Presently, I am taking a little R&R in the USA with family and friends. Since December arrives next week and Thanksgiving was last week, many places, including homes, are decorating for the Christmas season.
As I look around at the decorations, I wonder where did some of the decorations come. I also see rituals that seem new and different to the original Christmas event. Even our own family when we celebrate Christmas have a few added rituals as seen in the photo to the right. For many people, these new and different rituals are a natural part of their celebrated Christmas festival. In fact, many do not even realize that such rituals were not a part of the original Christmas event.
It is strange how celebrated festivals often become filled with other rituals that have nothing to do with the reason why the festival originally began. These added cultural rituals often add new and different meanings. In addition, they may even take away from the original meaning so that it fades into the background. In a real sense, we can say there are “festivals and more . . .”
A few extras this Christmas season might include Santa Claus, parades, certain foods, or Christmas trees. However, none of these should take the place of the real meaning of the festival that we call Christmas. That meaning being Immanuel, God with Us.
We might ask ourselves, “why do people add new and different rituals to festivals?” Maybe it is because the celebrated festival is not a part of the person’s heritage. Or, it is because the celebrated festival lacks relevance. I am uncertain why. Why do you think people add new and different rituals to festivals?
Journeys in Culture 