Sign in or 
Share this
Session 1: The Practice of Christmas
One of the challenges we quickly faced with the workshop event in July was that the weather (even for Glasgow) was bright and fine, and very Summery. So the task of the first meeting was to get everyone 'warmed up' for thinking about Christmas itself. In this way, we also faced one of the central issues of the project - that in order to think about how to understand the ethical decisions of Christmas we need a view to the past and the traditions and ideas that have shaped Christmas celebration. We thought about what traditions we remember from our own personal - recent and more distant - past, and we asked the question: how can we develop new traditions which overlay (but do not overturn) existing layers of tradition? Nicholas Oddy's presentation was a kick starter for the discussion, with his consideration of Victoriana, both authentic and retro. One example, a 1940s box tin for biscuits, which was intended to be sent back to the company and refilled, struck a chord with the current climate for the group – a kind of eco-friendly consumerism which we might like to implement today! This and other examples brought to light the disposable nature of many of the items we use for Christmas, like wrapping paper, cellotape, and even Christmas cards, which became standardized, nationally and internationally, for the main advantage, one could say, of the post office…
We also talked about nostalgia, and how ‘bygone’ commercial structures and traditions of the past can seem more attractive than what we experience in the present. We can imagine that we look back to a glorious non-commercial past, even if this is historically inaccurate. However, there could be something positive in nostalgia if it allows to resist what we don’t want from the past in order to imagine a different future.
The second presentation in this session was from Chris Diamond, whose perspective came out of two areas he has worked in: the media and as a department store Santa Claus. Chris’ view was challenging to the group, as he called into question whether Christmas consumerism was really a negative thing. Having seen the joy that kids get out of Christmas, even with its emphasis on consumption, he argued that this validated the holiday, and did so apart from any religious meaning.
Again, this sparked considerable debate and discussion, with participants reflecting on the terms of consumption and how these change and shift during the holiday. If consumption necessarily goes on at Christmas, is it possible to direct consumption toward common good? Consumers need guidance when it comes to identifying ‘what is good’ to consume.
Our final discussion in this session was about what makes Christmas ‘Christmassy’. Ideas ranged from the over-abundance of kitsch to the recycling of the Christian Christmas story in carol singing and nativity plays. When thinking of alternatives, it was thought that the practice of Christmas in society was so strong that it was difficult to do something different in a way that would make an impact: you can opt out of Christmas, but Christmas won’t opt out on you. If you don’t send seasonal cards, you will still get them through your letterbox, etc. Even if you don’t celebrate Christmas, it is impossible to avoid it altogether.
| | | |
KarenWenell |
Latest page update: made by KarenWenell
, Nov 18 2008, 7:13 AM EST
(about this update
About This Update
Edited by KarenWenell
1 word added 1 word deleted view changes - complete history) |
|
More Info: links to this page
|
There are no threads for this page.
Be the first to start a new thread.
