Winterval?

[poliphilo]

First you set up a straw man, then you kick the stuffing out of it, all the while emitting shrill cries of outrage.

I thought this "War of Christmas" silliness was an American phenomenon, but here's the Bishop of Salford- a fat-faced, middle-aged chap called Terence Brain- shouting from the front of the Manchester Evening News that we need to rally to SAVE OUR CHRISTMAS.

Apparently there's a plan afoot to rename it "Winterval".

Really? First I'd heard of it.

Winterval- that's really snappy. That's really going to catch on.

Come off it, Brain, get real. If Christmas is endangered then Pandas are as plentiful as pigeons.

Comments

[karenkay.livejournal.com]

Go, Tony!

I have to say that even though I am American, I haven't noticed any War on Christmas. I do hope that there will be a War on the Commercialization of Christmas, but I'm not holding my breath.

[four-thorns.livejournal.com]

"I haven't noticed any War on Christmas"

that's because it only exists on Fox News Channel and in the minds of people like Jerry Falwell

[karenkay.livejournal.com]

Ah. I have no contact with either of those. It's true that more people are referring to "the holidays" rather than Christmas, but often that's to include New Year's, too. Anyway, even if they are being politically correct, I don't see anything heinous in it. I still feel comfortable saying "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Christmas" or "Enjoy your Christmas" or whatever.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

What gets vilified as "political correctness" is often simple politeness. If you don't know the religious affiliation of the person you're greeting then it is merely good manners to wish them "happy holidays".

Christianity is privileged in both our societies. Is it such a wrench for Christians (and I know we're not talking about all Christians by a long shot) to acknowledge the existence of the religious (and a-religious) minorities. Isn't taking their feelings into consideration just another way of "loving your neighbour".

[karenkay.livejournal.com]

Exactly. Thank you for expressing it so well.

The thing is... I don't think Americans really value good manners, though they give it lip service. My impression is that this is more important overseas. I also don't think most people understand the concept of loving their neighbors, except literally.

Or maybe I'm just thinking that they couldn't have elected The Shrublet unless these two generalizations were true...

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I don't know about manners, but Americans have a name abroad for being an outgoing and friendly people. Manners and friendliness aren't the same thing, I know, but both surely have to do with a good-natured approach to life.

[easyalchemy.livejournal.com]

When I was in Ireland last, I found Americans to be the worst behaved of all the tourists - Australians being goofy and Canadians friendly but shy. Americans were embarassing to visit a bar with.

Of course, those that I knew there were mostly Californians, and prone to conversations about how 'non-Californians just don't understand anything.' It may have gotten my hackles up a bit.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

But the idea that there's a war against Christmas has taken off. It's popular. Mainly because it gives nonentities like Bishop Brain the opportunity to hit the headlines in his local newspaper.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Exactly. There isn't a war on Christmas. Here and there a jobsworth in local government will opine that it insults religious minorities to use the word and as soon as he ill-advisedly opens his mouth he gets shouted down.

As for the commercialisation, it has been reported that takings in the British shops are down this year. When I heard this I smiled an evil smile.

[greybeta.livejournal.com]

Winterval is kind of catchy, actually. But not catchy enough to oblitterate tradition.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I'm not a Christian, but I'm happy enough with "Christmas".
If it was good enough for my medieval ancestors it's good enough for me!

[lblanchard.livejournal.com]

"Winterval" is what they called the break between terms at some local university or another, I think.

As for Terence Brain -- I wonder if he's any relation to the late Dennis Brain, celebrated French horn player, who wrapped his sports car around a tree near St. Albans many years ago, cutting short a promising career, not to mention his life.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

That's interesting. So the word winterval is actually in use.

Ah yes, Dennis Brain. I have his recording of the Mozart horn concerto. I've done a little googling and I find that Dennis was born in London in 1921 and Terence was born in Coventry in 1938. On the face of it I think it's unlikely they're related.

[lblanchard.livejournal.com]

His recordings of the Mozart horn concerti were the subject of an intense piece of Christmas psychodrama in my family in the early 60s. I think I wrote about it in my Livejournal earlier this month or perhaps last month.

I can still see that yellow album cover.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I suspect that their anger and aggression comes from the deeply buried knowledge that, in spite of their current power, science, history and commonsense are all against them.