Editorial

Considering the shops have been awash with tinsel and fake snow since September and you can’t move out there without tripping over an elf or being stabbed on a reindeer antler – not to mention the mental health implications of non-stop Bing Crosby’s White Christmas for three months – it’s not surprising we’re all offended.

However, anti-political correctness memes – and that’s what they are – are more offensive than the fictional attitudes they deride. These memes have nothing to do with Christmas. They are using a traditional Christian festival to spread fear about other cultures.

Let’s get it straight from the start: no one has banned mention of Christmas. The secular term ‘Happy Holidays’, sometimes used in place of Christmas, simply refers to the fact that over the December period, there are a lot of festivals, both religious and secular, and that Christmas is only one of many. It is a recognition of the breadth and depth of a multicultural society. Say Merry Christmas if you want, say Happy Hanukkah, or Blessed Solstice or, yes, Happy Holidays. Any greeting means someone has taken the time to wish you well.

The other popular meme on social media at this time is the (share if you agree) whinge that Christmas has lost its meaning. This is probably a fair comment if by ‘meaning’, the meme refers to the spirit in which Christmas should be celebrated.

Here then, are some things you can do to put meaning back into Christmas that don’t include sharing socially divisive memes on social media:

If we all did that, the true spirit Christmas would last all year.

This is the final print edition of the Braidwood Times for 2018. Thanks to all our readers for your support. Regardless of what you celebrate, we hope it is a joyful time and we look forward to 2019.