public that is conservatively estimated to be about 67% practicing Christian, there is nothing for sale.

No Christian based ornaments, hardly any Nativity scenes, and Christmas card... “Well Lady, I have robins, joke cards, Santas, dressed and nude, as well as lovely winter scenes and smart looking graphics.” Nativity scene? Magnificent reproductions of famous religious Nativities painted by the Masters? Ummm...no.

Some clerks make a weak smile and point out their extensive angel ornaments...others are belligerent and say firmly: "No we don't carry that sort of thing here." One owner said she did not carry religious Christmas items because people would be offended.

Guess what? I am offended. Every time I walk into a store decked out in its Christmas finest and cannot find any religious Christian items, I am offended. Every time I walk through huge displays of Christmas knickknacks and have to hunt to a bottom shelf of dark aisle to find a small nativity or Christian Advent calendar, I am offended. Every time a walk into a store with a brimming Menorah display, but no equally brimming nativity display, I am offended. (I have nothing against Hanukkah, I just want my religious tradition upheld with respect too. After all we are talking about 2% of the US population versus 67%.)

It is odd. When I talk to clerks about the availability of religious items in their stores, most also tell me that many people ask for them, but there just isn't anything available. Funny, that there is a need and no will to fill it.

I am equally offended by the Christians who are oblivious. Who no longer expect their tradition will be honored by having its items made available through retailers. Christian who don't want to rock the boat. Christians who don't want to seems too pushy or too religious.

I recommend that all thinking Christians go into retailers and ask where the Christian religious objects are located. If there are no religious objects available, perhaps it is time to tell the retailer how disappointed and offended that your religious tradition is being dismissed.

So I have decided to be offended...and to let people know...that true plurality honors even the faith of the majority and dominant culture. I encourage you to do the same...it confuses 'em when we use their words and phrases against 'em.

[Skooz]

If we had a Hills Department Store here, they would OWN my business.

[nanny]

[Try a Christian book or supply store, and dont shop at stores that fail to sell religious items. You are not going to bully them into doing what you want... let the Almight Dollar speak for you.]

That is a good idea.

[Sadly, Christmas has become Americanized.]

I think Christmas has been too commercialized - but I hope the lack of Christianity isn't really Americanization - if so America is lost.

[glory]

Moved here last year(hubby is from here) and we love it!!

[Skooz]

The only thing is, is many old Christmas-time carols and hymns use the word 'holidays'. There's that song: "There Is No Place Like Home For The Holidays". Also, a lot of old carols, and Christmas-time songs like: "Jingle Bells", "Winter Wonderland", "Silent Night", "Here We Come A Caroling", "Happy Holidays", "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town", etc. You do like to listen to those do you?

I sure do. Always have. I love "The Christmas Song," and "Winter Wonderland" and just about every other Christmas song. But I enjoy the "Jingle Bells", "Winter Wonderland" etc, songs ALONGSIDE and not IN PLACE OF, the more obvious Christmas songs concerning Christ's birth.

I remember as a kid, my family used to shop at a local Sears which piped in Christmas music. They played "Happy Holidays", "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town", etc. but they also played "Oh, Come All Ye Faithful," and "Hark the Herald Angels Sing." To my knowledge, no one threw a PC coniption fit and stormed out of Sears because the muzak said the word "Christmas."

[jjm2111]

"...I do Christmas, which has become a two-month commercialized orgy,..."

I try and ignore it all. I don't get into the Christmas spirit until after Dec. 1. and don't leave it until after Jan. 6.

Christmas has always been my favorite holiday and holy day. However, hearing Jingle Bells over and over and over can drive me to distraction.

[cyncooper]

And our kids even sing Christmas carols in public schools.

Same here.

Oh, I better give an example before someone snidely asks if I mean Jingle Bells. "Silent Night" and "Away in a Manger" are two that spring to mind without stopping to rack my memory for more.

[glory]

Same here...

[glory]

Same here...brought back memories in fact since they have one that is so similar to the one I grew up with in my family home(yes, I bought it since I've been looking for one like it for a while).

[glory]

So is a lot of the junk in the stores being discussed here. The debate about where and how they are made and how that resolves itself with Christ's message is another debate entirely. THis was a debate about whether or not retail stores, even those who have their wares assembled in China, have REAL Christmas merchandise on hand, not where they were assembled and made.

[Skooz]

..........and the fact that the word "Christmas" is being systematically expunged from our language.

[cyncooper]

Those of us who are real Christians...

Time to get over your sense of superiority I'm afraid. Phrasings such as this sound--snotty.

[cyncooper]

And I'll add another comment to your post and your statement that "The commercial/popular Yuletide has pretty much ignored the traditional Adventide traditions: Advent calendars and Advent wreaths."

Again, I don't know where some of you live, but I see Advent calendars and wreaths at many places.

Perhaps this isn't the problem some are alleging??

[glory]

I'm not sure how to take that? Do you think that is wrong? Why? I'm assuming Saint Nicholas, by virtue of the fact that he is a saint, was a religious Catholic, so would he not also be in adoration of our Lord and Savior like anyone of us. If anything, I think that sends an important message about what was a priority to the real "Santa Claus" and it wasn't making a list and checking it twice. In fact, I have an ornament showing the Santa Claus the secular world knows kneeling before the Lord's manger.


Here is a nice little story about "Santa"
http://www.xmission.com/~dkenison/lds/christmas/stnich.html

[glory]

I agree, I've always hated that too how Christmas is just over. We celebrate into January as well so it seems odd to us. Fortunately, in this area, you can at least count on still seeing trees in windows and lights on until after new years eve, at least.

[glory]

Now reading this and other comments, I'm thinking I don't make sense if you don't know me personally--LOL. I have lived in two places in the last year so I kind of go back and forth between the experiences when posting on this topic. I lived in central AZ last year, for many years, and I had trouble finding Christmas items that were religious in major retailers, this year I am in central Ohio and have not had that problem--so far. Like I said, I have some shopping to do today in other stores besides Walmart or Hallmark so I am going to keep my eye open and report what I see, but generally this area seems to be much more religious Christmas friendly. The Walmart had much more than the one in AZ ever did.
HOpe that clarifies a bitwhy I seem to flip flop between being able to find things and not...

[glory]

Thank you for sharing your traditions:-) What a joyous Christmas indeed.

[glory]

Been good talking with you all, but now I'm off to do that shopping I mentioned. Take care!

[cyncooper]

Here is a link (I hope it works!) to an Advent calendar for sale that even features the Holy Family:

http://collectionsetc.com/shopProductDetails.asp?txtItemID=2127&cmbCategoryID=-1

[cyncooper]

Sorry, I didn't mean to type "calendar" but "candle set".

[MoGalahad]

Good advice, Lunatic. However I would amend the 'Americanized' to liberalized.