Should Christmas be Celebrated Privately?

Through the years, Christmas has become so much more than celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. It has become a popular tradition that is observed in many countries around the world. During Christmas, many people decorate their houses. Cities shine brighter because of Christmas lights and lanterns. Shopping centers are busier during Christmas than any other time of the year. Because of these reasons and more, Christmas has been dubbed as “the most wonderful time of the year.”

Christmas, however, has a controversial side. There are people who believe that since Christmas is technically a religious tradition, it should be celebrated privately. People have different views about this.

Supporters say that public celebrations of Christmas can be offensive to people who do not celebrate Christmas. Making Christmas celebrations public through portrayals of nativity scene, Christmas parties, and greetings or invitations to celebrate Christmas can be taken by some people as an imposition of Christmas traditions.

They add that secularism should be practiced in places where people with different religions reside. No matter how popular Christmas has become, part of secularism and the pursuit of equality is making sure that public celebrations of Christmas are not institutionalized. It is also not fair that Christmas is given more attention than other religious celebrations.

Finally, Christmas celebrations are meant to be solemn. Encouraging public celebrations of Christmas diminishes the sacredness of the tradition. Public celebrations take people further away from the real essence of Christmas.

Opponents say that Christmas is no longer exclusive to Christians. More societies have become multi-cultural over the years. The interaction of different cultural groups has allowed the inclusion of non-Christians in Christmas celebrations. Christmas has been adopted as an inclusive cultural tradition rather than a religious one. This evolution of Christmas no longer requires people to hold their celebrations privately.

They add that Christmas has always been known as a celebration of love. It is not intended to impose Christianity on others. In fact, Christmas has a unifying ability that can make people set aside their differences even just for a short while. Making celebrations exclusive and private is an act of snubbing people who celebrate Christmas even though they are not Christians. It is contradictory to the spirit of Christmas.

Finally, they also dispute the claim that public Christmas celebrations are offensive. Making Christmas celebrations private raises issues about freedom of expression. It puts pressure on people to suppress their expression of faith.