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The Controversy Over Christian Christmas Card Greetings
While some people find “Season’s Greeting” very trendy and inclusive, some Christians believe this dilutes the true meaning of Christmas. Christians believe that Christmas is ultimately a Christian holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus. The first actual Christmas card was created by John Callcott Horsley and released in 1843 with the Christian Christmas card greetings of: “A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to You.” This was a popular English saying and it reflects the Judeo-Christian values of London where the card was printed.
Many Christians today feel Christmas has been usurped by non-Christian factions and commercialized. In order to reclaim the holiday they led a “Put Christ Back In Christmas” movement which popularized the saying: “Jesus Christ: The reason for the season.” This movement has led to the revival of religiously themed cards and sayings with Christians openly practicing their faith at Christmas time.
Christian Christmas card greetings now try to emphasize the traditional Christmas story of the birth of Jesus. Gone are Rudolph, Frosty, and the Grinch. Instead, typical Christian Christmas card greetings might rely on religious Christmas carols like “Away in the Manger” and “Silent Night” for their verses. Online cards may choose these traditional Christmas carols as musical backdrops to highlight and underscore that Jesus is the reason for the season. Biblical verses are also used to reference the nativity.
Some Christian Christmas card greetings are still highly controversial within the Christian community. For instance, the use of Xmas to denote Christmas is frowned upon in some religious circles. The main objection is that Christians felt their faith was being censored as well as commercialized and putting an “X” in place of the word Christ was considered by some a blasphemous omission.
Every year, many conservative Christians watch the White House’s lead to see if the official White House Christmas cards will be secular or religious. Presidents at various times have opted for both versions, sometimes refusing to put the popular “Merry Christmas” in them but adding scriptural references within Christian Christmas card greetings. It seems a source of controversy every year as Christians try to maintain the holiday as a religious icon of their faith.
Some studies suggest that number of people who self-identify as Christian in America has fallen over the years. However, it still remains high with over 70% of the population considering themselves Christian. Part of this religious heritage is also the ideal of diversity and inclusiveness in a mixed ethnic culture that prides itself on the Melting Pot philosophy. It’s very probable that as the demographics of the U.S. continue to change and evolve that the controversy will continue and be a source of inspiration for Christians and a reason to put meaning back in their favorite holiday.
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