Here in the US, we started hearing and seeing Christmas items in the stores around Columbus Day. That's BEFORE Halloween!!! I remember when Christmas didn't start until the day after Thanksgiving. I was looking forward to spending the latter part of the Christmas seasion outside the US. It would give us a chance to see how other cultures, other countries celebrate the season. You know what? Christmas was very much understated in South America. I really can't recall seeing ANY Christmas stuff at all in Santiago.
When we got on the ship, there were no Christmas decorations at all. Wow. No Christmas, and here it was December 8. I found that I didn't miss it but rather enjoyed the respite after all the Christmas propaganda that we get in the US. Carey's standard radio station that he listens to while working outside started playing non-stop Christmas songs on November 1. The news was full of the Christmas sales status of the season... retailers were looking forward to a strong season; retailers were overly cautious by not overstocking toys, etc.; retailers were open 24 hrs on Thanksgiving; customers rioted over Tupperware sales; democrats were declaring yet another war on Christmas. Seriously? Because we say Happy Holidays to people who may not be Christians??? We've become either so retail and sale driven or we're arguing over how to spread season greetings. Americans have really lost the focus. And by starting the season so early, by the time it gets here, I'm so sick of it that I can't wait for it to be over.
It was a nice break from Christmas on our cruise. If I was more familiar with the Spanish language, I would have asked the locals about their take on Christmas. I am very curious now. Where was Christmas? When do they start? When do they end? Is Christmas a private thing? Why haven't the retailers jumped on the season like they have here in the US?
I noticed more menorahs than Christmas trees in South America. Does the Jewish population outnumber the Christians? Were we not in Christian countries? Or were we just in countries in which people live and practice their religions in a less intrusive manner? Was our country really founded on religious freedoms? Or did our founding fathers intend for us to be a Christian nation? Does living in a Christain nation have similar implecations to living in a Muslim nation? By claiming the US as a Christian nation, are we not coming closer to having a religious government?
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