Enough, Enough! Merry Christmas...!

Sigh. Another self-entitled malcontent heard from. Just never stops. There is just so much that can be done to satisfy the needs - or the perceived needs - of minority groups residing within a historical cultural-religious majority. The very fact that the majority have become, over time, sensitive to the need to address in some part, the cultural-religious presence of minority groups within their midst speaks volumes to the good-faith attempts on their part to relieve situations of such grievance.

It has been quite some time since majority Christian populations in Europe and North America have confined themselves to the single-minded celebration of their holiday of great rejoicing known as Christmas. At one of the darkest times of the year when winter has descended and snow has fallen, leaving us infrequent sunny days and much shorter daylight hours, the celebration of Christmas delights children and enlivens the expectations of people who celebrate. The happy fellowship and twinkling lights should lift everyone's spirits.

There remains, though, grumps who begrudge the majority their season of light. Yet, sensitive to the minority populations within their midst, social and political authorities at every level make a concerted effort for inclusion by recognizing other ethnic or religious groups' similar holidays of celebrations, whether simultaneous to the Christmas season or not. In an attempt to make others feel respected and honoured.

The result has been too often that minorities express even greater grievances. To the point where the majority begins to step on eggshells and commercial and public interests make a considerable effort to play down the religious aspects of that celebratory season. The Christmas celebrations become "holiday" celebrations; physical manifestations of Christmas too easily-identifiable for what they are, become muted and carefully displayed to ensure others are not offended.

And that's downright absurd. Why should any minority feel justified in making the majority feel guilty about enjoying a holiday that has great meaning to them, as a holiday for families to enjoy a long cultural-religious tradition of warmth and togetherness? As a Jewish child, I admit resentment during that season, mostly because I was excluded from its entertainment. But yet not entirely, since I also enjoyed the beauty and light of the season. And the kindness of strangers.

During school hours when children were taught Christmas songs, and when such songs were repeated during school assemblies, I had the option of singing - or not; merely mouthing the words, skipping any portions that had the word "Jesus" or "Christ" included. (As a child I had been called "Christ-killer" by neighbourhood kids; hence my rebellion.) Those songs did me no harm, they were in fact quite beautiful, the melodies old and transcendentally inspiring to a young child's growing music appreciation.

Yet here we are, edging toward 2008, and a woman in Victoria, B.C. has seen fit to take her five-year-old child out of his kindergarten class at Ecole Mill Bay, a French immersion elementary school, because she has deemed in her great wisdom, that too much attention is being given to Christmas. The mind boggles. Mary Anne Watson considers that the acknowledgement of Hanukkah at the school's Christmas concert doesn't quite rate.

As a member of a minority group with a brick on her shoulder she feels equal billing would do nicely. Enough to give a sane person a headache.